From Carrie Underwood to The Arnold, downtown Columbus will be full of people this weekend

Thousands of people are set to descend on downtown Columbus this weekend, and depending on your temperament, you may want to steer clear of the area.

Between a near sold-out Carrie Underwood concert at Nationwide Arena, the Columbus Crew's home opener at Lower.com Field, and the finals for the Arnold Classic at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, the city's Downtown will be full of activity on Saturday evening.

More:Will The Arnold remain in Columbus? What we know about contract negotiations

A refresher: the Arnold Classic, one of bodybuilding's most prestigious competitions, is the signature event of the four-day Arnold Sports Festival, which this year is estimated to bring 12,000 athletes and about 100,000 fans to Columbus.

On Friday evening, the Columbus Blue Jackets will host the Seattle Kraken at Nationwide Arena. If previous games are any indication, this one will be just as well attended as others.

Further south at the Ohio Theatre, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra will play Mahler's Ninth Symphony both Friday and Saturday evening.

Arena District parking; is there enough?

Brian Ellis, president of Nationwide Realty Investors, the insurance company's real estate arm and the Arena District's primary developer, said he's excited for out-of-towners to see a bustling, mixed-use neighborhood that is home to the city's three professional sports teams.

Parking shouldn't be an issue, according to Ellis, noting in an interview that between surface lots and parking garages, there are 18,000 parking spaces in and around the Arena District. Another 677 will come online this month when a garage next to Lower.com Field is completed.

"We have way more parking than we need. Everyone is going to find a space," he said. "From the very beginning, our planning was put in place to make sure we always have adequate parking and that we move cars in and out as quickly and efficiently as we can."

Getting stuck in traffic will likely come down to chance and timing, Ellis said.

Though the Crew game will likely end around 9:30 p.m. before Carrie Underwood wraps her set on Saturday night, Ellis encourages people to have a plan in place. Get to the Arena District early and buy parking ahead of time, he said.

"That moves everyone in and out sooner, it guarantees a spot, you know where you're going, you know you got a place," Ellis said.

The roads in and around the Arena District tend to get clogged when people drive around trying to find a spot, he added. A parking map is available online.

Police urge concert and sports goers to plan ahead

Sgt. Dave Scarpitti said Columbus police will be patrolling in and around the event areas of the Arnold Sports Festival, which is celebrating its 35th year.

Extra traffic control measures are being deployed to the Arena District, he added.

"We establish pre-event plans and layouts to make sure we have extra personnel there," Scarpitti said.

Scarpitti encouraged sports and concert goers to plan ahead and to leave valuables at home or out of sight if left in the car. Use a rideshare service if possible, he said. Drop off areas ae Goodale Street and Nationwide Boulevard.

"The public will see us out there, we'll be visible and we'll have traffic control," Scarpitti said.

Big acts to play Nationwide Arena this month

Ellis said he's excited not just for this weekend, but the entire month of March. Nationwide Arena next week hosts Muse, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band and Blake Shelton. And the first two rounds of the NCAA Division I men's basketball championship will take place there the following weekend.

"As the 14th-largest city in the country, we're always looking to make a great impression, we're always looking to enhance the image of Columbus," Ellis said.

Monroe Trombly covers the workplace and environmental issues for The Dispatch.

mtrombly@dispatch.com

@monroetrombly

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Carrie Underwood, Arnold Fest to bring crowds to downtown Columbus