Look, I’m not complaining about living here, so people with your native bumper stickers can go ahead and talk into my deaf ear. However, I originate from Appalachia, where this music means more than festivals and a place to get high, although that comes with any festival and I’m not complaining. But in Appalachia, it costs roughly 30 percent of what a festival here costs on average. Here’s an example-http://www.nelsonvillefest.org/ticket-information.html-compare the lineup of this festival and it’s costs to the festival in Lyons that costs about 20-30 bucks a day more. I know; Colorado isn’t Appalachia, the cost of living, if you don’t like it leave, blah, blah, blah. The simple answer to that is, why should I go when my music stays? The fact is that the kind of music that you’re selling isn’t the kind of music that people expect or should accept to be pillaged for. 200 bucks for three days? And that’s the cheapest one. High brow folk music?! That’s like changing the world one million dollar idea at a time.
Well I guess there aren’t too many upset about it. TBF and RG both DID sell out in record time this year. And the price hasn’t gone up for several years now. I was just saying today what a great deal it is to see SO many bands when some concerts these days are $150 for one ticket for a 2-hour show. I’m curious, have you ever BEEN to Telluride? It is in a class all by itself. :medal
Music is the core friend and it means just as much to me as it does to you and yeah it can be expensive in Colorado, you live in a much different location where the cost of living index is low, and yes if you do not think it is worth your money, stay home, but for some, no many, that would be 10,000 it is the PERFECT PLACE, PERFECT TIME, PERFECT COMBINATIONS OF MUSIC and money, well, that issue becomes irrelivant. We save up. Yep we ain’t cheap :flower
Nelsonville Fest vs Telluride…? :huh Those lineups really don’t compare well, IMHO. And the location? :eek
TYVM Planet Bluegrass!!
I feel a mastercard commercial coming on…
Applechop…chill out.
Live and let live. Music and the expieriences it brings are personal, just like this festival and where it is, and the people that attend it. Lifes to short Applechop to worry about such things. :wave :thumbsup :cheers
Applechop… music in the appalachia costs less, yes. i live here and agree.
but what we don’t have here in the blue ridge, smoky, shennandoah, or where ever you may find yourself is 14teeners, the pacific coast vibe, and medicinal pot. what we do have… tons of pickers and probably more bluegrass festivals in and around the appalachian mountains than most of the west coast.
its simple economics, and to me a very fair trade-off… when the supply is high, cost is low, when the supply is low, cost is high. and this understanding will keep me coming back to colorado for festivals as long as i can.
:cheers
Well, ya got me to look, and that’s all good… 
But sorry, no comparison in my book to Lyons or Telluride…
Have fun wherever you do choose to festivate, Applechop! :flower
:cheers
I’ve attended 3 TBFs, and more than a dozen “huge” BGFs in Appalachia. But, I haven’t been to any “major” BG festivals in over 25 years. My recollection is that the pricing for the “huge” BGFs back East is pretty similar to Planet BG’s pricing for TBF. To this day, this is my impression. I am not shopping for tix, so I could be wrong.
• 2011 TBF ticket prices, 4-day pass: $185
• 2011 Merlefest ticket prices, 4-day pass: $140
I disagree, based on my 2011 TBF-to-Merlefest tix pricing comparison, above. When I convert tix pricing differential to a percentage differential, I find that 2011 TBF 4-day tix cost 32% more than 2011 Merlefest tix cost – NOT 70% percent more. You’ve more than doubled the actual cost difference that I just found in my example.
I would also consider the “supply-and-demand” side of it. There are more “huge” Music Festivals back East than there are out here.
On the other hand, Colo easily has 32% better skiing than back East, 32% better camping, 32% better weather, 32% more sunny days, 32% less humidity, 32% less mosquitos and bugs, 32% less population density, 32% less pollution, 32% more mmj centers, and it’s easily 32% prettier than most places back East (except for my fav spots Maine!). That’s why I live in Fort Collins! Thanx PBG for choosing Colorado.
And on the West Slope, no freakin tornadoes, hurricanes, or major floods. Our biggest natural disasters are usually wildfires, and even those are now more often not “natural”, but human-caused.
I’ll take an avalanche over a tornado any day. And I was raised in Oklahoma!
And Monte, we apparently have at least 32% less grumpy people in CO. Maybe it’s because we live in Colorado! hee hee :medal :cheers
And, Monte didn’t mention
2011 Rockygrass ticket prices - 3 day festival pass $130 :thumbsup
or
Four Corners Folk Fest ticket prices - 3 day festival pass $95
:cheers
In addition to the great lineups and beautiful venues, I am surprised no one has yet mentioned the well run festival by Planet bluegrass. The tickets may be a few dollars more than you like, but you know if Planet Bluegrass is putting it on, the festival will be well run. I have been to quite a few other festivals and it has given me an appreciation for how well PB runs theirs.
at 419 I am always a minute early
:thumbsup You sure have that right! PB does an AMAZING job, always.
[center]
FREE Festival! — August 12, 13 & 14 in Historic Downtown Fort Collins
http://downtownfortcollins.com/images/BNNWF-web-logo-2011-temp_(Custom).gif
— Headliners —
http://downtownfortcollins.com/images/BNat_NWF_headliners_2011_photo-_crop_bands_(Custom).jpg
I know it’s not Colorado, but Montana has an excellent free festival in Missoula every year. Leftover Salmon is headlining. It doesn’t get any better than that!
I thought our biggest “natural disaster” was Hooch running out of Crunchy Frog or Bacon! Wait a minute…neither of those has ever happened.