Bluewater BorderFest will kick off Thursday night as thousands of people are expected to attend the three-day music festival along Sarnia's waterfront.
Gates open at 5:30 p.m. at Centennial Park in Sarnia.
BorderFest Committee Member and Tourism Sarnia-Lambton Executive Director Mark Perrin said general admission tickets are still available for all three nights, and there are several VIP tickets available for Thursday's show.
Attendees are encouraged to get their tickets online beforehand but tickets will be available at the venue.
"We don't have seating in our VIP area but we do have seating in our general admission area so [attendees] are welcome to bring a lawn chair. You can bring a small backpack, carrying personal belongings but we're trying to avoid any large backpacks," Perrin said. "If you're looking for some extra shade, you can bring an umbrella."
There will be 12 food vendors at the event but Perrin said attendees can bring small snacks if they wish.
Reusable water bottles will not be permitted inside the venue but sealed water bottles will be allowed.
The long-range forecast for this weekend is not calling for temperatures to exceed 26 C, 79 F. However, should there be high humidity levels or poor air quality, Perrin said appropriate health and safety protocols will be taken as needed.
"At this time I think everything's looking alright but we do have bottled water that's available from some of our community partners, that's a donation, that then goes back to support the Cancer Society, Bluewater Boxing, and a few other [organizations]," he said.
Friday's line-up will be headlined by City and Colour, The Sheepdogs, The Blue Stones, and The Down River Band. Saturday's show will feature Daughtry, Theory of a Deadman, Pop Evil, and Bad Men Association.
Perrin said the weekend event is expected to attract a lot of out of town guests.
"We're really getting to market the area and make sure we really enhance the experience for all [those] travelling this weekend to Sarnia," said Perrin. "The attendance is basically between 60 and 65 per cent that are from out of town."
The tourists will represent 24 different United States, four countries, and eight Canadian provinces.
Perrin said it's a great opportunity for businesses to showcase themselves over social media or with signs welcoming BorderFest attendees to the area.
"It's great for our local economy. We actually did the numbers and it looks like $4 million in economic impact for Sarnia-Lambton from this event so that's huge for the economy," he said.
More information about the event or ticket sales can be found at bluewaterborderfest.ca.
