Below is a link to news video and a short article. I can imagine they will have to hold it somewhere with better roads and access next year. When I got home I figured out where I was sitting in traffic was about 11 miles from Haydays. What a mess!
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/...hisago_County_at_Standstil_september_11_2010l
Heavy Traffic at Hay Days
Sheriff asked people to avoid area
Updated: Saturday, 11 Sep 2010, 10:14 PM CDT
Published : Saturday, 11 Sep 2010, 12:24 PM CDT
John Michael / FOX 9 NEWS
Chisago County, Minn - Traffic is slowly moving again at Hay Days in Chisago County. This after traffic around the snowmobile racing event came to a halt and the gates were shutdown on Saturday due to heavy traffic volumes.
Sheriff Todd Rivard says there were major traffic jams along Highway 95 and other side roads in the area. The backups were caused by very large crowds attending the event where snowmobiles drag race on grass.
Sheriff deputies and other law enforcement officials turned people away from the event for a period of time early Saturday afternoon.
According to some viewers that called the FOX 9 newsroom, people sat outside of their vehicles on Highway 95 as traffic was at a standstill. At points in the day, traffic was backed all the way to North Branch (11 miles to the west ) and Taylors Falls (10 miles south).
The backup, in the rural area, started about 7 o'clock Saturday morning as the crowds began arriving at the races and swap meet.
The Sheriff says this is a new location for the event, near Almelund. In previous years, the 44-year old event has been held in Lino Lakes.
Residents living near the site petitioned the County Commissioners not to allow a conditional use permit to the organizers of the event fearing the small county roads around the event would not be able to handle the large traffic volume.
The Hay Days web site says organizers expected a crowd of about 30,000 people.