Hi, y’all! First-timer here getting super excited for my first TBF! I’ve been trying to read up on all the ins and outs here on the forums and one thing I’ve seen people talking about is carrying rain gear/warm clothes for the night sets. I was wondering- are backpacks allowed at the festival? If so, I’m totally going to get one, but I feel like I’ve been places before that don’t allow them, so I just wanted to make sure. Thanks, y’all!
:wave Your back pack will be allowed but be prepared for a fairly non intrusive search of it’s contents at the main gate.
:peace
Yep but think about how much you want to carry…you want to be able to dance
Yea, about the only thing they are checking for is glass bottles. Great place to go barefoot.
They also are looking for booze.
You can buy beer, wine and some cocktails inside, you just can’t bring it in.
:cheers
Another their question from first timer camping in Mary E. I’ll be bringing backpack to TBF daily w/ warm clothes for sundown temps, water bottle, folding chair, squirt gun, etc.
What am I to do with all of this BS on the night I have tix to Nighgrass?? :huh
Are there any lockers in town or anywhere at NG venues to ‘check’ your gear? Or will I have to work out a way get it back to my campsite before Nightgrass?
No lockers and no formal gear check. I recommend figuring out a trip back to Mary E during a set you don’t mind missing to regroup and drop your gear. you really don’t want all that stuff for the final main stage sets any ways. If you need your backpack there is a place to leave it at the Sheridan and can probably figure it out at the Palm too. It’s not a check in but no one will take your stuff unless they confuse it for their own, so label it w/ name and number.
Hello again, :wave Believe it or not, but your stuff is safe in the festival grounds. As in you go in first thing in the morning, find a good spot. Throw down your tarp and your stuff is safe there all day. You can come and go as you please, and your stuff is safe. Just about every year someone looses their wallet, and it winds up at lost and found with the cash and c.c. still in it. Planet Bluegrass festivals brings in some of the best people you will ever meet at a festival. :flower
At sunset you may want to pack up and find a spot you can find your stuff in the dark though. Even then your stuff is pretty well safe. It is a great feeling to know that this is 4 days of how life should be lived.
At least this has been my experience so far. I hope that it has been the same for everyone else. But I think you will find that allot of people share my opinion.
You are correct I feel the same… almost surreal.
Be aware that each night after the festival closes they scour the field for items/trash left behind. If you want to keep it, be sure it’s not out in the festival grounds. Lost and found will be on the north side of the children’s area in the building next to the pathway.
:flower
Thanks so much guys for the info/tips! I have Nightgrass tix for Wednesday and Saturday night. I think the only real challenge with the backpack logistics will be Saturday night. The lineup is so loaded that I can’t think of anyone I’ll want to miss, just so I can hustle the backpack back to camp before NG (Greensky at the Palm). :rock
It sounds like I should probably :quote be able to find a corner/spot at the Palm where I can dump a backpack during the NG show.
I will also be able to study the technique of some of my experienced Mary E camper neighbors before Saturday!
Can’t wait! Woot!!
The Palm is a high school theater/auditorium with rows of seats. You can dump your stuff in the seat you dance in front of for the entire night. There is no reason to try to hustle back and forth.
Getting through bluegrass week smoothly is an artform at this point! lol.
I have camped at Mary E. all four years I’ve been to Telluride, and I have always had my backpack from morning to night. During the day I would leave it on the tarp I am sitting on, we would always take one trip a day back to get night gear and unload the day stuff. As many people said there are plenty of spots and everyone is very honest so nothing will get stolen. I haven’t been to the Palm, but the Telluride Conference Center and the Sheridan both have spots to throw a bag while your watching the concert.
Wiebs,
What is your average turn around time to make it back to Mary E and then back to the Festival grounds?
We are camping at Mary E, and first time festival goers.
We were just planning on stowing jeans and hoodies in our day packs, and doing a quick change out of shorts on the fly.
I don’t see any lineup holes after 4PM that I want to be away from the music!
Jeans and hoodies will keep you warm for a hour or two after the sun sets. You will want several more layers if you want to see the last two bands Friday and Saturday nights as it will get cold. I would estimate a two hour turnaround from Festivallllllllll to Mary E. and back.
Well 2 hours away, isn’t gonna happen in my world, lol
Guess I will roll up a couple more layers into the daypack, and now I have an excuse for more alcohol! 
During the peak festival times the shuttles are running every 15 minutes so when you see the bus come to drop people off at the campsite you start to walk back up while the bus turns around. Normally that is the perfect amount of time to switch gear and down a few cold ones. You can certainly make the turn without missing more than one set, with proper timing you can make it back for the end of the set.
It is only 7 miles to the campsite, so maybe 15-20 minutes one way. The long wait comes when you have to wait forever in line to get on the bus (Lots of bus stops though :lol), or if you don’t time the busses right on the way back.
Cause that is what we are doing at Greensky huh Skubes? Greensky! Cannot wait!
Figure a good hour maybe hour and a half. It can take the bus about 15 - 18 min to get to town.