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Village approves Trout Days traffic plan and no-carry-in alcohol signage amid enforcement concerns
Summary
The Village of Cross Plains approved a traffic plan for Trout Days that establishes soft and hard closures on Mil Creek Parkway, and approved signs asking attendees not to carry alcohol into the park; trustees discussed enforcement limits and the Lions Club said it will use wristbands and extra insurance for on-site beer sales.
The Village of Cross Plains Board of Trustees on April 13 approved a traffic plan for the Trout Days festival that will create partial closures on Mil Creek Parkway, and authorized "no carry-in alcohol" signage around Xander Park while acknowledging enforcement will largely rely on officer discretion.
The traffic plan, developed after a March 26 stakeholder meeting that included Lions/Trout Days organizers, the chamber of commerce, businesses, EMS, fire and police, calls for soft closures earlier in the day with a hard closure beginning near tenant parking at Esser Square Apartments. Staff said residents and tenants would retain access to their properties; vendors would be allowed two hours to set up and the hard closure would begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, with a requested soft closure window starting around 5:30–6:00 a.m. The art fair and vendor booths are scheduled to be open beginning about 9:00 a.m.; the festival is scheduled to end at 5:00 p.m., with streets reopening roughly between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m.
"Our preference would definitely be to have them in the road," Rachel Adams, a resident, told the board when describing booth layout and pedestrian flow. Adams described booths 1–14 in a 140-foot run, a gap, then booths 15–36, with nonprofit and information booths on the sidewalk side so pedestrians could detour on the sidewalk if they preferred.
Trustees questioned police placement in the closed area and asked whether nearby residents and apartment tenants had been notified; staff said they would reach out to Kevin England and other stakeholders to ensure notifications were sent.
The board also considered a last-minute request from the Lions Club to post "no carry-in alcohol" signs inside the park because this is the first year alcohol will be sold in the park. Staff noted that the village ordinance generally allows bringing alcohol into parks but that signs can encourage compliance even if full enforcement is difficult.
"We are going to have signs at the main entries. We're going to require a wristband after we do an ID check and we will not be — it's one beer for one ticket," Lisa Lashinger, representing the Crossplains Lions, told the board, describing wristbands, ID checks and additional insurance the Lions will obtain for beer sales.
Trustees debated the practical limits of enforcing a no-carry-in rule at an event expected to draw thousands. Some members cited past large events and enforcement difficulties; others supported signage to provide officers with an enforcement tool if serious problems occurred while acknowledging that officers would largely use discretion, request that people dispose of or return alcohol to their vehicles, or issue citations only in escalated situations.
A motion to approve the Trout Days traffic plan passed by voice vote. The board then approved the no-carry-in alcohol signage as requested, with the Lions Club responsible for posting the signs and staff advising that signage be highly visible.
The board did not change the legal baseline in the village code; rather, trustees authorized signs and constrained on-site sales and management practices through the Lions Club's wristband and ID plan. The board directed staff and event organizers to coordinate resident notifications and logistical details before the event.
