Sunday afternoons are known, at least to some people, for their open houses.

And there were a few people on hand Sunday to welcome a popular event to its new "home" in Manheim Township — more than a few, in fact.

On a picture-perfect day made for being outside, the 2008 version of the Big I-105 Turkey Hill Fallfest drew what may have been a record crowd to its new home at the Overlook Community Campus.

     Fallfest at Overlook

At least 40,000 people came to the country music festival, enjoying acts like up-and-coming artist Heidi Newfield, "American Idol" contestant Bucky Covington and the better-known Jo Dee Messina.

After 16 years at Long's Park, it's too early to tell whether the annual fall extravaganza has found a permanent home at Overlook, the sprawling expanse of green between Fruitville and Lititz pikes.

But organizers at Ephrata's country-music station Big I 105 and Manheim Township officials were equally enthusiastic about Sunday's event.

The last vehicle was out of the on-site lots within a half-hour of the concert's end at around 6:15 p.m.

And the shuttle buses that took event-goers to outlying satellite lots had the last people to their car less than an hour after the concert ended.

"Just a great day ... we hope this is our new home for Fallfest," exhausted-but-excited organizer Bob Adams said today.

"We don't own the park (Manheim Township officials will decided whether the event's back next year), "but I think everybody is as excited about having us back as we are to be there."

Covington, who got his start as an "American Idol" finalist, was among the artists who made it a point to ask if they could be back, said Adams, market manager of Citadel Broadcasting, which owns I-105.

As much as seeing name performers, country fans have grown to love Fallfest for giving them a chance to see unknown performers who would later become stars, like Toby Keith and Martina McBride.

Adams said sultry singer Newfield may be that future star people will remember from 2008: "You always get new artists you didn't know much about before, and I really think Heidi Newfield hit it out of the park this year."

The huge throng of fans included Erin and Kevin Landis of Strasburg, who have liked McBride in past years and were eagerly anticipating Jo Dee Messina this year.

"We just hang out for the day ... it's a pretty neat atmosphere," Erin Landis said.

"This looks like a better facility, to accommodate more people ... parking looks like it's much better here," she said.

Chelsea Beers of Palmyra said she's gone to Fallfest for many of its 17 years: "I'm a country girl, so (country music) is all I've ever loved."

She wasn't crazy yet about the new location, she said late Sunday afternoon, as the crowd nearby watched from lawn chairs or tossed around footballs. "Long's Park is all we've known," she said.

But overall reaction to the new location from fans was mostly positive, with good comments on how much more room and better parking Overlook offered.

The only grumbles regarded long lines at toilet facilities (Adams said more will be added next year), and two people complained about the lack of shade compared to tree-lined Long's Park.

Adams said the event moved to Overlook because it had gotten too large for Long's Park, next to Park City shopping center, especially with parking and traffic.

And things couldn't have gone any better, Manheim Township police Sgt. Bob Baldwin said today.

"For a first time, and not having had any experience with it, I think it went very well," he said, adding that officials were worried traffic issues would not go as smoothly as they did.

Police also said today they received no complaints about the noise. The concert ended just before dusk.

Adams estimated the crowd size for the free event by comparing satellite photos from past years at Long's Park to those of Overlook.

Along with traffic and parking, he said the 18-foot-wide Jumbotrons were a great addition this year.

The women fans sure appreciated being able to see Covington more clearly, while the guys liked Newfield, who did a great rendition of the old Bonnie Tyler hit "It's A Heartache."

The golf course at Overlook was open Sunday, but concert-goers weren't allowed to use the Lititz Pike entrance.

Manheim Township Commissioner (and country fan) Larry Downing, who was there Sunday, agreed today that things went well.

"We were concerned about (parking and traffic) beforehand, but as far as I'm concerned it went very, very well. And the weather was a big contributor to that.

"And the performances were great ... top-notch stuff."


Staff writer David O'Connor can be reached at doconnor@LNPnews.com or 481-6033.