Conceal carry at concerts?

[phathom]

Just a concern I have. Since I carry all the time, and I haven't been to any kind of event in a long time either, since before I carried. What is the general way about carrying concealed into concerts, fairs, festivals, and what have you?

I know concealed is concealed, but what if you park, wait in line, get to the dude that takes your ticket and they're searching people either by pat down or metal detector. Obviously you are legally carrying your pistol/knife, ect. What would be the process here?

More specifically, if this helps. I am going to be attending Rockfest this year, out here in Hillsboro at the Hillsboro fairgrounds. Anyone have word on how security will be here, or how it has been at similar events at that venue or at previous Rockfest concerts?
Just seeing if I should even try to carry there, or if they are going to have metal detectors, tell me to go f myself even though I have my CHL and make me trek back to the car to lock it up in there.

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[capdek]

I went to the Washington County Fair in Hillsboro a couple weeks ago and was carrying concealed. When we got up to the entrance, they had a sign posted indicating no weapons allowed - except for persons with a CHL.
They searched bags, but I wasn't searched and I never saw anyone else getting patted down or scanned with a metal detector. So I walked in with no questions asked. And even if they had searched me and found my gun, I would have been allowed in based on the sign and the fact that I have a CHL.
Now I don't know for sure if things will be different at Rockfest - it probably depends on whether the show is being run by the county or by a private group - but the chances seem pretty good the same rules will apply. So I think you'll likely be safe - especially with your CHL.

 

[nextbest]

I would check with them before hand, most venues I have been to have a no weapons allowed stance, even for people with chl. They do have the right to search you as a condition of entry, but theres nothing stoping you from walking back to your car to lock up the firearm before you enter.

 

[twoclones]

RCW 70.108.150: Firearms ? Penalty.

RCW 70.108.150
Firearms — Penalty.

It shall be unlawful for any person, except law enforcement officers, to carry, transport or convey, or to have in his possession or under his control any firearm while on the site of an outdoor music festival.

Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars and not more than two hundred dollars or by imprisonment in the county jail for not less than ten days and not more than ninety days or by both such fine and imprisonment.

 

[spengo]

RCW 70.108.150: Firearms ? Penalty.

RCW 70.108.150
Firearms — Penalty.

It shall be unlawful for any person, except law enforcement officers, to carry, transport or convey, or to have in his possession or under his control any firearm while on the site of an outdoor music festival.

Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars and not more than two hundred dollars or by imprisonment in the county jail for not less than ten days and not more than ninety days or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Lol, good thing I live in Oregon. I always carry to outdoor events and music concerts. I figure they are covered in Oregon's "public place" law regardless of whether or not it is being run by a private or public institution. Unless they are on private land I suppose and even then it is probably a don't ask don't tell type of deal like it usually is for private property here.

 

[phathom]

I went to the Washington County Fair in Hillsboro a couple weeks ago and was carrying concealed. When we got up to the entrance, they had a sign posted indicating no weapons allowed - except for persons with a CHL.
They searched bags, but I wasn't searched and I never saw anyone else getting patted down or scanned with a metal detector. So I walked in with no questions asked. And even if they had searched me and found my gun, I would have been allowed in based on the sign and the fact that I have a CHL.
Now I don't know for sure if things will be different at Rockfest - it probably depends on whether the show is being run by the county or by a private group - but the chances seem pretty good the same rules will apply. So I think you'll likely be safe - especially with your CHL.

Ya, kinda what I was thinking. Hillsboro/Washington County is pretty good at the whole CHL allowed anywhere by law type thing. Being it's on county land, I think it should be the same. I mean this is at the same place they have all the gun shows right?

Also, so glad I don't live in Washington. Although,

(1) "Outdoor music festival" or "music festival" or "festival" means an assembly of persons gathered primarily for outdoor, live or recorded musical entertainment, where the predicted attendance is two thousand persons or more and where the duration of the program is five hours or longer:

I'm not sure, but looking at the lineup
GODSMACK / SHINEDOWN / PUDDLE OF MUDD / SEVENDUST / DROWNING POOL/ 10 YEARS / MY DARKEST DAYS

7 groups, each of the openers on average with a 30-45 minute set and the headliner about 1-2 hours, if it were in Washington, it still might be legal to carry there as well provided it was under 5 hours.

 

[BlvdKing]

This is always a concern for me too. I usually just call ahead to the actual venue and determine if they are interested in my money or not.

 

[matt_w]

The only venue I've ever had trouble at is the Roseland. They have metal detectors and pat you down for most concerts, so don't even think about carrying there.

Coincidently (or maybe not...), that's also one of the least safe venues in Portland (and I've been to some pretty shady places). If you go to a concert there, get out of the area after as soon as possible. Shootings/stabbings in the parking lot behind the Roseland are pretty common.

 

[dragonsden73]

Yep...Roseland sucks in more than one way. They usually have you empty your pockets upon entering. Hard for me to believe they would let us in after Dimebag was shot and killed onstage.

Although I know for a fact that Uncle Ted carries at all times....I saw him pull his little revolver part way out of his front pocket when I was shooting a show in Las Vegas....But he is the main attraction....so he's all clear

 

[livewire98801]

I'm about to be dragged. . . er, accompany, my girlfriend to a concert at the Gorge. Anyone know what their policies are, and if they do weapons checks?

 

[phathom]

I'm about to be dragged. . . er, accompany, my girlfriend to a concert at the Gorge. Anyone know what their policies are, and if they do weapons checks?

See post #4 http://www.northwestfirearms.com/forum/legal-political/37053-conceal-carry-concerts.html#post267003

 

[livewire98801]

The Gorge is private property, so the RCW doesn't apply.

 

[phathom]

Security here is lax. They have signs but no pats or detectors. Washington county ftw

 

[gcban]

I also got "Dragged" along to The Gorge last night. I checked the Gorge website and the only restriction I saw that they had for firearms was that you "should not" not "cant" bring a firearm to the adjacent campground at the Gorge. I did not see or notice any no firearms sign yesterday at the entrance or anyplace else at the venue. I left my handgun in the car just in case but packed a blade. No patdown or metal detectors. Next time I will conceal carry there.

One thing I DID notice last night was that the only Police/Armed presence I saw was directing traffic exiting the concert about 2 miles away from the Gorge. Never saw an armed anything at the concert. That even more so makes my decision to carry a done deal. Otherwise I will avoid going to concerts there.

 

[raftman]

I've been to 3 concerts within the last year and carried to two of them. The one I decided not to carry to was a Modest Mouse show, figured it would be the one to draw a rather big, wild crowd, people would be grinding up against you the whole time, and it seemed like a less than ideal place to have a gun strapped to me. My prediction was correct... but it's too bad because the venue was a rather iffy part of town, and went on until late at night. Fortunately I had the good sense to get there early enough to find a parking spot only a block from the venue.

The other bands I've gone to see don't have nearly the widespread popularity and playing much smaller shows (for which the tickets were NOT all sold out). Carried to those shows without incident and was glad I was able to.

At none of the shows was there a pat-down or metal detector. But they did search the bags of people who had bags at the Modest Mouse show.

 

[CHLChris]

I've been to a few public events like these and carried. If it is purely public, then no matter what they post, they cannot preempt the CHL exemption. But most venues are private, which means they can enact any security they want. I've never been frisked or sent through a metal detector. Usually these places search bags. And if they're frisking or detecting, you can go back to your car or decide to leave altogether. The only problem would be this scenario:

-You're in Oregon (have no idea about WA...)
-The place is private and disallows weapons
-You make entry anyway without detection
-They discover you are carrying (this would only occur if something goes down, and then you have bigger problems than a trespassing charge)
-They say leave, and you leave

I've only been concerned when I go to a venue on public transportation and don't have my car with me to go out to and store my gun.

 

[livewire98801]

I also got “Dragged” along to The Gorge last night. I checked the Gorge website and the only restriction I saw that they had for firearms was that you “should not” not “cant” bring a firearm to the adjacent campground at the Gorge. I did not see or notice any no firearms sign yesterday at the entrance or anyplace else at the venue. I left my handgun in the car just in case but packed a blade. No patdown or metal detectors. Next time I will conceal carry there.

One thing I DID notice last night was that the only Police/Armed presence I saw was directing traffic exiting the concert about 2 miles away from the Gorge. Never saw an armed anything at the concert. That even more so makes my decision to carry a done deal. Otherwise I will avoid going to concerts there.

Thanks, useful info. I know police don't do security at the Gorge itself, it's private venue, private property, and private security. I'll give it a shot, and if I have to I can run back to my car before I get through the gate. I'm more concerned about leaving a firearm in my car then I am getting caught with it inside the venue though.

I'm going for a country concert, so I doubt they'll be concerned about it, but you never know.

Thanks,

Tim

 

[mectec21]

how about the oregon state fair? Cant find on their website anything about no cc, anybody been there yet this year? Also, if foster lake is run/built? by the army corp of engineers does that make it a federal facility, no firearms allowed?

 

[dragonsden73]

how about the oregon state fair? Cant find on their website anything about no cc, anybody been there yet this year? Also, if foster lake is run/built? by the army corp of engineers does that make it a federal facility, no firearms allowed?

I saw Lynyrd Skynyrd there last night....no checks, I could have brought a shotgun in the LB Day and nobody would have known.

 

[Stomper]

Yeah, me and the wife saw ZZ Top at the LB Day during the OSF, and I was carrying my .45ACP w/o the slightest bit of security checks... was a great concert!