Promoter Predicts 90,000 at Fest

At least 90,000 people will attend a three-day pop-rock festival that begins today’s at Glen Helen Regional Park in San Bernardino, the festival promoter predicted Friday.

Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Main Event is the brainchild of Montclair nightclub owner Michael Scafuto, who has lined up a cross-section of more than 50 current and “oldies” acts to perform on a massive 45x200-foot stage at the park, which was the site of the two mammoth US Festivals in the 1980s.

Tony! Toni! Tone!, Edgar Winter, the Turtles and Expose are scheduled to head up today’s concert, which runs from 10:30 a.m. to approximately 10 p.m.

Sunday’s roster offers Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino and En Vogue, while Monday’s lineup is scheduled to include Tanya Tucker, Don McLean and Barbara Mandrell. The program each day will run from 11 a.m. to approximately 11 p.m.

Scafuto had charged earlier in the week that the outdoor affair--which also will feature carnival rides, food and crafts booths--could be in jeopardy because county officials had leased the park to another group for a Christian music festival last weekend.

He was concerned that the staging of the other festival could have prevented his construction crew from getting onto the grounds in time to get the park ready for his festival. But Scafuto said Friday that his crew worked overtime to allow this weekend’s festival to proceed.

Portions of the festival are slated to be broadcast live during the Muscular Dystrophy annual telethon Sunday and Monday to more than 200 stations nationwide.