The running of the tarps is starting to freak me out!
We’ve never done this before, we have a one day pass for Friday (8 peeps), and we need help!
Should we wake up early and stand in line…what time?
Should we just wing it and get there when the gates open?
We aren’t too concerned about where we sit as long as we can see.
Can someone who has done this before please help me out!
I need to sleep between now and then. 
Fear not little one… you have come to the place prognosticators pontificate profusely on all things tarp. In no time, this question may be answered a myriad of ways by almost as many people. If you are still confused remember this:
You can sit wherever you want… if the tarp is empty, grab a seat. When the tarp owner returns offer he/she the tarp back and he/she may either invite you to hang around and you have a new friend, or you move on to the next tarp, rinse, and repeat. Don’t stress the line… unless you’re one of those people who wants to sit right up front… you’ll be able to hang back behind the path without so much as a “How do you do” uttered by any members of your merry party of 8… then you can wander around, get a better view up front with the dancers on either side of the stage, cop a squat when you get tired, etc.
If you plan on bringing in a sunshade of some sort… you’ll be clear in the back (it is a nice luxury on a hot sunny day though… especially if you’ve younguns.)
All this having been said… the Tarp Run is something to behold. Check it out on Youtube…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGHOg2XByfA
FESTIVAAALL!! (and Enjoy!)
xoxo Rhonny
:cheers I’d say come into town Thursday night, check out some Nightgrass, and when the bars close, get in line. :concert You’ll be in just the right state of mind by then. :dancing :rock :hop :clap :rollin :drunk
Good chance to make some new friends. :talk :talk
Eight of ya can keep each other awake! :hug (but not like this :hooch)
When the sky starts to wake up :coffee :sunshine
The excitement builds. And then, woo hoo here ya go and you’re inside and ready for anything and everthing! :pickin :woohoo :hombre :drunk :hop :clap :clap :rollin :sunshine :dancing :hug :vibes :strong :pipe2 :pipe :butterfly :festivarian :pickin :band
Don’t be scared! Turn that fear into excitement and we’ll see ya’ll at FESTIVAAAAAAAAAL!
And then…
You get a nap or you’ll sleep through the whole day! Find some shade tho, you are much closer to the sun in T-Ride :sunshine
If you have Friday tickets and want a good spot, I highly recommend getting in line on Thursday night. Seriously. If you get up early on Friday, you won’t be able to get up early enough to get an entry number.
So… The tarp run happens every morning? And you have to get a number to have a place in the race? Maybe you guys could run this by me one more time. I’m sure I’ll figure it out once I get there but I still want to hear about it… You know we can’t talk about next week too much. It would be impossible!!! Plus, if I don’t figure it out once I’m there, it will be for a good reason and I’ll still have a blast!!!
Also, I’m probably getting my hopes up, but will it be warm enough to go swimming? Or are there any Hot Springs nearby??
Kristen
First, search the Forum for previous posts about tarp run, 'cause it’s been discussed a lot.
Otherwise,Tarp Run goes like this each day - and since you have to clear the field each night, you get a fresh shot each day at that front and center tarp site
There’s 2 lines that form to get in each morning - 1 for Town Park/Warner Field campgrounds, and 1 for Town/everyone not in an on-site campground.
People start lining up after the music stops on Thurs-Sat (or, on Wednesday, some time in the evening).
At some undetermined and unannounced time between about 4am and 8am, Planet Bluegrass people come through the line and hand out numbers 1-200. If you have a number (which means you’ve been in line all night), you enter in numerical order. The town line and the town park line enter at the same time, so that’s 400 numbers that go in first. Then, after the numbers at the front of the line are admitted, people waiting in line without numbers are allowed in according to their place in line.
But after 400 tarps enter with numbers in hand, the close spots are gone. The good news is that there aren’t any bad spots for your tarp! The sound is clear, loud and awesome from every spot in the park, and the views are great in every direction. So if you don’t get that front and center spot, you’ll still have the best day of musical performances available anywhere in the world.
As for swimming, there aren’t any close hot springs. The San Miguel river flows through town and right beside the festival grounds, and some years it’s raging with runoff and others it’s just a trickle, but every year it’s about 36 degrees since it’s all just recently melted snow. So it’s refreshing, but also a great way to get an ice cream headache.
"So… The tarp run happens every morning? And you have to get a number to have a place in the race? Maybe you guys could run this by me one more time. I’m sure I’ll figure it out once I get there but I still want to hear about it… You know we can’t talk about next week too much. It would be impossible!!! Plus, if I don’t figure it out once I’m there, it will be for a good reason and I’ll still have a blast!!!
Also, I’m probably getting my hopes up, but will it be warm enough to go swimming? Or are there any Hot Springs nearby??"
Kristen
Kristen -
There are some hot springs - kinda sorta nearby.
Orvis Hot Springs is up near Ridgway, about 40 miles away from Telluirde.
The other option is Duton Hot Springs, which closer to Telluride, about 30 mile south of Telluride, but somewhat of an expensive option, as the area is necessarily open to the public (you have to rent a cabin to get access to the springs, which can run $500 per person per night and up, trust me, I’ve already looked into it!).
There is also a public pool in Telluride right close to the festival. I think it’s $4.00, but only open certain times for festivarians during the festival.
Hope that helps,
Erndog
Bump… for the festivirgins. :cheers
So besides the weirdness of the tarp run, the hot sun and the cold nights, we virgins have nothing to worry about then… :lol
For those of us travelling very light (ie without 4 tonnes of camping gear and stoves) from across the oceans, how about some basic information on the availability of food, drink, etc. Actually cooking anything beyond a morning coffee and a bagel seems quite tricky to me after a long days festivalling especially at high altitude and in a weird time zone so Id rather avoid it if possible.
Is the tarp run an Olympic event yet ?
We’ve got a few friends who travel from overseas (Lenny & Sam & Sam). Get to know the folks here on the forum and chances are you’ll be able to arrange to share some cooking with them. There are two grocery stores in town but you’ll pay top dollar. Depending on where you fly in you can hit up a store on the way to Telluride. Keep asking questions and all will become clear.
The tarp run should be an Olympic event and is way more of an impressive sport than synchronized swimming. How did THAT become a ‘sport’???
I have been traveling light myself the past two years, and I’ve found there to be an abundance of great places to eat within walking distance in the town of Telluride itself (providing you are camping in Town Park or Warner). Additionally, once the festival has started, try the Killer Flank Steak…
Thats sounds good to me, we are camping in Warner. What for those of us from Europe is “Flank Steak” ? I dont mind spending a few extra bucks, I expect to given the location.
It’s a steak sandwich from one of the on-site vendors, and very tasty! :thumbsup
I missed the festival last year, but heard through the grape vine that vendors were allowed to go in and set up tarps before those that waited in line. Is that accurate and will it continue to be the case for 2009?