City Of Guthrie Busy Preparing For 'Mumford & Sons' Music Event

The British are coming to Guthrie this weekend. The popular British folk rockers Mumford and Sons has chosen Guthrie as one of only three concert locations in the United States.

Concert promoters say they want picturesque Guthrie to be the star this weekend and the band to be the sideshow. Those in charge in Guthrie are doing everything in their power to make sure that's the case.

8/30/2013 Related Story: 35,000 Fans Expected At Mumford & Sons Concert In Guthrie

It is an all-out British Invasion of downtown in anticipation of the 35,000 Mumford and Sons fans. They have painted the town, even the police chief is sporting a Mumford mustache.

"You can go and see mustaches just about everywhere," said city manager Sherenia Breland. "It shows that community spirit of a hospitable, what I would call southern charm."

The main concert stage is going up in a field just a few blocks away from downtown. Tickets for Saturday's show were sold in 48 states and six countries.

Business owners in Guthrie cannot wait.

"Stocked up on food, stocked up on beer, stocked up on wine, stocked up on liquor, stocked up on staff, I stocked up on sleep this weekend," said Bluebell Saloon owner Toni Hoffman.

Even beyond main street, folks are cashing in. The concert and accompanying downtown festival is expected to quadruple the town's population of 10,000.

"We have quite the entrepreneurial spirit in Guthrie and individuals are renting out rooms, renting out houses, I've heard of people leaving town to rent their places," Breland said.

To help with the huge influx of people, surrounding cities will also offer up their emergency and police resources.

For the city, the show will bring an estimated $300,000 in sales tax revenue alone and priceless international exposure.

"It's a beautiful little place, like a time capsule," said one of the production crew members as he was prepping downtown for the concert on Tuesday.

Campers are scheduled to start arriving in Guthrie on Thursday.