Right about the time when Sam Hunt takes the Mane Stage on Saturday at Stagecoach, another party will kick off less than 10 miles away. 

Neon Carnival, a late-night party with its own Ferris wheel, has activated during the first weekend of Coachella for a decade. But this year, founder Brent Bolthouse is debuting another iteration on the second day of Stagecoach: California’s Country Music Festival. 

The two events are not affiliated, but that doesn’t mean Bolthouse isn’t planning a few Western-themed surprises. Think: a mechanical bull and “more whiskey than tequila,” he said in a phone interview Wednesday. 

“Whiskey on tap,” Bolthouse said. “I’m half joking.” 

For years, Bolthouse erected Neon Carnival on an active runway at a private airport in Thermal — which required the event to be broken down immediately, he said. But in 2018, Bolthouse secured what he hopes is “a permanent location for a long time” at HITS Desert Horse Park just down the road. 

Going Incognito, Leonardo DiCaprio at the Levi’s® Brand Presents NEON CARNIVAL with Tequila Don Julio on April 14, 2018 in Thermal. (Photo: Cassidy Sparrow | WireImage)

So on Saturday, Bolthouse will “have this grand experiment” to “see if we can do a second weekend” during Stagecoach. He’s bringing in Jason Aldean’s touring DJ, Dee Jay Silver, for the occasion, and says Aldean is expected to show up to the party that starts at 10 p.m.

“A carnival and country music are like kindred spirits, right?” Bolthouse said.

Also slated to be in attendance are actor Leonardo DiCaprio, DJ Brandi Cyrus, actresses Nina Dobrev and Sabina Gadecki, singers Chase Bryant, Willa Ford and Tyler Rich, and NFL players CJ Beathard, Cole Hikutini,  Erik Magnuson, George Kittle, JP Flynn, Max McCaffrey, and Trent Taylor.