Won the lottery... newbies need advice

[UselessJo]

Somehow it always makes its way back to the topic of bacon, Ron in a thong, and the gassy goose of The jailhouse! 

Imagine combining all of those into 1 thing.  Scary!

I will NOt sir!

[Hooch]

Somehow it always makes its way back to the topic of bacon, Ron in a thong, and the gassy goose of The jailhouse! 

Imagine combining all of those into 1 thing.  Scary!

I will NOt sir!

Very wise.  I just tried it and blanked out unconcious for over 3 minutes.

[Ron N Deb]

Here's my advice.  But since it's coming from me then it's to be taken with me then you will want to completely disregard most of it.  But here it goes anyway:

1.  No walruses.

B.  Decide if you want to camp very primitively (not close to the bathrooms but not a lot of people walking by), or if you want to camp closer to bathrooms but away from "the action" or if you want to camp near the action.  When I say "action" I refer to all-night pickin' and partyin' and/or being able to hear the actual festival music during the day.

3.  Arrive way early and give yourself time to relax and enjoy.

4.  Bring bacon.  Seriously. 

5.  If a Hispanic guy with a pony tail wearing a thong offers to let you use his private shower it's actually quite safe....but only in Town Park.

VI. Earplugs for kids (and you) to help you sleep through the noise if you actually want to sleep.

27.  The goose is a bit gassy.

6.02x10^23 The campground is completely rearranged after dark, so don't assume you can find anything at night just because you could find it during the day.

Hooch your Killing me .....Much Love from us !

[Auntie Hope]

Welcome to the Town Park Family! 
As you've gathered from the forum, there are indeed many camps within Town Park, established over the years, some ancient, some relatively new...
As a TP camper, you are under no obligation to camp with one of the historical camps, the fun is open to anyone who wants to join in! Most regulars will welcome you with open arms and initiate you to the TP traditions: a lot goes on, a lot of food is cooked, a lot of instruments are picked, and there's always room for more! When we get closer to the festi-dates, you'll see a schedule of prefest events posted on the board, that will give you an idea of how keen TP is to kick off TBF in style!
Now, my advice is: stick to the forum, get to know everyone. They'll be delighted to answer your questions, give you some useful tips, rub you up the wrong way...   
Your essentials during your TP stay: a big smile, a festi-attitude and willingness to make new friends!
Enjoy! 

A. Lalagay's first year was last year.

B. She's makes an Auntie very proud.

C. Hooch's line about things being re-arranged after dark is very true. Don't get caught after sundown without a flashlight of some sort or another. It will hurt and leave a scar!

D. Welcome to the madness!

F. Well, "F" is always for FESTIVVVAAALLL!!!

Auntie Hope 

[Ron N Deb]

The Tears in LalaGays eyes and hug when when we were Loading out will haunt me Forever l
The perfect moment for me last year ...
 

[Auntie Hope]

The Tears in LalaGays eyes and hug when when we were Loading out will haunt me Forever l
The perfect moment for me last year ...
 

Blythe and I almost had to pick Lalagay up off the ground right before she met Bela Fleck for the first time. Gosh I love newbies! 

 Listening to: Bill Moyes on NPT

[lalagay]

Will you stop it! You're gonna get me crying in a minute...
I love you guys! 

[Ron N Deb]

and we Love You !
 

[Mongo]

Another newbie here. Are campfires allowed ?

[landshark]

No fires in TP, sorry. Welcome festifriend

[Cindy Lou]

Another newbie here. Are campfires allowed ?

No actual wood fires allowed, but you can have a propane-fueled "firepit" or a gas log fireplace.  Fishbone had a very nice fireplace last year, and I thank them for that cuz it allowed me to warm up while cruising around late at night.  Steamboat Crossroads has nice gas campfire, and many of the picking tents have the large outdoor heaters that are fueled by 20# or larger propane canisters. 

[Mongo]

Thanks folks, that spares me hauling a ton of wood up there   

Now to rig up a gas firepit.....

[stongwrcs]

Is this the Mongo that punches out horses?  If so, showing your age.   Is Mongo in TP? 
If so, all the main picking camps have heating sources to help out the pickers and folks coming to listen to all the great talent. It does get quite cold in the evenings, so come prepared. When the sun drops, I head straight to our camp and start layering.
We take a couple of 20 gallon tanks with heaters for when we are in camp and sitting around having a couple of cocktails.    Most of the time we are out and about hitting the main picking camps.
Hope this helps a little, Mr. Mongo! 
By the way, if in TP, Don't miss all the prefest parties and your requests will be filled at the Jailhouse Breakfast! 
Our camp is open to all, just watch out for the goose, he's a little gassy.

 Listening to: State of the Union?

[Ramblinonyonder]

What time should a noob like myself show up to TP to get a halfway decent camping spot. At what point is there pretty much nowhere good to camp? Or does this even happen?

[itsRick]

08:00 Saturday before festival is when they open up the preserve, your best bet is to be there by that time. good spots are still available after that however by Wednesday morning, pickings will be thin.