As of midweek, 90% of the passes to the Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival had been sold.
Camping is sold out.
Fans need to know a variety of information for a successful weekend July 19-21 on the grounds of the Ohio State Reformatory .
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How much are Inkcarceration tickets?
Weekend general admission passes for all three days cost $233.99, plus a $51.13 fee.
Those prices go up to $499.99 and $90.71, respectively, for a weekend VIP pass.
Single-day general admission passes cost $119.99 with a $28.53 fee for each day. Single-day VIP passes go for $219.99 and $46.80 for the first two days and $249.99 and $49.97 for the final day.
Once fans have their tickets, they have to make it to the site. Mansfield police will be on hand to help them get there.
Sgt. Paul Lumadue heads up the traffic section. He said police are going with the same plan as in 2023.
Orange Lot poses traffic issues
"In the morning, the big issue is the Orange Lot, which is off of North Main Street, just north of Warren Rupp," Lumadue said. "That's the one that causes the most traffic interruption, especially on Friday, just because there's businesses still open and a lot of truck traffic."
Lumadue reviewed the plan.
"We close the berm lane and use part of the berm to make an entry lane," he said. "We get enough signage up there to let people know that as soon as they get off of (U.S.) 30 or Longview (Avenue), they can get in that lane and take it right into Orange Lot and keep the traffic flowing on North Main Street.
"In the evening, we kind of switch everything around. We use that same lane that we used as an entrance as a straight-through lane so we can bring everyone out of the parking lot quickly."
Guests leaving Orange Lot will have two southbound lanes heading toward Longview Avenue.
"We have people on the 30 on-ramp and down at Longview and Main to direct traffic and keep things flowing," Lumadue said.
The head of the traffic section says every year comes with a learning curve.
"Plus, we had to get through U.S. 30 construction. Once it was done, things flowed a lot better," Lumadue said. "The previous couple of years caused us a lot of headaches, and we had to reroute traffic through Madison Township and out to Fleming Falls Road."
Lumadue said signs will be in place shortly after people exit Interstate 71.
"If they follow the signs, they should be able to get there with no problems," he said.
Lumadue said there are some issues with Mansfield Correctional Institution, which has shift change close to the time many people are leaving the festival.
"We tend to upset a few of their employees with road closures even though we set up signs a week ahead of time," he said.
Once people arrive, they have to deal with parking. Weekend passes for the Orange and Green lots are $65 with a $14.60 fee. Green Lot also has weekend motorcycle passes for $35 with an $11.43 fee.
Single-day parking passes are the same the entire weekend. They are $25 with a $10.37 fee for the Orange, Green and Red (ADA) lots.
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Mansfield police will devote more than 20 officers daily at festival
In addition to traffic, Mansfield police handle security. By the end of each night, MPD will have more than 20 officers on site.
"My biggest recommendation to anybody going to the concert is to look at Inkcarceration's website . Know before you go," Assistant Chief Mike Napier said. "It tells what you're allowed to bring in, what the bags should look like. That makes getting in easier.
"The more prepared they are when they arrive, the easier it will go."
Bags are discouraged. Some smaller and clear bags are allowed. Those not allowed include cooler bags, diaper bags, purses, oversized tote bags and solid or mesh bags.
Napier said people might be surprised the crowds are generally "very calm."
"We don't have any issues out there," he said. "T-shirts being bootlegged in the parking lot is about the biggest issue we have."
Napier said police also deal with children who have gotten separated from their parents. He recommends parents register their children for wristbands that will have their information on them.
"It helps us to reunite them faster," he said. "That has gotten a lot better over the years, but it's still a huge issue."
Napier said children often spend a couple of hours with officers, who use drones and TV monitors to locate parents.
As for the police working the festival, Napier said they enjoy a break from their routines. Many are fans of the hard-rocking music.
Chief Jason Bammann credited Napier and Lumadue for making his life that weekend "super easy."
Mansfield police also work with the local post of the Ohio Highway Patrol and other agencies, along with partners at the reformatory.
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"For the whole weekend, everything comes together and kind of flows," Bammann said.
He offered advice to fans.
"If something comes up, listen. Everybody, have a good time," Bammann said.
mcaudill@gannett.com
419-521-7219
X: @MarkCau32059251
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Inkcarceration passes going fast, everything else to know about the music/tattoo festival
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