REDMOND, OR -- A massive music festival is coming to the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in about a week and a half. Redmond City Councilor Cat Zwicker urges people to prepare now for the FairWell Festival crowds, "It’s going to bring in an estimated 35,000 people, which is basically the population of Redmond."

This is the inaugural year for the FairWell Festival, boasting headliners like Cheryl Crow and Willie Nelson among its more than three dozen acts on three stages. It runs July 21-23. Zwicker expects traffic backups on the south end of Redmond, near the fairgrounds and airport, "If you’re traveling to the airport, I would advise you to leave extra early because the roads will be very heavy. And you will need that extra time or you will miss a flight. And if you’re picking someone up, let them know that you might be delayed." But, she adds, "It’s a great event for Deschutes County, for Redmond, it’s going to help all our local businesses. So, again, I think everybody just enjoy, drive slow, and have a nice time because I think it’s going to be a great event. But we do have to be very aware that the traffic is going to be a little clustered."

Just 10 days after the festival clears out, the Deschutes County Fair and Rodeo opens, bringing its crowds to Redmond August second through the sixth.