Welcome to Rockville is underway in Daytona Beach and diehard fans are loving it

Are you ready to rock?

The first clamorous chords of Welcome to Rockville 2024 will fill the hot, humid air Thursday on the infield at Daytona International Speedway.

By the numbers, it’ll be the biggest Rockville ever: 150 bands on five stages over four days.

A record 200,000 fans are expected throughout the weekend, according to Los Angeles-based promoter Danny Wimmer Presents. Hard-rocking News-Journal staffers will be among them.

So check back often for observations about the scene on the infield, interviews with fans and a look at the array of non-musical diversions, among other dispatches from the heart of Rockville in Daytona Beach.

Rockville bands that you can't miss 

With more than 150 bands taking the stage over the next four days, how do you decide who to watch? Our resident metal head and sports editor, Ryan Pritt, did the homework. Here’s his take on the top 10 must see artists coming to Welcome to Rockville. 

How much is the food at Welcome to Rockville?

Previously, we took a look at the prices for beverages at Welcome to Rockville.

But a heavy-metal fan also needs to eat, so here's what we found at one of the food tents.

There is a WIDE variety of quesadillas available for $18 each.

How wide? Here's the list:

Cheese, chicken, steak, pulled pork, Buffalo chicken, Chipotle chicken or Buffalo ranch.

There are also more than a dozen varieties of fresh-cut fries, ranging from $14-$25.

I've talked with some folks who are unhappy about the food prices, but Judas Priest super-fan Jimm Colarusso, of Daytona Beach, isn't among them.

"It seems about typical for what you'd see at a festival," he said.

Diehard Welcome to Rockville fan brings laughs with inflatable rooster suit

Although black is the dominant color, there's no shortage of fashion statements among the Rockville faithful.

For Chris Miller, of Jacksonville, the appropriate ensemble included a super-sized inflatable rooster.

"It's a play on words," he said of the battery-operated suit. "The idea is to keep people laughing more than anything."

Miller, whose weekend wardrobe also includes inflatable dragon and dinosaur, was rocking out to Austin, Texas-based Amigo the Devil's banjo-powered hybrid of rock and roots.

"These guys are fantastic," said Miller, 43, who has never missed a Rockville since its inception more than a decade ago in Jacksonville.

He's camping on-site for this year's four-day event.

"It's a really nice set-up," he said as the rooster nodded in agreement.

Rockville parking, allowed items, ticket info: What else should you know?

If you’re heading to the event this weekend and you still have questions, we put all the logistical details – from parking and reentry to accepted forms of payment and what you can bring on the grounds – all in one spot: Everything you need to know about Welcome to Rockville 2024. 

Who else is playing at Rockville this year? 

With more than 150 bands slated to play over the next four days, The News-Journal reached out to some of the headliners for one-on-one conversations prior to the show.  

Check out our interviews here: 

• Breaking Benjamin talks touring, new music 
• Sum 41 savors landmark stop on farewell tour at Welcome to Rockville 
• Mr. Bungle reflects on its genre-bending mindset 

And don’t forget Palm Coast’s very own Rain City Drive: 

For Palm Coast’s Rain City Drive, Welcome to Rockville show is ‘bucket-list experience’ 

For Palm Bay fan, 'It's straight-up Limp Bizkit'

Clifford Ford, of Palm Bay, is another Rockville diehard, who arrived in distinctive tropical attire.

Although he looks like he's bound for Margaritaville, Ford is a bona fide metal head.

A few years back, he was all about Metallica. This year, the focus is different.

"It's straight-up Limp Bizkit," he said. "They are my childhood, my teenage years. I can't wait to see them."

A supermarket employee, Ford, 43, returns to Rockville for the sense of community.

"Straight up, it's the atmosphere. Everyone is like family here.

"If you're down when you get here, the people will bring you up. You can feel the energy from the crowd and know this is home."

Rockville 2024 tickets. Are they still available? 

Some VIP and general admission tickets are still available. The weekend general admission four-pack has already sold out, according to the event website. If you’re looking to grab a last-minute ticket to the festival, click here. 

Traffic delays expected around Daytona airport during Rockville

As thousands of rock fans take over the Speedway and surrounding streets during the Welcome to Rockville weekend, Daytona Beach International Airport officials are warning those arriving or departing the airport about traffic delays.

"People arriving at Daytona Beach International Airport for departing flights or picking up passengers — especially after 9 p.m. — should allow for extra time, as there will be significant traffic in the area," said airport spokeswoman Joanne Magley in a press release Thursday afternoon. "Travelers should avoid International Speedway Boulevard and Williamson Boulevard and instead enter the airport off Clyde Morris Boulevard."

Magley also mentioned that "concert parking is prohibited at the airport."

Longtime Daytona Beach resident a 'big Judas Priest fan'

One look at Jimm Colarusso's wardrobe and there's no doubt what band he came to see.

"I'm a big Judas Priest fan," said Colarusso, 53, a lifelong Daytona Beach resident.

That's evident from the dozens of band patches on the front and back of his black denim jacket.

On the back, the display includes 25 Judas Priest album covers,arranged in neat rows.

"I must have spent two days sewing all these patches on," said Colarusso, who is attending his first Rockville.

It's not his first concert at the Speedway, where he recalls seeing Blue Oyster Cult and Twisted Sister on the infield about 20 years ago during Bike Week.

Grabbing some shade under one of the midway tents, he thinks that it's too early in the year for temps in the 90s.

"It's a little bit warmer than it usually is," he said. "This feels more like June or July."

Artificial turf near Inferno stage cooling things down

There was a new wrinkle for fans watching the noon set by Until I Wake, a metal-core outfit from Buffalo, New York.

Bright green artificial grass covered the asphalt in front of the Inferno stage near the Speedway's Turn 1.It might be wishful thinking, but the plastic turf seemed to make it cooler.

Was I hallucinating?

A nearby festival goer didn't think so.

"If that's the road underneath, that would definitely buffer it, I think," said Chris Willingham, 47, who traveled from Branson, Missouri, for the four-day festival.

Equipped with a masters in geology, Willingham seemed to know what he was talking about.

Or maybe it was just the heat.

On stage, Until I Wake's lead singer, Justin Smith closed the show by taking a selfie of the crowd.

"We're going to take a Polaroid picture," he said, "so I can remember this and show my little guy at home."

In the crowd, Willingham said he was most looking forward to seeing Slipknot and the Foo Fighters, adding that the event already had impressed him.

"It's super-early, but it's already super-nice. I like the layout."

Hydration packs now allowed at Rockville due to extreme heat

"Due to the extreme heat, we will be allowing hydration packs (Camelbacks) at Welcome To Rockville this year," organizers said in a Facebook update Thursday afternoon. "They must be empty upon arrival and fans will be able to refill for free at one of our multiple FREE WATER REFILL STATIONS throughout the festival site. Stay safe, hydrated and get ready to rock."

How much do drinks/merch cost on the Rockville midway?

Here's a look at the menu board at one of the bars:

$12 for a Budweiser, $14 for a craft beer.

$17.50-$19.50 for specialty cocktails such as the Red Bull Watermelon Margarita, a mix of Milagro Silver Tequila and Red Bull Red Edition.

A bottle of water = $4.

On the topic of prices, you can score an official Welcome to Rockville T-shirt for $40 at one of the festival's massive merch tents.

Also available: An official welcome to Rockville beach blanket for $35.

Accept no imitations!

Early-bird fans ready for the first day: 'We never miss it'

Among the early-birds on opening day, Katie and Ryan, a couple of twenty somethings from St. Augustine, staked out an enviable patch of shade next to one of the colorful art installations on the midway.

They are festival veterans since before the event was Rockville, when it was known as Planet Fest in Jacksonville.

"We never miss it," said Katie, who declined to offer her last name.

The prospect of triple-digit heat didn't deter them this year, she said.

Over the weekend, they were most looking forward to sets by Clutch and Slipknot.

"We know it's going to be hot," she said, "you just need to prepare for it."

The couple was more unhappy about the cost of their "overpriced" quesadilla and the festival's policy of limiting attendees to one clear plastic water bottle at the gate.

"The water rule is so dumb," Ryan said. "When it's 100 degrees out, limiting people to one bottle of water is ignorant, really."

Brought your kids to Rockville? Here's what you should know

Welcome to Rockville is an all-ages event, so here's a tip for parents coming with their kids:

At the information tent at the Turn 1 entrance, parents can get an additional wristband for their "spawn"(festival lingo, not ours) that includes parental contact information.

The festival also recommends that parents point out one of the event's two medical tents to their children as potential meeting spots if family members become separated.

Sounds wise to make a plan.

The doors are open! What are the day's first shows?

Gates opened on time at 11 a.m. for Thursday's opening day of Welcome to Rockville at Daytona International Speedway.

Outside the track on West International Speedway, traffic was heavy, but not ridiculously so. Plenty of pedestrians bravely decked out in all black, despite expected temps in the 90s.

The festival's first band, Until I Wake, is slated for noon on the Inferno Stage near the Turn 1 entrance. That's where you can catch Bodysnatcher later at 1 p.m.

At 12:30 p.m., Fuming Mouth opens the Vortex stage. At the same time, Imperial Tide takes over the Octane Drift stage.

At 1 p.m., Point North kicks off the day at the Apex stage and As You Were takes the Garage stage.

Click here for the full schedule and stage assignments for Rockville 2024.

Where to find water stations and tips to find shade, stay hydrated

It’s going to be hot out there.

While that information about Welcome to Rockville’s opening day on Thursday might not seem as important as deciding what bands to see on what stages, those musical plans might not materialize if you don’t stay hydrated.

How hot will it be?

According to the latest forecast information from the National Weather Service in Melbourne, the high temperature is expected to reach 93 degrees under sunny skies on Thursday in Daytona Beach. Of course, that means the "feels like" temps could soar into the triple digits.

On Friday, the high is expected to reach 90, with a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms, especially after 2 p.m. The rain chances decrease, slightly, to 40% at night.

On Saturday and Sunday, temperatures are expected to reach a high of 82 under mostly sunny skies.

If you want to stay hydrated, here are some tips:

There are designated shade areas such as a pair of Jack Daniels Shade Tents about midway between the Octane Drift and Apex stages. Also, the shaded area under the grandstand next to Turn 1 also will be open and available as a designated shade area, a first at this year's festival.

According to festival rules, attendees are allowed to bring along one factory-sealed bottle of water (20 oz. maximum size) or one empty plastic refillable water bottle (no hydroflasks, glass or yetis).

If you’re so equipped you can refill your bottle for free at one of several water stations throughout the festival grounds.

According to the map on the festival’s official website, water stations are in the following spots:

• To the right of the Octane Drift Stage, next to the Heavy Tiki Bar, near the Turn 1 entrance;
• In front of the Garage Stage, near the Turn 2 entrance;
• Near the amusement rides outside the camper entrance. The same area includes the Vive Hydration tent;
• Near the VIP entrance next to the Apex Stage.

But if you're looking to re-fill your plastic water bottle at one of a handful of water stations on the Speedway infield, here's some trivia you should also know:

There are 55 fresh water spigots available for that purpose, according to festival PR folks.

There also will be water and non-alcoholic beverages for sale at all concession stands.

If needed, there are medical tents near the campers entrance next to the amusement rides and also near the Turn 1 entrance.

Stay hydrated and, remember, whiskey doesn’t count.