WALPOLE, Mass. — Some residents a short walk from Gillette Stadium are making the most of a busy concert and football season by selling parking spaces on their lawns as an attractive alternative to the congestion on Route 1 and adjacent parking lots.
Neighbors who have permits and a town-approved number of parking spots advertise on social media and handwritten street signs.
Residents of Shufelt Road in South Walpole have seen their otherwise quiet dead-end street transform into a popular choice for concertgoers and football fans looking to save hours in the car.
At the end of the street is a wooded path that, after a short walk, leads to Route 1 and a crosswalk to the stadium.
Nay Giselle had sold out her 14 lawn parking spaces well before Friday’s Morgan Wallen show, most of them prepaid and reserved by Venmo.
“We’re kind of blocked in here during the event. So, why not have fun with it and make a little money while we’re doing it?” she said. “We usually have a cop detailing at the end of the street just to make sure everything is nice and safe.”
There is a camaraderie among neighbors who hold meetings and have a system to make sure every homeowner gets the same opportunities.
Each Shufelt resident who participates offers the same $40 rate. And they provide a unique hospitality to their customers. Some homeowners allow people to use their bathrooms or tailgate on the lawn. One resident Friday allowed a concertgoer to borrow her purse.
“Before we knew we could park at events like this and take the back ways through Walpole, you sit in traffic alone in the actual parking lot for probably over an hour to two hours, and then you’re on Route 1 on the road for probably another hour,” said Michelle Lounsbury, who took her nine-year-old daughter Iyla to Friday’s country concert.
Ahead of the two-day event, local police alerted concertgoers and residents of traffic advisories and restrictions.
A trio from Canada attending the concert had spent hours figuring where they would park before finding an advertisement from a homeowner on Facebook Marketplace.
“We looked at the train schedule over and over again. And we just thought it was way too confusing for us Nova Scotians,” said Jennifer Green. “So, we found this lovely person. We were like, this sounds just like home: ‘Come park in our driveway!’”
On a busy weekend with multiple shows, residents could each make more than $1,000, and if they’re lucky, hear some free music, too.
“On some nights, if the wind’s going the right way, you can hear the whole concert,” said Corey Awed.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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