Weather proves unlucky at 13th StampedeStampede weather proves

By Bill Blankenship

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

MANHATTAN - Thunderstorms forced cancellation of the opening night of the 13th annual Country Stampede, enforcing for the superstitious the fortune associated with that number.

Although gates opened on schedule at 3 p.m. Thursday, none of the musical acts was able to take the festival's stages due first to thunderstorm warnings and then to actual thunderstorms.

Meteorologists with 94.5 Country, which was broadcasting live from the Stampede, started cautioning concert-goers and those staying over in an adjoining campground to take shelter as the storms approached.

It eventually did rain, at times heavy, and although Stampede officials had hoped to dry off the stage, speakers and other equipment to get the music started, persistent light rain and lightning in the area forced them to call it a music-less night around 9 p.m.

That meant the opening night crowd didn't get to see finalists of the 94.5 Country Ultimate Karaoke Contest, "American Idol" finalist Kellie Pickler, Southern rockers .38 Special and American music icon Charlie Daniels.

The Stampede is scheduled to resume today, with gates opening at 11 a.m. and the first act on the main stage at noon.

The National Weather Service office in Topeka was predicting partly sunny skies today with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms, some of them severe in the afternoon.

The forecast for tonight was mostly cloudy with the chance of thunderstorms remaining at 50 percent.

Country Stampede officials recommended festival-goers monitor 94.5 Country for weather-related alerts about the event.

The Country Stampede is slated to run through Sunday night.

Bill Blankenship can be reached

at (785) 295-1284

or bill.blankenship@cjonline.com.By Bill Blankenship

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

MANHATTAN - Thunderstorms forced cancellation of the opening night of the 13th annual Country Stampede, enforcing for the superstitious the fortune associated with that number.

Although gates opened on schedule at 3 p.m. Thursday, none of the musical acts was able to take the festival's stages due first to thunderstorm warnings and then to actual thunderstorms.

Meteorologists with 94.5 Country, which was broadcasting live from the Stampede, started cautioning concert-goers and those staying over in an adjoining campground to take shelter as the storms approached.

It eventually did rain, at times heavy, and although Stampede officials had hoped to dry off the stage, speakers and other equipment to get the music started, persistent light rain and lightning in the area forced them to call it a music-less night around 9 p.m.

That meant the opening night crowd didn't get to see "American Idol" finalist Kellie Pickler, Southern rockers .38 Special and American music icon Charlie Daniels.

The Stampede is scheduled to resume today, with gates opening at 11 a.m. and the first act on the main stage at noon.

The National Weather Service office in Topeka was predicting partly sunny skies today with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms, some of them severe in the afternoon.

The forecast for tonight was mostly cloudy with the chance of thunderstorms remaining at 50 percent.

Country Stampede officials recommended festival-goers monitor 94.5 Country for weather-related alerts about the event.

The Country Stampede is slated to run through Sunday night.

Bill Blankenship can be reached

at (785) 295-1284

or bill.blankenship@cjonline.com.

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