Hey Hooch -
Yes, there is a tent run on saturday morning, and people set up other people’s tents who are not present and lay down tarps in order to save spots for friend’s tents who are arriving later in the week. Dis-respectful arriving festivarians do pull up space-saving tarps and take the un-occupied space for themselves. So, you have to guard the space you are saving. Hint: I typically throw down a small tarp or two in my camp area for the late-arriving hot-looking first-time festival chick who can’t find a place for her tent. It works every time…
Like Daneila, I sometimes set-up two tents. One for a bedroom and the other for gear, major booze stash, and instuments. So, it’s OK to do that (I think). But, the other tent usually is shared with others in my group.
Telluride Tom hints at the wristband requirement. Planet Bluegrass takes over the Town Park campground the saturday morning prior to the start of the festival. No wristband or Town Park vehicle pass is technically required until tuesday or wednesday or whenever the box office opens… whichever comes first. That means you can in most cases set-up your tent in Town Park, hang-out in Town Park, and even park your car in Town Park without pass on saturday, sunday and even monday. At some point between saturday and tuesday the Planet Bluegrass Town Park campground host will check-in on you and your vehicle and verify that you are legit. If not he’ll ask you to leave. He’s a great guy if you’re playing by the rules.
It’s perfectly OK to set-up your tent(s) on saturday morning, leave, and then return days later to Town Park. Just let your neighbors know what your doing and everything should be cool upon your return.
AWESOME info, Kaptain! I see you and I are going to get along just fine. So, it’s a plan. I’m coming down on Friday night so I can be part of my first annual Town Park tent/tarp run on Saturday morning. Is there some sort of line to sit in for that or do you just show up around 8:00 or 8:30am with flask and tarp in hand? Also, where do you recommend camping in order not to be right near the “All Night Radio” show? I was thinking the Back Forty. Suggestions, O’ Wise One?
There’s “All Night Radio” all over Town Park, including the back forty, so it’s best to ask some of the veterans. About the only place I can think of that doesn’t have all night jams is in the “primative area” of Town Park. People in that area tend to be a bit more quiet and subude.
Wow! after that post, I sure hope my festivation rating goes up. Daniela… I’m glad you can relate to my blathering… we will party together in Telluride.
OK… here’s the skinny… before the Planet takes control of Town Park saturday morning, Town Park campground is run just like any other angency-run campground. ie.-- you have to pay a nightly fee, camp at numbered sites with so many people allowed per site, so many cars alowed per site, etc. When you arrive, park your car, mix a drink, walk around and socialize, and eventually you’ll bump into me and other recognizables. We’ll give you “the tour of the campground”, so come saturday morning when the “ropes drop”, you’ll know exactly what spot to run towards.
You will have to find a place to sleep friday night. So, just let the folks around you know this, and you will be invited to join just about any of the numbered site group-camps in Town Park, because we festivarians are one big happy family and love to help each other out. I typically crash in the back of my pick-up friday night to avoid setting up a tent that I’m just going to have to move come morning. Where you sleep friday night most likely won’t be where you set-up your tent(s) for the festival. A campground official will be walking around friday trying to keep order, but the festivarians and the ensuing chaos will prevail. You might get away with parking your car overnight in the campground or you might have to park it a short walk away. Saturday morning a line will begin to form in front of the two enterences to the “Back Forty” and the even more remote primitive area. Planet Bluegrass staff guard the enterences and then “drop the rope” around 9:00am. Make sure you have a tarp under your arm when running to your favorite spot. It will reserve your spot while you unload your car and lug your stuff to your campsite. Beware: A number of “Sacred Spots” exist inside the campground where established group-camps set-up their stuff. If you are un-lucky enough to un-knowenly choose one of these spots before the group gets there, you will be asked to move or better yet, invited to join the camp! “Sacred Spots” are respected and honored by all festivarians new and old alike. Telluride Tom, the Mayor of Town Park, does a fine job of settling turf disputes within the campground. After emptying your car, you will have to park it in another parking area for the week and hoof-it back to Town Park.
I was leary of Town Park at first. The rummors of crazies running around and picking going on all night long kept me away for my first two years. But then… I decided I just had to try it, and now… I will never camp anywhere else (unless I get booted for some reason or the other). There are a lot of micro quiet areas in Town Park, and there are a lot of killer party areas, too. We can offer suggestions once we are all together in Telluride and before “the rope drops” saturday morning. For now, …I recommend that you camp close to me. Don’t worry… you will get you un-necessary but desired beauty sleep. The music of Town Park, close or far, will rock you gently into la-la land when the time comes to sleep…
Now that is EXACTLY the kind of information I was looking for. (Thanks to the Mayor as well.) It’s nice to know there are others out there who are as freaky about this festival as I am. I especially love the intricate details as those are the most important ones. I think I am starting to get the Town Park drift. The gang and I will drive down on Friday night from Junction. We should arrive around 8pm, I’d imagine. We’ll park, mix a cocktail (like you recommended), come find you, and await further instruction. Now all I have to do is figure out what I’m going to do with my time for the next 3.75 months!! Why, oh why, must it be so far away?
Oh, hey, you mentioned food. Can we beat that horse (goat) when you get the chance? I’m all ears! :wave
Howdy folks-
Just joined the crowd. I came to TBF in 2003. Coming back this year, and was lucky enough to get Town Park tickets. Been enjoying reading the scuttle. Ya’ll have already made me rethink my arrival time. Guess I’ll just have to take another week off work. Yeehaw! Can’t wait to “get back”. Thanks for all the cool info…
Welcome, Mountain Builder! I’m curious, where exactly is the “high Chihuahuan desert” and how can those poor, little Chihuahuas withstand all that heat? :rollin
Howdy ma’am; and thanks for the welcome. Alpine Tx is about 90 miles north of Big Bend Nat park. Not too hot here really. Elevation about 5000 ft, so even in the summer it doesn’t get above 90 very often. Ther’s usually a breeze to dry the armpits of the poor lil chihuahuas (isn’t that a fun word to type?)
Daniela,
Just peaked at your bio. Good one! No, you’re not the only one freaky about T’ride. I know several folks that are just as freaky but just lurk here. :wave
Looking forward to camping on the same iceburg with ya when hell freezes over! :thumbsup
All-righty then… I’m not ignoring the food subject… just trying to figure-out where and when to begin… it is just March 1st… and I don’t want to play this conversation out before the crowds begin listening in.
There’s soooo much going on in Town Park that centers around food and beverages. Telluride Tom traditionally works-out the schedule of events with the major happenings always happening on their historical dates and times… like Rum-Balls! and the Pot-Luck Free-box Fashion Show (both occur wednesday evening the day before the festival begins). These two events (like all of the other events that will eventually be talked about) are open gatherings for everyone who can gain access into Town Park.
I think I’ll start small and expand outward from there…Let’s begin a new subject with the question “What do you got in yer cooler for the festival?”. And then, migrate towards the bigger entire campground events as time goes on… stay tuned… and look for the new in the near future subject…
I’ll be posting the event schedule a little later. :cheers
I have to verify a few things before I post them all, so I don’t have to change things at a later date.
Some of the information has to wait until the daily festival schedule is released too!
If I did post anything on the other list it was a bit premature.
I think I might have said it will be hot, but I’m not sure. :eek
I normally wait until April to make my annual predictions anyway.
Hey itsRick! Steelhead Brewing Co. is one of my all-time favorite small breweries. It’s located out here in way-northern California. I sometimes think I should just fill my homebrew kegs with Steelhead beer and try to fool everyone in Town Park into believing it’s my own homebrew! Cheers!
Karlos
P.S. I’m curious… what town are you drinking it in?
actually Kapt.K, the beer was named Steelhead Stout, but it was made by a little brewpub inside the Red Lion Inn in Lewiston Id. I believe it was called M.J.Barleyhopper’s? the beer was very good, it was one of those made with coffee.
Town Park seems like the place to be! I’m all the way in Maine and can’t wait to take the trip out there. Bought my tickets yesterday and have no idea how I’m getting there! I’ll buy a donkey if I have to So am I gonna have a chance to meet all you Town-Parkers before the fest? Can I camp in Town Park before that Sat.? I’ll be in Lawson during the fest, so I want to make sure I don’t miss out on all the fun! Too bad I didn’t here about the show in time, man, where the hell have I been?
