TBF 101 for families

[landshark]

This is our first festival of hopefully many. We are camping at Mary E. in a pop up. We can't decide if we should do our first year as a couple and scope it out or if we should just dive in and bring our 6 year old (leaving the 3 year old and 1 year old at home). We don't know what to expect and we need your advice. We are a little concerned that we're going to see everyone and their children and that we'll regret leaving ours at home. Plus, I'm not sure my mother-in-law can handle all 3 kids on her own for five days (I've never done that  !!!)...making us a little anxious.

Any thought oh wise ones  ???

Thanks for your help.

OK so here is what I have to offer up. Kids make the fest, sweetness abounds everywhere you turn. Fest kids just rock! However you must be prepaired a fest is an all weather event, THE SHOW MUST GO ON!!!
So that said, sunhats, sunscreen, toys, chairs for all, a wagon to haul kids and gear, sunglasses for all, ear plugs to protect their tender little ears(free at the Med. tent), lots of liquids because it can get hot and warm clothes cause it can get cold. Swimsuits to play in the river and the kids tent for daytime activity. It is a tad harder, you must be organized but I say bring em!

[wbcohen]

Absolutely bring them. Kids everywhere. There is a family area with activities, arts and crafts, shows and a kids parade on Sunday. There is no place better. Agree with Landshark about weather and sunscreen but bring them!

 Listening to: Greg Brown

[elisanick]

Thanks for the great advice. We ended up bringing our son and he had a blast! He truly got into the spirit (picking up litter and saying that littering isn't "being a good festivarian") . He learned how to fish (sorry if he almost hooked you as you were walking by...we tried hard to supervise him and got on him for not looking before casting), he got his pirate hat signed by Chris Thile (AHOY!) , and he learned the four steps of how to grow dreads from Dave on the bus back to Ilium one night .

It was a very positive experience for us and we're all looking forward to doing it all again next year! My son's comment as we're rolling into Montrose on Monday morning..."I hope I'm dreaming right now because I still want to be in Telluride." I couldn't have agreed more!

[Auntie Hope]

"I hope I'm dreaming right now because I still want to be in Telluride."

Smart Festi-Kid. Many I ash his age? He already seems wise beyond his years! 

Auntie Hope 

[elisanick]

He'll be six in a couple of weeks. Trying to get some Rockygrass tickets for Saturday so we can try the festival experience with all three kids. Kind of a Telluride 2013 trial run.

[HuckinFappy]

Festival with three kids = A whole new experience

Your festival will change, but in ways you can't imagine.  I'm pretty sure at this point if someone came up and said, "Hey, leave your kids with us, and they'll have the greatest time of their lives while you go to Telluride" we'd turn 'em down.

Mainly 'cause TBF *is* the time of their lives :-)

[meanderingjeeper]

Festival with three kids = A whole new experience

agree 100% with that one.  especially when one of them thinks that they can do whatever they want just cause they've been so many times.

& i is great being at a kid's birthday party over the weekend and Happy the Clown asks what everyone's favorite thing to do in the summer is and your kid yells out "'Telluride!!!!!"

We could tell by the look on Happy's face that he just didn't understand.

 Listening to: waldo canyon update

[swander99]

  The best Town Park Campground quote overheard in 2012.

Hello there, what's your name?  "Porter."
How old are you? "I'm six."
How many times have you been to TBF?  "I've been to festivaaal seven times!"

Great times....


 Listening to: 89.3 The Current

[Debbiefromtucson]

We've had a few of those conversations over the years too...LOL

[HuckinFappy]

Unsurprising moment involving kids.  Walking through the crowd, I feel a small hand grab mine.   I look down into a very sincere-looking 4-ish year old face.

Me:  Hi there.
Boy:  Hi.  I want to sit with you.
Me:  Excuse me?
Boy:  I want to sit with you.
Me:  That's nice of you   I'm Jeff.
Boy:  And I'm Brody.
Me:  I guess we're friends, then?
Boy:  You're my best friend in the whole world.
Me:  Awesome! 

I relived the conversation for his Mom, who was watching us, told Brody goodbye, and chased down my own kid

[TellurideTom]

Unsurprising moment involving kids.  Walking through the crowd, I feel a small hand grab mine.   I look down into a very sincere-looking 4-ish year old face.

Me:  Hi there.
Boy:  Hi.  I want to sit with you.
Me:  Excuse me?
Boy:  I want to sit with you.
Me:  That's nice of you   I'm Jeff.
Boy:  And I'm Brody.
Me:  I guess we're friends, then?
Boy:  You're my best friend in the whole world.
Me:  Awesome! 

I relived the conversation for his Mom, who was watching us, told Brody goodbye, and chased down my own kid

That's what Joah told me.
Still waiting to see the picture that Tess took of the two of us at the pot luck.

[HuckinFappy]

Yeah, we talked about how easy it is to make new friends at that age.  When you get dubbed "Best friend in the whole world", enjoy it...it may only last ten minutes!

I have a bunch of pix to put on Facebook, but I just shared the one you're talking about over there...enjoy!

Unsurprising moment involving kids.  Walking through the crowd, I feel a small hand grab mine.   I look down into a very sincere-looking 4-ish year old face.

Me:  Hi there.
Boy:  Hi.  I want to sit with you.
Me:  Excuse me?
Boy:  I want to sit with you.
Me:  That's nice of you   I'm Jeff.
Boy:  And I'm Brody.
Me:  I guess we're friends, then?
Boy:  You're my best friend in the whole world.
Me:  Awesome! 

I relived the conversation for his Mom, who was watching us, told Brody goodbye, and chased down my own kid

That's what Joah told me.
Still waiting to see the picture that Tess took of the two of us at the pot luck.

[Auntie Hope]

I loved just saying the name "Tom" to Joah, and he asks... "Tom Poley or Tom With the Long Beard?"

"Bites with Joah" came along with probably the best dinner conversation I had with anyone the entire fest. Sorry I couldn't find y'all on the tarps on Thursday morning for Bela & Chris and the "banjaro/mandolin" show! 

Auntie Hope 

[ilovethelorax]

The best Town Park Campground quote overheard in 2012.

Hello there, what's your name?  "Porter."
How old are you? "I'm six."
How many times have you been to TBF?  "I've been to festivaaal seven times!"

Great times....

Sam (9) claims 10. I feel like he's got a point. When I was six months pregnant, every single time Jerry Douglas took the stage he grooved around like mad and let me know in no uncertain terms that despite being in the back with a pillow on my belly, Victor Wooten was way too much. We bought another of Flux's cds and it happened to be the year that he played at The String Summit, which was coincidentally the weekend following TBF. As we skedaddled home, 24 hours of drive time and a lot of music listened to, he did the same thing every time, only getting excited when he heard that one dobro. And then again at the String Summit. Jerry signed it for him there, writing it to Peanut. Loves Jerry to this day.

 Listening to: Gram and Emmylou...Six Days On The Road

[HuckinFappy]

The best Town Park Campground quote overheard in 2012.

Hello there, what's your name?  "Porter."
How old are you? "I'm six."
How many times have you been to TBF?  "I've been to festivaaal seven times!"

Great times....

We bought another of Flux's cds

Trivia of the day:  My computer is named "Flux"