Yes. The Tarp thing again.

[NellyNell]

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.

[BAMcintosh]

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 

You are welcome on my tarp anytime.... im the one with the beard and a beer...

[HuckinFappy]

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

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 

Do Town Parkers feel they are entitled to the entire section in front of the diagonal walkway?

No.

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.

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.

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?

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!

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?

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.

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?

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

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.

"My Tarp is Blue, how 'bout you?"

[itsRick]

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?

[Cindy Lou]

Nicely said Rick.

[TellurideTom]

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.
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.

[NellyNell]

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.

 Listening to: The Pizza Tapes

[annpete]

Damn fine recovery... 

[Ling09]

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!

[Cindy Lou]

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. 

[Ling09]

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! 

[HuckinFappy]

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!!   

[landshark]

  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...

[NellyNell]

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.

[BillyBeru]

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.

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!