By Eric Stock

NORMAL – It’s been billed as one of the most successful rock festivals you’ve never heard of. This weekend, you’ll get your chance to learn about the ‘Incident at Kickapoo Creek.’

The outdoor concert featuring REO Speedwagon – which was a local bar band at the time – plus the likes of B.B. King and Ted Nugent performed in Heyworth Memorial Day weekend in 1970.

PODCAST: Listen to Scott and Colleen’s interview with Ross on WJBC.

While crowds were estimated at 60,000 people, former WJBC host Ron Ross who attended the festival told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin it appeared they were many more than that who didn’t want it coming to McLean County.

“People were going nuts because the bands were coming to town,” Ross said. “A lot of locals were very apprehensive because the hippies were coming to town.”

Ross recalled the performances including one by Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes.

“His finale after he did his final guitar note was to fall into the mud in his white buckskin suit in front of the stage,” Ross said. “It was very dramatic.”

Ross said there was the concern the event would turn into another Woodstock. Some of that worry came from the radio station where he worked at the time.

“They actually locked the doors and told us to get down, ‘We don’t want to be exposed to these ‘long-haireds’ wandering trough town,” Ross recalled. “It was a very paranoid time. I was thinking ‘what is wrong with you people?’ ”

Police tried to stop the event from even happening. The event organizer was arrested shortly after the festival but left the area soon after never to return.

R.C. Raycraft’s documentary ‘Incident at Kickapoo Creek’ will be presented at Normal Theater four times this weekend. It is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday, 7 and 9 p.m. Saturday ad 7 p.m. Sunday.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].