LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Several events are taking place in Lexington this weekend, which has caused heavy traffic and lodging jams.
The weekend lineup includes the Railbird Festival, NCAA baseball regionals, and several Kentucky high school athletic events. This resulted in several people having to go as far as Louisville to find a place to stay.
Lexington has tens of thousands of extra people in the city for a variety of events. What does that mean for getting around and finding a place to put your feet up?
Lexington police said the Railbird Festival has been working with third-party companies to employ off-duty officers to provide traffic control around the event. Adequate lodging has presented an even bigger challenge.
Railbird attendees Bridget Gapastione from Chicago and Lauren Lopez from Kansas City told FOX 56 “There were no hotels or anything in Lexington. Everything was so booked out, so booked. So, we had to stay outside the city.”
A statement from the NCAA said that during the process of selecting regional host sites, the D-1 baseball committee was made aware of the logistical challenges for the University of Kentucky due to previously scheduled events in the area. That led to the University of Kentucky opening apartment-style residence halls to the visiting teams.
West Virginia baseball fan Rebecca Donohoe said she could only book one room this weekend for one night, forcing her and her family to drive two and a half hours from home and back.
“I found one room for Friday evening. Had to pay an arm and a leg for it, and then absolutely nothing for tonight. So, we’re going to head home tonight and come back tomorrow,” Donohoe said.
Courtney Paris from Floyds Knobs, Indiana, said she started looking for hotels a month ago for Railbird and there wasn’t anything in Lexington.
She found a room in Richmond.
“I guess our 30-minute drive is better than having to stay in a dorm. But it was a little frustrating that we couldn’t find anything this weekend, so we thought maybe don’t know could be a little better planning,” Paris said.
Railbird festivalgoer Bridget Gapastione said she knows people who came anyway, even without a place to stay.
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“I also have friends staying in a car this weekend because they couldn’t find a hotel unless it was like 2 hours out,” Gapastione said.
Kroger Field is also a designated parking place for all the big events, but those spots are also all taken. If you leave your car overnight, it may have the chance to be towed.
The Lexington Police Department said anyone traveling in Lexington is strongly encouraged to allow extra time to make it to their destination and is asked to be patient as more people will be on the roadways.