Day 3 of Welcome to Rockville rocks on under sunny skies as fans look forward to Pantera

A life-sized banana, an astronaut, and lots of rock and roll were part of Welcome to Rockville on Saturday.

The mammoth music festival entered its third day at Daytona International Speedway with sunny, breezy weather and no thunderstorms as of late afternoon, making for ideal conditions.

Waiting for Pantera

Ronnie Scott, 45, wore his Pantera T-shirt as he awaited the band’s performance Saturday night. Pantera was one of the headliners.  He brought his 17-year-old daughter, Georgia Scott, to the music festival.

Scott, of Davenport, said he has been a fan of the band since the ‘90s but he liked all the acts.

“Everybody here is amazing. By the time Pantera comes on I’m not going to have a voice,” he said.

Gene Davis of Jacksonville has been rocking at Rockville since the festival was in that city. He was wearing a mask that evoked a skull with a mustache and was looking forward to checking out Pantera.

“I came down this year to see Pantera, never thought I’d get to knock them off my bucket list,” Davis said. “… Never thought I’d get this chance, so here I am.”

He said the festival has improved.

“It’s gotten bigger,” Davis said. “The only thing I don’t like is that there is not a locals-only stage for local bands. But, other than that, it’s just gotten bigger with better bands and everything.”

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Some people went beyond masks or vests with a multitude of patches. One man was walking around in a bright yellow banana costume. He said it was his tradition to go as a banana to concerts.

And another man, Ian Warble, 23, of Ocala, dressed like an astronaut.

“It’s multipurpose,” he said of the orange suit with the white helmet with a visor. “You don’t get pickpocketed at shows, nobody can get through the zipper. I got a fan for when it gets hot.”

With that, he pulled out an old-style fan and fanned himself.

He said he has been at the festival since Wednesday.

“It’s pretty great, pretty great,” he said.

Lots of vendors

The festival area is lined with vendors selling food and beer and drinks. There’s a tent advertising Jack Daniel’s and vendor areas offering bar service.

That could be overwhelming to some people who may have struggled with alcohol in the past, said Gary Gardner, a volunteer at a kiosk called “Soberville.”  He said it was a place for people to relax.

“If you look at the Jack Daniel’s tent, it’s giant,” Gardner said. “If you are in recovery, it can be a little scary, especially once you get 80,000 people here.”

Another kiosk was dedicated to fighting cancer and went by the name (expletive) cancer.” Phil Koehler, an event coordinator, said the non-profit’s mission is to raise awareness about the benefits of early detection and prevention.

“To Write Love on Her Arms” staffed another kiosk.  The organization connects people to local and affordable mental health resources, said Jacqueline McLean, an outreach manager with the group.

“We exist to present hope and find help for anyone who's struggling with things like depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide,” she said.

There was no self-injury apparent at Rockville but there was plenty of banging around at a mosh pit that formed as a band belted out numbers.

Rockers raced around colliding and pushing one another, sometimes falling to the ground.

Crowds moved across the festival area as bands took the stage.

David Bochette, 27, of Winter Garden, was at his first Rockville and excited to see Pantera.

“I’ve been into them for over a decade at this point,” Bochette said. “This is the first chance I ever get to see them and that’s nice.”

He was wearing a leather vest with an assortment of patches.  He said he worked construction and was used to the warm weather.

“It’s a good day to have a good time, for sure,” Bochette said.

The festival continues Sunday.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Rockville rocks on Saturday as fans await Pantera and other bands