The Cullman Times takes a look back at the top stories from 2019. There is no scientific method to our selections, so if you disagree, feel free to share on our FaceBook page which stories meant the most to you. Our Number 4 story – RTS moves to new location, draws ire of subdivision residents.

Rock the South brought more than 65,000 people to Cullman to see headliners Florida Georgia Line, Brooks & Dunn and Kid Rock, but its move to a new location drew ire among residents of a nearby subdivision and caused some traffic problems during the event.

The annual country music festival was held in Cullman’s Heritage Park since its inception in 2012, but growing crowds necessitated a move to a roomier location. 

The move, which was announced on Jan. 14, brought the festival out of the downtown area and onto a 140-acre plot of land south of the city on County Road 469. Rock the South’s organizers said the change in location would allow the festival to keep growing and offer more RV and camping options, while also keeping the event inside the city to benefit its residents.

“Keeping it in the city has been our goal all along, and we’ve said for several years the growth of Rock the South was so much that we needed to do this,” Rock the South Co-owner Shane Quick said in January. “We’ve built valuable partnerships with law enforcement and the emergency management agency and medical personnel through the years and raised a lot of money for parks and the community, which was always one of purposes after the 2011 tornadoes.”

The land is near the Deer Trace subdivision, and more than 30 residents of that subdivision attended meeting of the Cullman City Council in January to express their concerns. Many of the comments focused on the condition of the roads leading into the area, ranging from narrow to blind spots that could create safety issues. Some also expressed worries over safety in their neighborhood during the event and how they would be able to come and go during the festival.

Both Quick and Rock the South Co-owner Nathan Baugh attended the meeting to address some of those concerns, and said the added attention to the area could also lead to more resources going to the roads and infrastructure of that part of the city.

“Rock the South is only once a year for two days, but if this creates interest among the city, county and the state, our hope is that it will bring better roads, more street lights, things that are real improvements,” Quick said during the meeting. 

After Trussville-based Skipper Consulting presented a traffic plan for the festival to the Cullman County Commission and the Cullman City Council approved its special event permit, Rock the South took place on May 31 and June 1.

The move to a new venue did have hiccups, from dry weather that created a dusty cloud to long lines of traffic that backed up onto Interstate 65, but wetting the festival grounds and changing up some of the traffic procedures mitigated those issues on the next night, and the festival is set to return to the same location this year on May 29-30.

“Rock the South has become the largest venue in the state,” Quick said after the festival ended. “There were some things we couldn’t simulate, but this was another learning experience and we will be more prepared next year. We’re definitely happy with the new site and all of the new amenities it provides for fans.”