SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - In royal blue, Sir Elton John brought out the star power to Outside Lands grand finale Sunday night. San Francisco Police say overall, the event went well, but one officer was injured and knocked unconscious late Sunday afternoon when a man tried to run past a security checkpoint.
The sold-out festival brought an estimated 200,000 people to Golden Gate Park over the three day weekend.
San Francisco Police patrolled on bicycle, motorbike, on horseback and undercover in plain clothes. Police spokesman Sgt. Michael Andraychak says still, some people tried to scale the gates to get in, getting caught on the other side.
Just before 5p.m. Sunday, one man tried to rush the south entry gate and injured an officer.
"He literally ran right into a police officer and knocked that police officer down. That officer struck his head and briefly lost consciousness." Sgt. Andraychak said.
The officer was taken to the hospital for treatment and later was released. The man was arrested on felony charges and taken to jail.
Police say one change that helped deter crime this year, was the Outside Lands organizer's decision to switch from paper tickets to wristbands with radio frequency chips.
"There's a code number on the back side of this chip and you have to enter that in with your name, email...and it's registered to you and it's only good for you and it's not to be resold," Sgt. Andraychak said.
Still, one Outside Lands performer, Fantastic Negrito, was caught and cited with two other people Saturday for peddling without a permit and trying to sell a VIP wristband. Police say undercover officers witnessed the transaction and that all three were given misdemeanor citations. Concert organizers canceled his performance.
Sunday evening, music-lovers who couldn't get a ticket brought blankets to sit outside the gates.
"We just thought we'd come here and see if anybody was selling any and if not, we'd hopefully hear him from here," said Jacinta McCurdy from Belfast, Ireland who was with her daughter visiting a friend in San Francisco.
Local residents also came out to hear whatever they could of the concert.
"We can hear it from our back yard which is pretty awesome. I love music so I think it's awesome," said Sabrina Lem, a San Francisco resident who lives eight blocks from Golden Gate Park.
"It's wonderful. I love it. It brings revenue for the city, brings buzz to this part of the town," said Jeff Lem, her father.
Some neighbors weren't so happy with the extra noise, traffic, and trash. Others, though, found the three-day festival had a revenue ripple effect.
Airbnb advertised residents with nearby rooms for rent, upwards of $300 a night.
And with the food, drinks and live music, many people who did snag a ticket say it was worth the wait and even, the San Francisco weather.
"Here it's nice and cool, hang out and not sweat yourself off," said Alexis Kennedy of Sacramento.
"Being at Golden Gate Park, with the gorgeous trees and everything, that's really what brought me here to see Elton John. The whole vibe of San Francisco," said Ivan Perez who also came from Sacramento.
San Francisco Police said late Sunday that they will be meeting with Outside Lands organizers to discuss possible improvements for next year.