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Country Crossings will be back at The Expo in 2019, despite triple-digit temperatures and wildfire smoke that plagued this year’s festival. Peak attendance throughout the four-day country music event at the end of July reached 15,000, organizers said, about 5,000 fewer than last year. “This year’s event just ended, but people should already be getting excited for Country Crossings in 2019, ” said Anne Hankins, president of Willamette Country Concerts LLC, which puts on the festival. “We have big plans and big announcements coming just around the corner.” Next year’s festival will be July 25-28 and is the last of a three-year contract between Country Crossings and The Expo. Expo Director Helen Funk called the four days of country fun “seamless.” “The music festival staff and the Expo team work together very well,” Funk said. “Everything this year went great as far as we can see, and we look forward to serving Southern Oregon again with this next year.” While the festival took place amid the region’s ongoing run of smoke and heat, Hankins said poor air quality was not an issue, and the on-site medical staff tended to zero incidents regarding smoke. “We had a meter on site to monitor air quality, and measures were in place to adjust accordingly, if need be,” she said. “But people listened to our messages and reminders and stayed hydrated and enjoyed inside opportunities when they needed a break.” From a crime and safety perspective, things went smoothly, said Jackson County sheriff’s Sgt. Julie Denney. “There were not a lot of issues at all. We thought Country Crossings went great.” Denney said 12 people were arrested or taken to a sobering facility for their behavior during the event. Five were arrested following incidents of disorderly conduct or fighting; one person was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol at a festival camping area; and one person was arrested for an outstanding warrant. “All of the incidents involved people who had been drinking alcohol,” Denney said. In addition, five people were taken to the William H. Moore Center because of high levels of intoxication, and several others were escorted from the premises and were not allowed to return for the duration of the event. “Our first-responders were fantastic, even considering that they have many other areas to monitor as well,” Hankins said. “It was really a fantastic partnership between the festival, the Expo and first-responders, who do so much to assist in every way.” This year, festival staff and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office collaborated on a text notification system to send out notifications to attendees. Denney said the system was used mainly for traffic and safety reminders. “It was really used to remind people the best and safest ways to exit and enter the area to avoid traffic,” she said. “It went great.” With next year’s date set, some tickets already on sale and a headliner announced — Luke Combs will perform on the first night — Hankins said country fans can begin counting down to next year’s festival. “People that come to Country Crossings are die-hard country fans, and the country artists that perform are die-hard performers,” she said. “You can expect the same thing for next year.” Reach Mail Tribune reporting intern Morgan Theophil at [email protected] or 541-776-4485. Follow her on Twitter @ morgan_theophil .