Lost Lands: Annual EDM festival returns to Thornville area after COVID hiatus

After a one year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, Lost Lands Music Festival will return to the Thornville area this weekend.

The electronic dance music, or EDM, music festival has been held at Legend Valley Historic Concert Venue and Campground in recent years, each year bringing thousands to the area and also prompting concerns from area residents about traffic and noise.

In a Facebook post Monday, Licking County Sheriff Randy Thorp issued a traffic alert for the area of Ohio 13 near Interstate 70.

"There will be a high volume of traffic coming to the concert on Wednesday through Friday and a pedestrian crossing on Rt 13 at the concert site through the weekend," Thorp said, noting because traffic will be heavy, area residents should expect long delays. He encouraged community members to use alternative routes to reach their destination in the area during the event.

"Deputies and law enforcement will be on site around the clock to provide a safe environment for everyone," he continued.

In past years, area residents expressed concerns about loud music disrupting their weekends during the four-day event at a Licking Township Trustees meeting. Concert venues owners Steve and Laura Trickle, along with festival owners, made changes to the festival in the years o following, hoping it would show the community their efforts to be good neighbors.

More:Legend Valley owner hopes changes to Lost Lands will show efforts to be 'good neighbors'

On Tuesday, Licking County Sheriff's Office Col. Chad Dennis said officers with the Central Ohio Drug Enforcement Task Force will be on site over the weekend, along with other deputies on special assignment.

Dennis said most of the shifts at the concert venue have around 25 officers, but some have as many as 31 officers working. All the staff working at the concert are on special duty, Dennis said, so it will have no impact on patrol deputies handling calls throughout the remainder of the county.

Addressing traffic concerns, Dennis said their agency has signs on multiple roadways and the festival has distributed traffic plans to their concert goers via their social media platforms. Dennis added depending on their type of ticket and plans for staying over the weekend, they have certain lots they're supposed to go.

More:Lost Lands fans: Festival means good vibrations, a brief escape from reality

Dennis said the area will be congested over the next three days. He noted the festival is projecting about one-third of the crowd to arrive each day, so about 13,000 people coming into the area daily until the weekend.

He encouraged the community to avoid the area if they can, but said deputies will be on site to help manage traffic.

He also noted the deputies are being paid for by the venue and will not cost taxpayer dollars.