Ogden Ranch Welcomes Luke Bryan

PRAIRIE GROVE — Around 12,000 people descended on Ogden Ranch in Prairie Grove last week for the Luke Bryan concert and all that was left Friday morning was a large muddy field and some work to get the pasture back in order.

Nathan Ogden of Ogden Ranch did not hesitate when asked if he would do it again.

“Absolutely,” he replied. “We’re blessed and excited that we were able to be a part of it.”

Country music star Luke Bryan’s 2016 Farm Tour opened Oct. 6 in Greenback, Tenn., and finished Oct. 15 in Effingham, Ill.

The tour was held on farms in seven states (South Carolina’s concert was canceled because of Hurricane Matthew) and Bryan hosts the tour each year to honor farmers and bring attention to the importance of farming. A portion of the proceeds from the tour goes for college scholarships for kids from the farming communities.

The concert also benefits the hungry through donations from Bayer Inc., corporate sponsor of Bryan’s Farm Tour.

Ogden said he and his family were able to meet with Bryan for a “very brief” time and had their photo taken with him during a meet and greet session for special guests.

“He was a very nice guy,” Ogden said.

They also were recognized during the concert, along with a representative of Bayer Inc. The Bayer representative handed Ogden a $5,000 ceremonial check for his efforts in providing farm land for the Prairie Grove concert.

Ogden was impressed with the operation. The Farm Tour had 34 tour buses, 15 18-wheeler trucks and another 18 trucks that came in the day before the event with rental equipment, such as light towers and portable toilets.

Hundreds of people were involved in the concert. Landmark Staffing Services provided people to help with parking, tickets and security. Vendor booths inside the concert gates sold everything from alcohol to carnival-type food items to t-shirts.

By 4 a.m. after the concert, everything was gone, including the massive stage and professional lighting system. The crews were headed to Missouri for the next concert.

Opening acts before the main event included country groups Chris Jansen, Peach Pickers, Granger Smith and Jon Langston. Colder temperatures and a heavy rain shower that lasted about 30 minutes didn’t slow anything down. While on stage, Jansen commented that the rain and cold seemed to help “everyone bond together.”

No commitments were made but representatives with the Farm Tour indicated they liked Prairie Grove, Ogden said.

“They told me there were tickled with our numbers and that we’re definitely a place they want to come back to. When that is, I don’t know,” he said.

If the Farm Tour returns in the future, Ogden said he would make a few recommendations. Many fans leaving after the concert had a three-hour wait to get out of the field. Some of that was due to muddy conditions and because the tour buses and 18-wheeler trucks also were exiting out the same gates.

Ogden said he probably would recommend separate exits for cars and buses. Also, he said he would bring in more gravel to help with the mud.

In some cases, buses and trailers had to be pulled and pushed because they got stuck.

But other than that, it was a great night, he said.

“I just hope everyone had as much fun as we did.”

COURTESY PHOTO An official attendance has not been announced but country music superstar Luke Bryan announced 12,000 people attended his concert on Thursday night at Ogden Ranch in Prairie Grove. The view from near the stage.

COURTESY PHOTO Country music superstar Luke Bryan, center, stands with Levon and Courtney Ogden, left, and Nathan and Tracy Ogden and their daughters, Oaklie and Huntlea, during a meet and greet time with special guests.

LYNN KUTTER ENTERPRISE-LEADER Rain jackets, ponchos and umbrellas came out during a fairly heavy downpour at the Luke Bryan concert on Oct. 13. The downpour was brief but long enough to soak everything. The rain and colder temperatures did not deter thousands of people from...