Has the economy affected your plans to attend TBF or any other shows?

Festivarian Events Telluride Bluegrass Festival
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Have you opted out of coming to the TBF over the past couple of years due to the economy? Or have you changed your plans (i.e. camped vs. hotels, drove vs. fly, etc.)? Or, is it simply a GIVEN that you’re here … even if it means not going to the movies the rest of the year or whatever? Have you opted out of other concerts just so you’d have the cash to come out to Telluride?

The past couple few years I’ve waited until just before the festival starts in order to see what shakes loose … certainly not looking to take advantage of anyone, but have wound up paying anywhere from $100-140 for a 4-day pass. It’s fairly easy for me to do since I live in the area, so it’s not like I’ve invested $$$ on travel & lodging. In fact, last year I was dead set on just getting a single day (to see Peter Rowan), but a friend happened to pass by while I was on the way to the box office and he had a $100 4-day pass available … so for $35 more, I got roped in for all four days. Unless there’s a big surprise like SCI (although I pretty sure this isn’t happening), I’ll probably just get a single day or look for a cheap 4-day again. And even having a 4-day, I won’t spend 24x7 at the festival, but rather just a select few hours per day … since I can work otherwise & that 4-day ticket prices goes up in terms of an “opportunity cost” (this is hardly to say that attending bluegrass is not an opportunity :thumbsup )

Add in to the equation that I am still following the remnants of the dead around, it takes some budgeting & being selective to pull this off. Most of you know what a PITA it can be to get here for the festival, imagine having to travel elsewhere FROM here to see a dozen further/Ratdog shows per year!

Not even sure what face for a 4-day is this year $165-175? By most historical metrics, that’s a screaming deal … but I have come across articles about the concert industry in general taking bath last year. Still, the festival seemed fairly well attended last summer, so maybe TBF is different in so far as having a uniquely dedicated core. Still, I had a group of friends who missed last summer due to the economy, only 2nd time in 12 years.

Sorry if I’ve ruffled anyone’s feathers in any way, certainly not my intention … I know a lot of folks value having the festival around & I certainly don’t take it for granted & will always do what I can to support the festival and spirit thereof.

2

We’ve skipped a couple recently after a 23 consecutive year run. JazzFest in New Orleans was the dealbreaker, but we’re re-ordered our priorities and will be back at Town Park this year.

3

I think it’s more of a tradition for us. Everyone that knows me knows come June, I’m outta here, packin for Tride. Even if hell freezes over, so money is secondary to us.

PBG knows how and what to do to get it done right. I hate huge fests and this is the #1 reason I keep comin back. More than 20 years now. :medal

4

I have missed twice since my first year in 2002. The first was for Physician Assistant school, I couldn’t take the time off of school and still pass, The second time I went to Europe instead. I had thought about taking a pass this year also, but felt so rotten the last two times I have re-arranged other vacations so I can attend TBF. I just won’t be doing ABGAT this year, for some reason a friend of mine had to plan her wedding the weekend before Telluride. Oh well. I am hoping this year with just doing the festival and better planning we can cut some costs, but as Landy says it’s not about the money. I can find away to make it work out if I have to, being at TBF always feels like a big family reunion. Most of these people I only see once a year and I may be selfish, but I’m not willing to give them up. :cheers See ya all in June!!
Beth :flower

5

We missed last year because of a down year. I sell restaurant equipment and the Co. I was working for was going nowhere quick. Even though the biz is not that much better,a job change to a much better company has paid off. We arrive in Telluride on Sunday the 12th…only 138 days!!! :thumbsup :flower :medal :woohoo :hop :clap :dancing :dance

6

Agreed completely. While my run is much shorter at only three years, friends and family already now know that they will not be seeing me for 10 days in June, regardless of the situation. I missed the first 25 TBF’s of my life. I don’t intend to miss another!

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I’m doing a little contract work for the USGS this winter to support my TBF trip. Thank you taxpayers - Your dollars at work!

:peace

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I’m lucky enough to #1 live close to Telluride and #2 have a stable job these days. Unfortunately many of my festi family are not so lucky. It really bums me out when “real life” gets in the way of our yearly reunions. Just within camp Run-A-Muck I know of people who couldn’t attend last year or can’t come this year due to things like: job schedule, lack of a job/previously laid off, upcoming & recent surgery, and even more tragic events. To those who are coming: we should all be excessively grateful to be part of this. To those who can’t come: you will be missed, toasted to, talked about, made fun of, drunk dialed, and probably group mooned.

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How do I convince the high school that “health class” during summer school is just not gonna happen since it’s only offered the weeks of Telluride…LOL. They prefer they take it then to open up schedule for other classes even though it’s a required class.

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Many heartfelt THANKS :medal to the musicians, and to KOTO-FM for putting TBF online & on the radio! Everyone in my small circle knows that I’m camping for FESTIVAaAL, be it in my back yard in Mpls, or in the fabulous San Juans for the weekend nearest the solstice. We’re coming down this year (I guess it’d be up) for our first back-to-back TBFs. When the Telluride pilgrimage can’t work, we like to try for Rockygrass or Folks. Less time and money spent for an injection of FEST, but nothing beats TBF in my opinion! :cheers Thanks Planet Bluegrass! :flower

11

Yes. IF I get to come to TBF, it will be my 35th time to attend. But even if I don’t make it, I know that my stuff will be there:

rocking chairs
oven
quiches
monkeys
tables
solar lights

And of course, my heart.

So who wants to hire me in the meantime? I need to make some $$ before June. :thumbsup

12

It’s no laughing matter. These days, getting to all the shows that we want to get to while leaving enough funds in the bank and vacation days to cover time off is getting to be a challenge. My bluegrassboy and I find ourselves weighing the pros and cons between going to Indian for a Cornmeal & Travelin’ McCourys show, SCI’s Winter Carnival or saving funds and vacay for TBF.

So far, TBF has been getting most of the pennies going into the piggy bank, but it makes me sad every time we have to “give up” another show on the road meeting new great people while listening to talented artists. I think most of you would agree that sacrifices that are made throughout the year are worth it when you get to festival grounds and see thousands of your friends smiling back at you. There is no place or feeling like it anywhere and sometimes those sacrifices make the experience even sweeter. :flower

13

It was our (me and Dayton) first in 2009, I came all the way from Europe to the US for the first time specifically to go to TBF, and Dayton drove from North Carolina.

The whole thing, from TP prefest, to the last second of the last nightgrass set, absolutely floored me. I never felt so lucky in my whole life to have been able to experience that. I think Dayton has similar feelings, and he’s a much more seasoned festivarian.

We missed out last year because we were filing for a fiance visa in order to get me back in the country so that we could get married, so at the time TBF 2010 occured, US immigration would not physically let me in the country! Dayton was in the US, but in sympathy for his soon to be wife, he opted out (I’m sorry, I couldn’t tolerate him going while I missed out! :frowning: ).
It sucked, especially because TBF is what bought us together in the first place, so we were looking forward to celebrating our union there. Not to mention the announcement of Alison Krauss on the lineup. When I realized we weren’t going to make it, I did my fair share of crying!

But, thanks to KOTO we were able to tune in from afar, me in London and him in Asheville, sometimes when the time difference permitted, we even tuned in simultaneously and listened together while on skype. Talk about new technology!

We were in the race early for this year, weren’t lucky enough with the lottery, but grabbed a pair of Warner field tix as soon as they went on sale. We were lucky enough to get the tix as a Christmas present from Dayton’s mum, so as far as financing goes, without her we wouldn’t have had the $$ to get them in the first place! It’s great to have bluegrass & festival loving in Laws :medal

We’re now faced with the tricky situation of planning for TBF, which involves a car drive from Western North Carolina and back, just for starters… And then there’s food, drink, extra camping stuff, money for artist CDs (you have to get at least one, right?!?), time off work, surprise car repairs…
Add to the equation that as a result of my pending immigration, I wasn’t authorized to get paid work for the past three months, and Dayton is a graduate student…

To cut a long story short, are finances are very lean, stretched to the max, almost to a point when I start to wonder whether TBF is a luxury we can’t afford.
BUT, there’s always a but, as a TBF addict, hooked from the very first festival, the idea of opting out just seems irrelevant, out of the realms of consideration. We just feel the NEED to be in that special place in June, fill up our festivation batteries to get us through another year.

And indeed, when you’re a TBF lover with small cash flow, it’s all about cutting superfluous expenses. It starts with our daily groceries, but it extends to the shows we attend the rest of the year.
We did treat ourselves to a Stringduster’s Festival last October, but it was within close range and the tickets were CHEAP. But from this January forward, we won’t be indulging much at all.
No two nights of Yonder Mountain String Band in Asheville (Dayton can tell you how sad he’s about that one…), no Smilefest, no Del McCoury Band & Preservation Hall Band, We’re not even allowing ourselves the short two hour drive to Asheville to get our regular bluegrass scene fix. It’s tough, but we keep our eyes on the prize!

The point is, we’re happy to make the sacrifices necessary in order to make TBF happen, it just comes down to: “if anything, we’ll make it to Telluride”.

Although, we are both aiming for earnings in the future that will allow us to comfortably indulge in all things bluegrass, musical, festival… :thumbsup

And when we’re back to living in Asheville, we’re making it even easier for ourselves by having top quality bluegrass on our doorstep, for little to no cost!

Wow, written a bit of a long one there! Won’t blame you if you fall asleep!

All I wanted to say was, even with small financial resources, we make the cuts necessary to make TBF happen!

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:wave We got your back Cindy Lou…

:flower LaLa - You better not be late for your own festivarian Wedding Celebration. You won’t go hungry.

:peace

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The financial burden of getting my family of 4 from Cleveland to Telluride every June is always a concern, but like others have already said (much more eloquently than I ever could) we’re always going to find a way to make it happen.

We’re driving this year instead of flying because airfare for 4 is getting way too expensive. Driving with our 3 year old and his 8 year old brother. On the plus side, they get into the festival for free. The negative is that it’s going to be 3 loooooong days in the car. We’re going to make the drive home fun by camping in a few different national parks. My youngest might be lucky enough to celebrate his 4th birthday somewhere in the Tetons. A cool benefit of mom and dad being more frugal this year?

I’ll admit we’re lucky because my wife and I both have steady jobs and a lot of vacation days. We don’t really do any other big festivals, just local shows. But TBF is a big expense and it’s definitely something that I think about. How am I going to afford it when I have to buy 4-day passes for the kids? We’ve already talked about not attending all 4 days but I can’t accept that. We’ll start volunteering, get the kids to vounteer when they’re old enough. We’ll continue to do whatever it takes to get there. I can’t even imagine a June without TBF.

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I won’t Hippie, I promise :flower

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If you can’t make it I have dibs on your share of the bacon appetizers. Also…there is a chance I’ll be in Boone in May!

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You think I’d let there be bacon appetizers at my own wedding without me?!? :eek :lol :lol :lol
Boone in May? The High Country is in bloom at that time :flower you should swing by our cabin, we could rustle up something pork related :slight_smile:

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“we could rustle up something pork related”

Dont know why but, that little sentance really tickled my funny-bone! Thanks Lala!

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I’ve never let the economy interrupt major show plans. There are times I have to miss shows, but I generally only miss people who come through frequently, so I’ll be sure to see them again. Living in MT, you have to take what you get show-wise, sometimes.

As for Telluride, well… I’ll never miss that if I can help it. If I’m unable to afford tickets, I’ll probably do the volunteer thing again and just save for the trip down.