Sugarland Stage Collapses

We thought we wouldn’t have any time to blog while at the Indiana State Fair, but due to the incident last night the fair is closed today, so we thought we would share our experience of the devastating events.

Our Scootaround tent was located just outside the Grandstands where Sugarland was to perform. Even though we could not see the stage, we were excited that we would be able to hear them from our tent. The opening act began on time and performed without incident. In the meantime we had a visit from an official of the fair that informed us that there was a storm system moving in our direction and we should stay alert. We continued to monitor the weather on our computer and we watched the skies. They were getting dark and really nasty looking.

Being a pro at working outdoor events during storms, we prepared for the worst…and it came!

There was no warning; the dark, nasty clouds hadn’t even reached us yet! All of the sudden the wind was on us and it was as if it was sheering through everything in its path. The dust was so thick; it was hard to see all the things that were flying by us. Our tent was holding up well, but the trees were whipping around as if somebody was shaking them vigorously. Then there was this awful noise. We first thought it was thunder, but later realized it was the sound of the stage collapsing. Then, what can only be described as the eeriest sound we had ever heard. The screams of all the fans and then watching them pile out of their seats scrambling to get to the safety of the Pepsi Coliseum. It was a solid wall of people exiting the grandstands in a panic as the screams continued to send chills through my entire being.

Not knowing at this time that the stage had collapsed and fearing it was a tornado, we ran for cover. Once safely in the coliseum, we began to see and hear the people discussing what had just happened. The two girls we spoke to were in the grandstands and were very effected by what they saw. Their tears and shaken voices while they showed us photos and some video made it perfectly clear just how serious the situation was. The wind gust lifted the stage and it collapsed on top of hundreds of fans that were located near the stage anticipating the performance of Sugarland to begin. Instead, what they got was it tumbling down on them. The girls shared with us that they felt the grandstands themselves shaking a little, whether it was from the wind or from the thousands of people stampeding from them is not yet confirmed.

We find ourselves once again in an emotional state...Our hearts, prayers and thoughts go out to the 5 fatalities and all of the others that were injured and their families. We cannot express our feelings strong enough that we believe that everyone stepped up and assisted others in this very traumatic time. It strengthens my belief once again in this world of ours that there are really some wonderful people out there who put themselves aside to help a fellow human being.

We do not have photos to share, even though we had our camera with us. Whenever there is such a tragic event, I find it hard to pick up my camera and take photos of others misfortune. There are so many photos and videos of this event already surfacing throughout the web that if you want to see them, just Google and check them out.