This weekend’s Rock-N-Reggae festival offers students one last release before a week crammed with final exams.

Law enforcement agencies might have a different outlook.

Midland County Sheriff’s deputies are preparing for one of their busiest weekends of the year when thousands of Central Michigan University students converge on Salt River Acres, 926 S. Greendale Road in Shepherd, for the 19th annual festival.

“We’ll have more enforcement out than we normally do,” said Midland County Sheriff Jerry Nielsen.

Along with officers from the Michigan State Police Bay City Post, Midland County Sheriff’s deputies will be surrounding festival grounds Saturday.

Students who decide to drink and drive will have to bypass dozens of patrol vehicles on their way out. That’s why Nielsen suggests nobody tests his or her luck.

“Years ago when they used to have the festival, it used to get so out of hand where we had to call extra people in,” Nielsen said. “It’s definitely settled down since we started beefing up patrols. The last couple years, we’ve been pretty fortunate.”

George and Kris Carr, co-owners of Salt River Acres, decided to partner with Chippewa Cab so the company could shuttle students to and from the day-long festival.

Chippewa Cab will offer shuttle service from Lot 62, behind Kelly/Shorts Stadium, to Reggae Fest for $5 beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday. Return shuttle service to Kelly/Shorts Stadium also costs $5.

“We’re going to have our whole fleet out,” said Josh Kress, dispatcher for Chippewa Cab. “We’re going to run 10 cabs all day.”

Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said deputies will be patrolling M-20 this weekend because many students take that route to get to and from Reggae Fest.

“We will be bringing in a lot of deputies for the weekend because the last weekend of the semester tends to be when most of the parties happen,” Mioduszewski said.

Although police will be surrounding the festival, officers will not be walking around inside. That is because Salt River Acres is private property, and police will be called onto the grounds in the event of an emergency, Kris Carr said.

“It’s not that they’re not allowed on there,” Kris Carr said. “It’s that they don’t need to be on there.”

Advance tickets are selling for $30 at Old Mission Deli, 5030 S. Mission Road.

B’s Music Shop, 613 N. Mission St., has already sold out of tickets, Kris Carr said.

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