Thousands of people poured into downtown Long Beach for the first annual Horton Hayride on July 12.
The event was headlined by The Reverend Horton Heat best known for their influence in the rockabilly music scene.
Other music acts included Jello Biafra, Lee Rocker , The Chop Tops and The Super Suckers.
Tickets were sold for $10, which resulted in an overflow of people who crammed the small space of the event.
The amount of people that filled the space was so overwhelming, that ticket holders were actually turned away at the entrance and were prevented from entering.
Angry ticket holders yelled in disgust at the front-entrance staff. The hassle with entering, not only affected those waiting to get in for the first time, but also those who left and were hoping to re-enter the event.
Attendees like Sonya Peone from Buena Park express her frustration when her husband and son were not allowed to re-enter the event due to overcrowding.
“Why would you oversell the concert knowing you can only have so many people there? Ridiculous,” said Peone.
The Horton Hayride tried promoting a family-friendly environment. A barber station was available for people to receive haircuts. A car show was held outside sparking the interest of many, and many venders sold.
The Horton Hayride was originally planned to take place on Sixth and Seventh Streets, which would have allowed at least 5,000 people inside, according to Eventbrite, a ticketing service website. Unfortunately, due to a partnership that dissolved, the event was pushed to a different location on Broadway and Third Street, resulting in a limited cap of only 3,000 allowed at a time.
Despite efforts to cover the surrounding fences, some individuals like James Torres, from Ventura, watched almost the entire event for free by looking over a fence.
“I drove a long way to be here, I was going to pay ten bucks at the door,” Torres said.
“But with the long line, I figured it might be best just to look over and experience the show for free. At least I didn’t pay.”
Vanessa Rodriguez, from Cerritos, thought that the experience overshadowed the cramped atmosphere.
“If anything it added to it.” Rodriguez said. “It was so cool seeing so many people rock out and seeing some of my favorite bands made it all worth it.”
Despite the overcrowding, and dissatisfied ticket holders, the Horton Hayride’s organizers mentioned they appreciated feedback and are looking forward to bringing the event back for a second year.