Town Park Community

Festivarian Events Telluride Bluegrass Festival
1

Hi All :wave

Not one to post my feelings nor opinions, but life is short and I’m feeling sad. These last couple days have been a bit gut wrenching to say the least. I’ve experienced the same emotions that I have read and felt through your own posts. A just ranted on another post about the new ticket process. So be it … I still believe we will all find tickets for our camps. But now am thinking, “Why do we so desire to go to these extremes for 10 days in a remote box canyon”?

I’m not too many years from being a virgin. In 2015 I wandered into TP on my mtn bike, and after much frustration and consternation stumbled upon a camp who took me in. To me, Kamp Duk Tape became a microcosm of the overall Town Park community. A loving, caring, helping, and giving group of individuals of all flavors. I still can still hear our camp godfather say he doesn’t want to leave TP at all during the pre fest as this is the only time he gets to be with this community. I soon found out what he was talking about.

During that first year I wanted to do something to contribute to the TP community. Something that would bring people together. I loved hearing about the oyster roasts up at Run a Muk and talked with Hippie about them. Owning and operating a clam farm in SC, we had many a clam/oyster roast and Frogmore stew. This is what led me to do a boil type event, something casual where folks have time to chat and meet someone new. My point being is that we have an incredible community, we look after one another, laugh with, cry with, encourage, and hold up. Many of us have even expressed that the time with fellow campers has been sweeter than the notes coming from the stage or pickin circle. I love most of the sets at both the TP stage and Elks, that’s a given. We buys tickets before we even know who is playing. But we know who we will see at camp. The faithful supporters of the Town Park community, our friends, brothers and sisters. :love

Lets keeping on doing what we have been doing. Of course the events! Can’t wait to see what we do this year. But I mean supporting one another. Lets work as a team, be proactive. The thing that was attractive to me that Monday in 2015 was that complete strangers were asking if they could help the newbie, to include him in what was going on. Sometimes going out of their way to pick up something in town. I discovered that we could accomplish so much more working together than individually. Lets continue that by doing whatever you can to get TP tickets into the hands of fellow festivarians. You also know that several of us really need a VP pass to attend, such as our mayor Telluride Tom.

I don’t mean to be preaching, we all know the deal. I’m just sad that there are many of us wondering if we will score a ticket, if we even want to support the Planet by buying a ticket. I support whatever you chose, but I do hope to see you all in June. I believe this mess will be corrected and we can resume our faith in the Planet to support the community and encourage its’ enhancement.

Does anyone else have similar experiences or thoughts about the Town Park community?

Peace :peace

2

I love you so much Passport and I agree 100%. Town Park is what I always thought America would be as a child growing up in Australia. Kind to strangers, welcoming, clever, amazing music, people who are always creating new things but mostly I thought of America as a place with lots of small towns where people all know each other and help each other. It was a shock to discover what it was really like but then I found what I always thought it would be in the community in Town Park. YOU ARE THE BEST AMERICA CAN BE. It’s so special. Treasure it. Don’t lose it. :green_heart::blue_heart:

3

Right on Brothers and Sisters :cheers

4

Love you Paul!

You nailed it. This community is why Andrea and I and our CTS crew keep coming back for TBF - the music is just a bonus. TTom says it every year when he welcomes us to our family reunion. Looking forward to seeing all of you again in 6 months!

5

Love ya buddy! I too came solo in 2015, met my wife and truly those I consider to be my best friends on earth, even if I only see them that once a year. I also enjoy the pre-fest Shenanigans as much or more than the music on the various stages.

Don’t worry, all of us that want to be back in the Wing of things will be. Crawdadgum it come hell or high water we shall disco. We Pho sho will Bloody it up and taste ALL the beers. Rumballin it and crunchin on that frog.

Is it June yet?

6

Yes thank you Paul for expressing what makes town park so special. It took me six years to find my way into town park with 1994 being the first time to camp there. While camping out in what was meadow creek was fun everything changed upon moving into town park. Mainly the people you meet, became best friends with and even fell in love with. I wonder what some of the new Festivarian’s are thinking about what they are getting into with all this discord. The new system kicked a hornet’s nest into our campground, everyone’s buzzing and riled up. But if we all worked together it is likely that we will find tickets for most of our friends. And we have a bunch of new soon to be friends to welcome. Most of us started out that first year feeling a little bit lost and wondering if they would fit in. And while camping in town park isn’t for everyone. Those who know wouldn’t camp anywhere else. Welcome Home… I tend to believe that we don’t meet by random, that we are drawn together by some force and the next thing you know you are camping next to Hippie Jerry or Paul or all the rest of our friends and family. See you in June or maybe for NYE LoS.
Peace my friends.

7

Town Park is a village unto itself, filled with fun loving people all working together for the benefit of all.
This year will be my 40th year attending the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and my 17th anniversary of receiving a lifetime pass in Town Park. I wouldn’t have gotten that honor without the support of all of my fellow festivarians. I will continue as mayor to do all in my power to keep our community thriving.
We have lost many souls over the years, but we’ve also gained many new friends. Accepting new members into our family is what makes us special and that will continue as we deal with these new changes. We can deal with change, it’s something we’ve always been able to do.
Peace and love to all. :flower

8

Haha this is epic, Nate - you must have been hanging out with Smitty in the ‘off season’.

9

Paul- You worded it so well…
Trying to get off my sad and hurt feeling as well… We will carry on as normal and try and get everyone covered…
Love to everyone
Debbie

10

Dueling poets

Not sure about the VPs, but I do believe you, fishbone, and billy will all find tickets.

11

Love ya, Paul! :slight_smile:

12

Wow! I feel the same about the first day I wandered into TP. Paul you were the first Festivarian I met from the forum, because my old college buddy told me to search out Bevin in Duk tape. From that moment on you and Bevin always encouraged us to not give up hope if you missed out on the lottery. And, every year through the help of the forum, and especially Bevin and the Duk Tape crew our family and small group has always found tickets. Just like you Paul after my first dose of TP all I could think about was what could I do to add to the family atmosphere, and sharing of TP. So we started doing the Fish Fry last year, and are already planning on how we can do it bigger and better with more sides this year.
I’m sliding into a rant on how amazing TP and the festivarians are, so I’ll catch myself and say we love you all, and don’t give up. No matter how shitty the system may be, the folks that make up this community are all amazing, and will find a way.

As all the kids are saying these days “this is the way”.

13

Yeah buddy! Your fish fry kicked ass last year!! Gotta get the hush puppies nailed down and let me know how I can help.

I have a ticket, just want to help the rest of our extended family do so also.
Love you Todd!

14

Oh Paul, you old softie! Now you have me itching for June and the fine times we all are lucky enough to have with each other for a mere 10 days out of the year…which is 2.7% of a year for those of you who like math.

Anyway, yeah a lot of people are in freak-out mode over ticketing changes but that doesn’t change our community. There were clearly some bugs/quirks to the system (which I also experienced) but I’ve also been reassured by people with skills that the encryption used for the ticketing was solid, so not as easily hackable as some have suggested. From my checking in, it seems like our core family did about as well as usual, with many still being in need. Those of us who have been doing this for a year or three ahem are used to seeing the moaning and wailing right after the lottery. But now it’s after the crazy ticket sale digital line mayhem. Time will tell if a buttload of tickets show up on resale sites but I’m of the mind to keep the faith that this was a reasonable move/change. Those of us who work in the business world understand the underlying needs of keeping to your core competency.

So, with that said, let’s just do what we always do and keep eyeballs peeled for tickets to fill our needs. I’m sure there will be soooo much discussion but let’s not forget what Paul is getting at and keep our family close and keep our great community what it is.

15

Whoa, whoa, whoa … you need to be careful using ‘old’ and ‘softie’ in the same sentence! :eek

16

Wanted to chime in and agree with everything being said. I was chatting over the weekend with my mom about music and she asked why we don’t just skip TBF to attend one of the other summer festivals and catch some different bands. I couldn’t believe that she hadn’t realized by now that it is always about the music, but its isn’t mostly about the music. We started attending in 2010, but didn’t start camping in TP until 2017, and didn’t find our way to Duk Tape until 2018. It was the wonderful people who helped us find our home within the home (Thanks Ron!) and it was working together to build our home, feed the camp, enjoy every moment of pre-fest, then secure space in the mornings and break down at night with lots of dancing or community-building before and after… This is what it is all about.

17

:wave It seems the same as it’s ever been in regards to the feeling you have after losing the TP Lotto. :frowning:
This year was worse only because I had to sit, wait, and watch SEE TIX punch me in the old, soft gut! :rolleyes
Time will tell if it is indeed worse. We’ve been thru some wild ticket escapades before, haven’t we? :cheers
So many stories to tell. Live it, love it, keep on keepin’ on! :festival
Great post, Paul! :lovedr

18

I love all of you. Seriously. I can’t wait for a huge group hug in June. :flower

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Duk Tapers are awesome :cherry_blossom::cherry_blossom::cherry_blossom:. Love my US family.

Can’t wait :heart:

20

Friends and family members who have never attended TBF with me can not understand why I want to go to the same festival every year. They think I’m the biggest bluegrass fan in the world (wrong). They think I love camping in freezing temps and hotter than hell afternoons (wrong). They think it’s nothing but fun getting a camp kitchen together and pleading with people for tickets (wrong).

Nope. The reason I go to the same fest for the past 19 Years is this: festivarians. Friends we only see 2.7% of the year that welcome you with hugs and laughter and a beer and a Frog and enthusiasm for a group experience that seems to sustain us throughout the year.

Funny thing about TBF is I want to share it with everyone even though increased popularity only makes ticket acquisition that much harder. But as the virgins come, they bring even more to increase our collective happiness. Among mybiggest pleasures is watching the virgins become longtime vets and loving the fact that they create even more traditions along the way.

The way I try to explain TBF to virgins is that it’s simply the greatest experience I have every year and, as a bonus, there’s ALSO a music festival!