FLORENCE - Country Thunder has long billed itself as a family event, but take a look around this year's event and another picture emerges: spring break.
In the campgrounds, squeezed between families with young kids in tow, groups of older teens and early twentysomethings, many of them not old enough to legally drink, have set up camp for the four-day festival in RVs, tents and at least one converted horse trailer.
"This is crazier than spring break," said 18-year-old Phoenix-area resident Blayke Perry. "We were in Rocky Point and it wasn't even this fun."
Out in the festival grounds Friday afternoon, Perry and her gal pals Nicole Daignault and Zoe Brown were crowd-watching. Daignault, 19, admitted she was nursing a hangover from opening night Thursday while Brown, the oldest of the trio at 20, said she was working on a pretty good buzz even thought it was not yet 5 o'clock.
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Moments earlier Brown had shed her denim short-shorts to reveal fluorescent pink bikini bottoms that matched her bikini top.
"Do you like them?" she asked another friend, Amber Houser, 21, an Arizona State University senior.
For Houser, wearing denim bikini bottoms she said she made herself, this was her second Country Thunder. Like last year, she was camped out at Crazy Coyote.
The campsite, the farthest end of the festival grounds, has pretty much become the Rocky Point of Florence this weekend. It’s populated by young adults, and Brown said there is one goal: party away the weekend.
And check out the guys, she added.
“Abs, abs, abs, abs, abs, abs, abs,” Brown said as Houser’s shirtless friend Grant Ifflander, 22, walked past her. “Seven times. Write that down.
Brown and her two friends said their parents knew they would be drinking this weekend, and each advised them not to get too crazy.
Country Thunder officials don't track attendance by age, but they agree the festival has become a retreat for young people. This year is the festival's biggest camping ground, with 4,842 campsites, 764 more than last year. All are sold out. A large alfalfa field that last year was used for parking was turned into a campground. Every second campsite appeared to be filled with young people.
But that hadn't translated into problems, said Pinal County Sheriff's Department spokesman Elias Johnson.
"This has been the most mellow Country Thunder in a long time," Johnson said Saturday morning.
In the first two nights, officers from a 24-member joint task force from the sheriff's department, Florence Police Department, Arizona Department of Public Safety and Casa Grande Police arrested eight people for drunken driving and two for disorderly conduct. "Which is very, very quiet compared to the last few years," Johnson said.
"There's a lot more younger kids," he added. "There are high school kids here. It's an adult venue, it really is. A lot of people go just for the party in the campground, and out there it's kind of a free-for-all. It's BYOB (bring your own booze). I wish there could be a little more control but it's impossible with the number of people."
Brown and her friends said most of the people in Crazy Coyote were nice enough. And the people-watching was priceless.
"You know how they say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? That's how it is at Country Thunder; what happens at Country Thunder stays at Country Thunder."
If you go
Country Thunder concludes today at Canyon Moon Ranch in Florence with headliner Alan Jackson.
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@azstarnet.com or 573-4642.
