Yes. The Tarp thing again.

Festivarian Events Telluride Bluegrass Festival
1

This is a tarp question for all the non-town parkers. Yes, I know you we are not worthy and you look down upon us as insignificant but the truth is the great majority of Festivarians stay outside of Town Park. The only stress for the whole four-day weekend I have is figuring out the tarp line. What time do you all get into the non-Town Park tarp line? I usually go about 8 a.m. and get a decent but not great spot. Will i get a better spot if I go at 6 a.m.? Do Town Parkers feel they are entitled to the entire section in front of the diagonal walkway? It sounds like Town Park is run much like Medieval, feudal Europe where folks think they are entitled to certain things because they have been doing it longer than another person. Not trying to be overly negative just start a conversation. I love you Town Parkers and think your enthusiasm makes the Festival so great, but is it really all about you?

Will Planet Bluegrass ever enforce the tarp size rules? I always see gigantic tarps down front inhabited by one or two old guys with white, bacon-scented beards sleeping on an ocean of unpopulated blue plastic through the whole day so they can get up in time to get into the Town Park tarp line the next day. I’m relatively sure they don’t bite, but do they really need half-an-acre tarp?

Will we ever be able to solve the tarp dilemma or is it purely a function of human nature and an insolvable problem just like crime and hunger?

My favorite part of the day is when the sun sets and the whole Festival forfiets their fiercely fought over property rights and comes together down front for a blissful, communal hoedown. Can’t wait for it. I have a dream that one day we will all come together and share one, big tarp.

2

In my 2 years at TBF, we did not stay in Town Park… and you are right, the biggest stress of the day is getting the tarp in a good spot. We usually get to the line around 630 or 7, and get a pretty good spot (either just in front or just behind the walkway on the right side, even with the tower).

I do, however, think you are reading too much in the TP enthusiasm for the Tarp Line and the craziness that opens each day of the festival. My take is, TPers dont have a sense of entitlement about this, but rather, are excited and hyper and loud and anxious to get the day going. I have not run into anyone who felt they were entitled to a spot for one reason or another. TPers have and EXPECTATION to have a good spot, but dont think they feel entitled to anything. Maybe you have run into different people than I did.

Regardless, the fest rules allowing you to occupy un-used tarps takes care of most of this problem for me. When we showed up around noon for the fest one day, we had no chance of getting our tarp in a decent location. We just jumped around for empty tarp to empty tarp, meeting new people and sharing new experiences. It was actually quite pleasant, but I do enjoy having a “home base” throughout the day.

The key is share and share alike :thumbsup

You are welcome on my tarp anytime… im the one with the beard and a beer… :cheers

3

Now that’s just mean…in a passive-aggressive sort of a way. We sincerely regret everyone can’t stay in Town park, and we’re completely puzzled by folks who choose to not stay there, but we don’t consider any festivarian insignificant, and the only person I ever look down on are folks who have imbibed too much and I trip over them :lol

No.

Naaaahh… We do in general respect each other’s seniority, but there’s not a real sense of entitlement. For example, I sort of expect that since my tent has been on the same patch of dirt every year I’ve been there over the last 20+ years (missed 4 in there I think), that when we are there, we can count on that patch of dirt…in fact our gear is sized for that piece of dirt.

But there’s no entitlement there. To ensure we get it, we’ll work hard at getting there early, coordinate the group, and hold spaces for all our friends and family. What we expect to reap is the fruits of our labor, not an automaric entitlement.

Why, yes it is…thanks for asking! At least for me, my fellow campers are what it’s all about. I love all the festivarians that aren’t in Town Park, but I don’t spend enough time with them to get to know them the same way. So it’s not all about me, it’s all about everyone else!

Is it better to have 2 people from a group run in 2 10x10 tarps, or 1 guy with a 10x20. If you have enough folks to fill the space, who cares? Especially since (as has been pointed out over and over) empty tarp space is fair game for one and all.

I’d put it more on the level of nose-picking and farting in public personally.

“My Tarp is Blue, how 'bout you?”

4

Nelly, everyone that attends the festival is welcome to stay in Town Park. many of us have stayed there for a long time, myself not near as long as others. I have not stayed anywhere else. it bothers me a little that those who choose to stay there might be perceived as elitist? I guess I never really thought of it that way? I chose to live in town park for exactly the opposite of that perception. I was welcomed in as another soul, there to participate in a great party, in the most beautiful setting on Earth, entertained by the worlds best background music. I don’t usually spend much time on one tarp, I choose to visit with friends, old, new, and soon to be both. if you see me on a tarp, please come join me. I’m the hippie in tie dye drinking beer, and yes my beard may smell like bacon, I hope that won’t stop you from letting me buy you a beer and get to know you?

5

Nicely said Rick. :thumbsup

6

Well said Jeff…
And, no… those of us in Town Park don’t really consider ourselves “elitists” and we enjoy meeting and visiting with all the festivarians that attend the festival. :flower
If you see me wandering around (which I do because I don’t do the tarp run) come say hello, or ask me to join you on your tarp. I won’t stay long as I like to wander and enjoy visiting with ALL of my festivarian family.
Since the “out of Town Park” tarp line is so much bigger Planet Bluegrass does let in those runners equally. Those of us in Town Park don’t have the exclusive rights to the “front” section. It’s all fair, so don’t think we have “special” status in the tarp run.
We’re all there to enjoy the music, and there isn’t a bad spot in the whole grounds. :medal

7

I was a little annoying in my first post just to get a reaction (bad habit from my journalism days). Maybe even a couple of insults. What I got instead was calm, reasoned, understanding from TPers and non-TPers alike who didn’t get mad at my cheap shots but just wanted to know how they could make my experience better. Festivarians truly are the biggest-hearted, most-open souls in the world and I can’t wait for June. I had forgotten about the empty tarps are free-game policy.

Anyways, I apologize for the cheap attempt to rile up you TPers (yes, i’m jealous, but I have to have my two and a half hours of sleep at night, and that is tough with someone yelling FESTIVAL into your tent flap at 3:20 in the morning). Yes, I’m an ex-TPer and probably feel guilty for my retreat into a Mountain Village condo (there i said it).

I promise to leave my passive/aggressiveness on the Front Range and can’t wait for the scent of bacon wafting from smiling beards.

8

Damn fine recovery… :cheers

9

OK, this will be our first time at the festival - finally! I’ve watched youtube videos of the tarp run, and have read all the posts, but I still don’t understand… From what I’ve read, people in the tarp line get up at O’dark thirty and wait in line to get a number and then run into the park with their tarps to get a great spot. So this is, apparently, a different line from the general admission line? Do they line up at a different gate? Why are those in the tarp line given numbers at the gate? Don’t they just go through the gate and run to where they want to put down their tarp? Why do they need a number?

We are just planning on bringing a couple of chairs and no tarp, so will we be entering the park in a different line? Also, can you come and go from the park throughout the day? We are staying in a hotel a couple of blocks from the park. Please fill this newbie in! So excited about finally getting to Telluride. Next on the wishlist is skiing there!

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You can come and go as much as you like as long as you have your wristband and nothing illegal in your pack/cooler. If you are only bringing chairs and no tarp you don’t need to worry about the tarp line. People line up to get the numbers, and they start lining up the day before so they can get a good number when the numbers are handed out at a random time in the wee hours. When the gate opens, they let the first ??? in with numbers. (Not sure how many). There is a line from town side, where you will come in, and one from Town Park/Warner Field, which is actually the fee-based campground adjacent to the ball park (Warner Field), and the festival grounds. During the festival Town Park and WF become basically a whole new city. Both lines are let in at the same time, and after the numbers are finished then it’s just open. Listen for the bagpipes and that means it’s fixin to happen. woo hoo!
If you get to town before Thursday, please come into Town Park and visit, and see and hear the waterfall and all the camps and beautiful flags and crazy decorations, and just breathe the air and take it all in.
Don’t worry about a thing; you’re are gonna be blown away. :cheers

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Cindy Lou, thank you for explaining how it works! It sounds wonderful, and we will definitely head over to visit Town Park when we get in on Wed. I’m thinking now we should come in on Tuesday, and do some hiking around before the festival. Can’t wait!

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Oh yes…the earlier the better!

No matter what, make it to Town Park at 6:00 Wednesday for the potluck. Just ask where to go, someone can help you. Maybe it’s because we host it, but i know that when I look around and see a couple hundred festivarians smiling, eating, and sharing, I get goosebumps.

Hey, remember when we ran out of food at the potluck? No? Neither do I!! :lol :lol :lol

13

:wave Hey!

Last year I noticed more folks staking their tarp and man it sure does hurt to step on em !!!
Place a chair or a shoe or cooler or anything else but a stake…

When we all get movin and kids start playin it is pretty hazardous, especially if you don’t get that stake down all the way.

Please, can everyone pass the word this year to encourage others not to use stakes ?

Please watch your sweet feet as you step through the sea of tarps… :medal

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Hey Ling09, don’t get worried about the tarp thing. It’s just a conversation we have every year because we really just want to talk about all things TBF and pontificate on the building of a better wheel. No one in the history of the Festival has had a bad time because of a tarp location (quite possibly no one in the history of the Festival has had a bad time at all.) How big is your group? Three or four people can tarp hop all weekend long to their heart’s content. Are you bringing kids? most families set up some sun shades in the back row and don’t need to sweat making the dawn tarp run.

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Hey Ling,

I agree with NellyNell that you shouldn’t really worry too much about where to place your tarp but I do think you should bring a tarp (or something comparable).

Tarps are good because you can put a blanket down over them and stretch out. But tarps really prove worth bringing since it can rain now and then in ol’ Telluride. And if does rain, all you need to do is to put your dry stuff under the tarp and everything gets protected.

There are other tarp benefits you will witness firsthand. 10,000 festivarians a year can’t be wrong! :cheers

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And we call it “tarpology”! :lol

Auntie Hope :festivarian2 :green

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sounds like a new entry for the festavarian dictionary :geek

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Overall, I have had generally positive experiences while tarp hopping with my usual group of myself and 2 other people. However, last year I had a definitely negative experience. Since my experiences have been mostly positive, I didn’t want to ruffle any feathers by bringing up this bad experience. But, after having a conversation about said incident and tarps in general with my fiancee (who was there) I decided to go ahead and make a post. This happened last year at the YMSB main stage show.

My g/f and I were volunteers and had just barely made it up to the festival grounds in time for YMSB. We hunted around for the most open tarp we could find, which is a tough mission during the afternoon YMSB show even with plenty of time. Right as the band was coming out on stage, we found a spot we liked and asked if we could use it. It was a small corner of a fairly large tarp with a fair bit of room. We are not huge people, and were taking up at most 10% of the total tarp area, and we had also secured permission from one of the tarp owners. The show started amicably enough, and the tarp we were on started to fill up. About 15 minutes into the show, a middle aged gentleman with a small child in tow bumped into us and told us (VERY impolitely) that we were going to have to move, this was his tarp and he’d waited all night for it (un-likely due to the positioning of the tarp, it was not exactly on the front lines) so he could have a good spot for the show. We apologized and tried to get as much off the tarp as we could but by this point, the grounds had filled up and there was very little room to move about. After some readjustment we were barely on the tarp at all, however it was apparently not good enough for this man. He glared at us several times, and when that did not succeed in removing us from the vicinity he proceeded to “dance” about wildly with his various extremities flailing around. Much of his exuberant gesticulation found its way onto my g/f, seemingly on purpose judging by the looks he was giving us, and his manner in demanding we move (again, VERY rudely). In essence, he was attempting to remove us from the vicinity using physical force. This went on for the entire show, and effectively ruined a large percentage of our day. Dancing is one thing, but during a crowded show (like Yonder always is) that type of dancing disturbs people’s festival experience.

My issue with this circumstance was not that we were asked to move. I understand that it is the right of whoever placed the tarp to use the space as they see fit. My main issue is with the way we were treated. He did not ask nicely. He didn’t ask at all, it was a demand, something you’d expect from a pair of siblings under the age of 10 in the back seat of a mini van (“MOMMY TELL HIM TO GET OFF MY SIDE!”), not something you’d expect from a 30’s something adult. I also take issue with his action after we got as far off as we could physically get without completely changing locations (thereby disturbing more people in our attempt to get ourselves out of the area). Even if his aggressive physical behavior had been unintentional (which I do NOT believe), he could have been (and probably was) knocking around several other people who were NOT encroaching on his tarp.

This type of behavior exemplifies a self centered existence which is the complete antithesis of the Festivarian spirit. Had he asked politely it would have been a completely different story. Were we sprawled out over half his tarp, it again would have been a different set of circumstances, but even in that instance his physical violence would not have been merited. It’s totally opposite of everything that the festival stands for and everything that I love about the Telluride experience.

I don’t intend this as an assault against any person or group of people. I don’t know where that man camped, and wouldn’t care if I did (a rude person is rude no matter where he calls home).

I know that the majority of festivarians and tarp owners are not like this particular gentleman. I have enjoyed tarp hoping in the past, I’ve met some really interesting people, shared beer, food, stories and other things with many many people, and hope to do so again, especially now that I’m in Town Park for the first time in my 6 years of Festivating.

Again, I hope no one takes this as a personal attack, as it is just me venting my frustration over one particular person.

I want to leave this post on a happy note, so…

FFFFFFEEEEEESSSSSTTTTTTTIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVAAAAAAALLLLLLLL

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Matt, unfortunately you’re gonna run into rude people no matter where you go. Just take it in stride and remember; The majority of festivarians will welcome you in their space. :flower
Just say (as rudely as he did “Well, excuse me asshole!”) and find a friendlier spot. :thumbsup

20

:wave Matt, there will be a grump in every bunch. Don’t sweat the small stuff. You can always visit my tarp and we are always up front. And when I get to old to capture a front row tarp I know that you will cover my back. Correct?

That is how it works. Share and as Tim O’brien says to me every summer"Give love, get love."… :festivarian :hug :vibes