Yep, it's getting closer to winter, and to occupy myself, I decided to create a GrassRoots Festival Pandora radio station. For those who don't know about Pandora, it takes a list of artists which you provide, and recommends songs and artists that share characteristics with those artists. GrassRoots is pretty diverse, so the Pandora station that I created is, as well. I "seeded" the station with artists who've played at GrassRoots (plus a few who haven't, but who have "GrassRootsy" qualities - Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, those sorts of folks). Have a listen for awhile and tell us what you think!
Click here: GrassRoots Festival Pandora Station
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Recovered! (Sort of)
Well, it happened! It was an absolutely fantastic year, filled with ridiculous amounts of fun. I have a few funny stories - MC Lars helped me spread a couple of bales of straw in tent camping on Thursday; on Friday, I got to hold The Cat Empire's VCR (named Fisher), I ate the Firemen's Chicken Barbeque about 17 times because it was so delicious, and so on. What I really want to hear now, though, are YOUR stories! Who were your favorite bands? Did you meet any new friends? Fall in love? We want to know! Send stories to me at megan@grassrootsfest.org, and I'll post them here (I reserve the right to edit them). Pictures are cool, too... show us what you've got!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Festival Starting Soon...
... and we're pretty much ready. When I say "pretty much", I mean that we've pretty much done all we can do at this point. There are a few more papers to type, a few more envelopes to stuff, and a few more confirmations to deal with, but mostly, we're ready to rock.
The dance tent is up and ready. Will-Call envelopes are stuffed. The bands are advanced, the infield is painted and marked out, the water tanks at offsite are full, the bathrooms and showers are clean, the lights are hung, the portas are full of blue stuff, the wristbands are counted and prepped, the credit card machines are programmed, the press list is made, the volunteers are scheduled, the snow fence is up... and so on, and so forth.
Looks like we're gonna have a festival, folks, so get ready....
The dance tent is up and ready. Will-Call envelopes are stuffed. The bands are advanced, the infield is painted and marked out, the water tanks at offsite are full, the bathrooms and showers are clean, the lights are hung, the portas are full of blue stuff, the wristbands are counted and prepped, the credit card machines are programmed, the press list is made, the volunteers are scheduled, the snow fence is up... and so on, and so forth.
Looks like we're gonna have a festival, folks, so get ready....
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Buy Your Tickets at OUTLETS Now.
Hey all,
It takes us a few days to process ticket orders in our office - getting your info into our database, getting a will-call envelope made up for you, etc. - so we always close down phone and web orders about a week before the festival to give us enough time to deal with them (and do everything else we need to do).
So that means no more web or phone orders at this point for this year.
HOWEVER, we have tickets available at the pre-sale price of $85 through the Wednesday before the festival at our OUTLETS... bring cash or a check, though, they don't take credit cards.
You can see a list of our outlets here.
Get 'em while they're hot, kids!
It takes us a few days to process ticket orders in our office - getting your info into our database, getting a will-call envelope made up for you, etc. - so we always close down phone and web orders about a week before the festival to give us enough time to deal with them (and do everything else we need to do).
So that means no more web or phone orders at this point for this year.
HOWEVER, we have tickets available at the pre-sale price of $85 through the Wednesday before the festival at our OUTLETS... bring cash or a check, though, they don't take credit cards.
You can see a list of our outlets here.
Get 'em while they're hot, kids!
Sunday, July 1, 2007
More Offsite Camping Questions
Got an email today from an old friend of the festival, and he asks several very common questions about offsite camping, so I thought I'd just rock some Q&A here:
I won't be arriving until late Friday afternoon; is it likely that I can still get a site in the offsite camping area?
The super-sweet spots are all going to be taken up on Thursday, but we predict that there will still be plenty of perfectly pleasant camping left by Friday. We cannot, of course, promise anything - it's first-come, first-serve until it's gone, but as we've never run out before, we don't anticipate any problems.
Do we park our cars at our sites or leave them in the lot and haul our stuff back to our site?
You are allowed to do either. We ask that if you plan on doing a lot of driving in and out that you park your car in the parking lot - we prefer that people keep driving to a minimum in the campground area. A run to the grocery store is fine, but 5 trips in and out per day is pushing it, y'know?
Is the price still $40 even if we are using the site only for Friday and Saturday nights?
Yes.
What time do we have to be out Sun night?
Within a reasonable hour or two after the music ends at the main site. Please do not drive home if you are not able to do so safely (even if you are just feeling too tired); let one of our staffers or volunteers know what's going on and we'll help you figure something out... we do pride ourselves on our MacGyver-esque problem-solving skills.
Give a shout if you have any further questions about anything else, y'all!
I won't be arriving until late Friday afternoon; is it likely that I can still get a site in the offsite camping area?
The super-sweet spots are all going to be taken up on Thursday, but we predict that there will still be plenty of perfectly pleasant camping left by Friday. We cannot, of course, promise anything - it's first-come, first-serve until it's gone, but as we've never run out before, we don't anticipate any problems.
Do we park our cars at our sites or leave them in the lot and haul our stuff back to our site?
You are allowed to do either. We ask that if you plan on doing a lot of driving in and out that you park your car in the parking lot - we prefer that people keep driving to a minimum in the campground area. A run to the grocery store is fine, but 5 trips in and out per day is pushing it, y'know?
Is the price still $40 even if we are using the site only for Friday and Saturday nights?
Yes.
What time do we have to be out Sun night?
Within a reasonable hour or two after the music ends at the main site. Please do not drive home if you are not able to do so safely (even if you are just feeling too tired); let one of our staffers or volunteers know what's going on and we'll help you figure something out... we do pride ourselves on our MacGyver-esque problem-solving skills.
Give a shout if you have any further questions about anything else, y'all!
The Drum Circle
Okay, a lot of people have been asking what the deal is with the drum circle for 2007. The staff and board of directors of the festival have decided, after much careful deliberation, that there will not be an official drum circle/drum dome at the festival.
There are many, many valid and reasonable arguments on both sides of the issue, some obvious and some less so, but after weighing all of them at length, it was decided that this decision will make the most people the happiest.
A few questions have come up regarding this decision, the most pressing of which is "Am I still allowed to drum, and if so, where?" The answer is yes, absolutely! For starters, there will be some semi-organized drumming at the drum sales booth in the craft area at the festival. We also always encourage jam sessions, pickin' and grinnin', and other homemade musical campsite activities. We just request that if your neighboring campsite asks you to quiet down or take it elsewhere, you respect their wishes.
Feel free to ask any more questions that you might have about this issue - we know it's a tough one, but we're just trying to make the best possible situation for as many people as possible.
Currently Listening: Vieux Farka Touré
There are many, many valid and reasonable arguments on both sides of the issue, some obvious and some less so, but after weighing all of them at length, it was decided that this decision will make the most people the happiest.
A few questions have come up regarding this decision, the most pressing of which is "Am I still allowed to drum, and if so, where?" The answer is yes, absolutely! For starters, there will be some semi-organized drumming at the drum sales booth in the craft area at the festival. We also always encourage jam sessions, pickin' and grinnin', and other homemade musical campsite activities. We just request that if your neighboring campsite asks you to quiet down or take it elsewhere, you respect their wishes.
Feel free to ask any more questions that you might have about this issue - we know it's a tough one, but we're just trying to make the best possible situation for as many people as possible.
Currently Listening: Vieux Farka Touré
Friday, June 29, 2007
MC Lars is Funny and Anti-Corporate
In case you weren't already aware, the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival is the largest self-sustaining arts festival in the country. That means no corporate sponsorship. While we certainly respect every other festival out there for doing what they need to do to keep on keepin' on, we like that we are able to get by without having corporations around who might just want to insist on having some artistic say-so.
So this year one of our new and exciting performers is a guy named MC Lars. He's a pioneer of "nerdcore", and he's become something of a cult hero. His songs put the ringer on all sorts of different stupid societal trends while still rocking out. Anyhow, Lars regularly makes video podcasts which are pretty hilarious, and his latest one is a bit of a cautionary tale about a band called Cartel, who are sponsored by Dr. Pepper. Watch it here:
We think, despite the fact that he performs a genre of music we've never presented before, that he'll fit right in. We wish his Mom was coming, too, because we are also fans of The Strand Bookstore (18 miles of books!) and we go every time we're in NY. By we, I mean me. 18 miles of books. I digress.
Lars also has a new DVD coming out, which you can order here.
Currently Listening - The Graduate - MC Lars
So this year one of our new and exciting performers is a guy named MC Lars. He's a pioneer of "nerdcore", and he's become something of a cult hero. His songs put the ringer on all sorts of different stupid societal trends while still rocking out. Anyhow, Lars regularly makes video podcasts which are pretty hilarious, and his latest one is a bit of a cautionary tale about a band called Cartel, who are sponsored by Dr. Pepper. Watch it here:
We think, despite the fact that he performs a genre of music we've never presented before, that he'll fit right in. We wish his Mom was coming, too, because we are also fans of The Strand Bookstore (18 miles of books!) and we go every time we're in NY. By we, I mean me. 18 miles of books. I digress.
Lars also has a new DVD coming out, which you can order here.
Currently Listening - The Graduate - MC Lars
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Offsite is Beautiful!
Okay, so I have been to the GrassRoots Festival offsite camping and parking area a number of times, but I've never really explored it. A couple of nights ago, instead of having our regular staff meeting in our 100 degree office, we decided to go out and have a look-see around offsite.
We're working on filling in the relatively massive divots and tire tracks created by last year's freakish rain, and it's getting much better. The field and woods are still in their natural state, not mowed or populated in any way. There are daisies and buttercups and phlox. There was also a tiny baby spotted deer (which I may have scared off when I yelled "Baby deer! Tiny deer! You guys! Look at the tiny baby deer! Look!") and there was also, um, a snake. I was assured that it was a harmless little garter snake, but I don't believe in harmless snakes.
Apparently when you leave the office and enter the outside world, you see things like deer and snakes and daisies. This information was not shocking to anyone else, but whatever.
We traipsed through the woods with our fearless guide Jason (offsite crew chief extraordinaire) and looked at the camping back there. It's really, really nice. Surprisingly flat and very quiet and cool (in the literal and figurative senses).
Our offsite property bumps up against State Park property, and if you amble through that a bit, you reach Taughannock Creek, a favorite, though not exactly legal, swimming spot for locals. Now, it's very much swim-at-your-own-risk. The slate and shale rocks that line the creek become incredibly slippery (swimming alone is seriously dumb, if you slip and hit your head - ugh - just don't ever, ever swim alone out there, ok?) but if you're careful, the swimming holes are really lovely... warm and refreshing and very clean. The Park Police fine people who are caught swimming in the creek, and last I heard, the fine was $100-ish. So if you choose to swim, consider yourself forewarned.
Basically, it's a lovely, lovely place to camp and I was so glad to really get to explore it. Especially since the only other option was boring old staff meeting in the stuffy office. :)
We're working on filling in the relatively massive divots and tire tracks created by last year's freakish rain, and it's getting much better. The field and woods are still in their natural state, not mowed or populated in any way. There are daisies and buttercups and phlox. There was also a tiny baby spotted deer (which I may have scared off when I yelled "Baby deer! Tiny deer! You guys! Look at the tiny baby deer! Look!") and there was also, um, a snake. I was assured that it was a harmless little garter snake, but I don't believe in harmless snakes.
Apparently when you leave the office and enter the outside world, you see things like deer and snakes and daisies. This information was not shocking to anyone else, but whatever.
We traipsed through the woods with our fearless guide Jason (offsite crew chief extraordinaire) and looked at the camping back there. It's really, really nice. Surprisingly flat and very quiet and cool (in the literal and figurative senses).
Our offsite property bumps up against State Park property, and if you amble through that a bit, you reach Taughannock Creek, a favorite, though not exactly legal, swimming spot for locals. Now, it's very much swim-at-your-own-risk. The slate and shale rocks that line the creek become incredibly slippery (swimming alone is seriously dumb, if you slip and hit your head - ugh - just don't ever, ever swim alone out there, ok?) but if you're careful, the swimming holes are really lovely... warm and refreshing and very clean. The Park Police fine people who are caught swimming in the creek, and last I heard, the fine was $100-ish. So if you choose to swim, consider yourself forewarned.
Basically, it's a lovely, lovely place to camp and I was so glad to really get to explore it. Especially since the only other option was boring old staff meeting in the stuffy office. :)
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Volunteers Office Up and Running!
Well, we've got two new volunteer coordinators this year, both of whom have worked a lot with the GrassRoots organization in the past. Ms. Keli Carlson (our Cabaret Hall crew chief) and Ms. Michelle Wright (the volunteer coordinator for Shakori Hills) are heading up that massive project. GrassRoots has well over 1,000 volunteers these days, and we're always in need of more. Get in touch with them either through the volunteer page of the GrassRoots website or by calling the brand spankin' new volunteer phone number: 607-387-4388 (it's best to go through the website first).
Currently Listening To: Arrested Development - Greatest Hits
Currently Listening To: Arrested Development - Greatest Hits
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Walter Mouton and the Scott Playboys
We've been talking to Walter Mouton on the phone a few times in the last week, squaring away arrangements, and he's always one of our favorite guys to talk with. Walter Mouton and the Scott Playboys are a GrassRoots mainstay. They're an authentic Cajun band from Southwestern Louisiana who will be joining us for the (I believe) 16th time this year. Last year was a sad year for the band, as their longtime fiddle player, Mr. U.J. Meaux, passed away just a couple of weeks before the festival. They played anyway, with Kevin Wimmer of the Red Stick Ramblers sitting in on fiddle, and it was particularly special.
Mr. Walter (as he's called) is considered one of the finest accordion players in Southwest Louisiana. He's a real musician's musician, and if you go to La Poussiere, a club in Breaux Bridge where Walter has been playing Saturday night dances nearly every week for 30 years, you'll often see well-known accordion players sitting near the front, watching every move that Mr. Walter makes.
For a number of reasons, all of which I'm sure he'd be glad to explain to you if you ask, Mr. Walter has never really recorded any CDs. A couple of live tracks appear on the soundtrack
to the amazing documentary on Louisiana music, J'Ai Ete au Bal
.
He's a really fascinating guy, and his band are the sweetest bunch... catch them if you get a chance - they're the real deal!
Mr. Walter (as he's called) is considered one of the finest accordion players in Southwest Louisiana. He's a real musician's musician, and if you go to La Poussiere, a club in Breaux Bridge where Walter has been playing Saturday night dances nearly every week for 30 years, you'll often see well-known accordion players sitting near the front, watching every move that Mr. Walter makes.
For a number of reasons, all of which I'm sure he'd be glad to explain to you if you ask, Mr. Walter has never really recorded any CDs. A couple of live tracks appear on the soundtrack
to the amazing documentary on Louisiana music, J'Ai Ete au Bal.He's a really fascinating guy, and his band are the sweetest bunch... catch them if you get a chance - they're the real deal!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Haha... Found a Video.
A video of the Avett Brothers on Conan has been found! Excellent! I can stop obsessing now and get back to work.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
The Avett Brothers on Conan - Sorry, No Video
All right, so there was a YouTube Video of the Avett Brothers' Conan O'Brien appearance for about 12 seconds, but apparently NBC likes to own things, so it's been removed. Copyright violations are bad, I know, but it was still cool, and I still wanted to share it with those who missed it.
If you didn't happen to stay up that night, here's a quick recap: The Avett Brothers played "Paranoia in B Flat Major", which comes from their new (and unbelievably good) record, "Emotionalism
", which you need to get if you haven't yet. It's not a screamer, it's an edgy but pretty ballad that gives lots of good singing time to both Scott and Seth. The real surprise was their look: they were not vaguely frightening suit-clad mountain men, but rather clean-cut, coiffed hipsters. Really, really cute ones.
We're psyched to say "we know them when...", and even more psyched that even though they're becoming big ol' stars, they're still happy to play at little ol' GrassRoots.
If you didn't happen to stay up that night, here's a quick recap: The Avett Brothers played "Paranoia in B Flat Major", which comes from their new (and unbelievably good) record, "Emotionalism
", which you need to get if you haven't yet. It's not a screamer, it's an edgy but pretty ballad that gives lots of good singing time to both Scott and Seth. The real surprise was their look: they were not vaguely frightening suit-clad mountain men, but rather clean-cut, coiffed hipsters. Really, really cute ones.We're psyched to say "we know them when...", and even more psyched that even though they're becoming big ol' stars, they're still happy to play at little ol' GrassRoots.
Friday, May 11, 2007
The Avett Brothers on Conan O'Brien TONIGHT!
Yeah, so it's been a good week for GrassRoots Festival bands on late-night television. The Cat Empire on Jay Leno on Monday, and now the Avett Brothers on Conan O'Brien tonight.
I'm sick as a dog and don't feel like blogging anymore (it's finally summer, and I come down with the flu. Perfect.) but I promise that I will post a YouTube clip of the Avett Brothers' performance if I find one.
I'm sick as a dog and don't feel like blogging anymore (it's finally summer, and I come down with the flu. Perfect.) but I promise that I will post a YouTube clip of the Avett Brothers' performance if I find one.
Monday, May 7, 2007
The Cat Empire on Jay Leno TONIGHT!
Awesome, right? The Cat Empire, who we're reeeeally looking forward to having at GrassRoots this summer, are going to be on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno tonight. Mike Myers is also on the show, so... well... Party on! Excellent!
We're not sure what song they'll be performing, but I'm really hoping it's "Sly", because I'm pretty sure that song is about me. The first part of the lyrics go:
"With frizzy hair
Was a metaphor
Festival time
Then this woman
Is a goddess on that festival shrine"
Okay, yeah, I know that I've never met the Cat Empire or seen them in person, but frizzy hair and festival goddess? It's gotta be about me. Okay, maybe I'm not the only curly-haired festival attendee that ever existed, but a girl can dream, right?
In any case, their CD is called "Two Shoes
" and we highly recommend it.
If you miss the Tonight Show, check back here; I bet there'll be a YouTube video of it which I'll try to post if I find it.
We're not sure what song they'll be performing, but I'm really hoping it's "Sly", because I'm pretty sure that song is about me. The first part of the lyrics go:
"With frizzy hair
Was a metaphor
Festival time
Then this woman
Is a goddess on that festival shrine"
Okay, yeah, I know that I've never met the Cat Empire or seen them in person, but frizzy hair and festival goddess? It's gotta be about me. Okay, maybe I'm not the only curly-haired festival attendee that ever existed, but a girl can dream, right?
In any case, their CD is called "Two Shoes
" and we highly recommend it.If you miss the Tonight Show, check back here; I bet there'll be a YouTube video of it which I'll try to post if I find it.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Pets at GrassRoots
So, we have a hard-and-fast rule about pets at GrassRoots - they're not allowed. Yes, we love puppies and kittens and all of our furry friends (except tarantulas... *shudder*), but we feel that GrassRoots is just not the place for them to be.
Many people who travel to the festival from far away choose to keep Fido and Fluffy at Trumansburg-area kennels instead of a kennel back home, simply so that they can stop in and visit a couple of times over the weekend.
So here are some kennels in the Trumansburg/Ithaca area... locals, please feel free to chime in with a comment at the bottom if you have any specific info/reviews/recommendations:
The Bed and Biscuit - 607.277.2126 (10 mi.)
Highland Farms Boarding Kennel - 607.273.3251 (20 mi.)
Ithaca Animal Care and Luxury Pet Resort - 607.275.9240 (15 mi.)
Canine Comfort - 607.273.4342 (20 mi.)
You can also always google an Ithaca-area veterinarian and ask for their recommendation.
Currently Listening To: The Cat Empire: Two Shoes
Many people who travel to the festival from far away choose to keep Fido and Fluffy at Trumansburg-area kennels instead of a kennel back home, simply so that they can stop in and visit a couple of times over the weekend.
So here are some kennels in the Trumansburg/Ithaca area... locals, please feel free to chime in with a comment at the bottom if you have any specific info/reviews/recommendations:
The Bed and Biscuit - 607.277.2126 (10 mi.)
Highland Farms Boarding Kennel - 607.273.3251 (20 mi.)
Ithaca Animal Care and Luxury Pet Resort - 607.275.9240 (15 mi.)
Canine Comfort - 607.273.4342 (20 mi.)
You can also always google an Ithaca-area veterinarian and ask for their recommendation.
Currently Listening To: The Cat Empire: Two Shoes
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Band List Announced, Early Bird Ticket Sales Closed
Hey all!
Well, we've announced our band list (read it here) and we're (ahem) pretty darn proud of it, if we do say so ourselves. It's eclectic as all get-out, representing pretty close to every genre of music that exists. There's already good-natured in-fighting among the office staff, deciding who has to work during which band's festival set.
We've also closed our early bird ticket sales, which actually means that a nice "calm before the storm" period has set in (most people buy their tickets either before the EB deadline or well into the regular advance ticket pricing period); we're doing stuff like getting the program together, sending out press releases, coming up with radio ads, etc. These nice, low-stress tasks conveniently coincide with the first really solid streaks of warm weather and sunshine, so it works out well.
So, leave us a comment and tell us which bands you're most stoked to see!
Well, we've announced our band list (read it here) and we're (ahem) pretty darn proud of it, if we do say so ourselves. It's eclectic as all get-out, representing pretty close to every genre of music that exists. There's already good-natured in-fighting among the office staff, deciding who has to work during which band's festival set.
We've also closed our early bird ticket sales, which actually means that a nice "calm before the storm" period has set in (most people buy their tickets either before the EB deadline or well into the regular advance ticket pricing period); we're doing stuff like getting the program together, sending out press releases, coming up with radio ads, etc. These nice, low-stress tasks conveniently coincide with the first really solid streaks of warm weather and sunshine, so it works out well.
So, leave us a comment and tell us which bands you're most stoked to see!
Monday, April 23, 2007
Camping Questions
The most common questions we get in the office are regarding camping. We sell camping by site (NOT as a ticket-inclusion) because the Trumansburg Fairgrounds has limited onsite space. Selling by site allows us to keep better track of how much onsite space is and will be used for camping. So that's the "why"... here's the "how".
There are 3 camping options available through GrassRoots itself (this doesn't count local campgrounds or festival neighbors selling space in their backyards). There is onsite vehicle camping, onsite tent camping, and offsite camping.
Onsite Vehicle Camping - This is sold out for 2007. It sold out in March this year because, due to new health department regulations, we had fewer spots to sell. A vehicle camping ticket gets the ticketholder either one car and one tent OR one RV/bus/large van. Only four people are allowed per site. Vehicle campers enter through the back gate (Rabbit Run Road) and the sites are located in the infield and behind the track. New: Extra tent tickets can be purchased to go along with the vehicle camping sites. They are specifically assigned to your site; you must have a vehicle camping pass in order to buy them. Price: $95, plus $40 for an additional tent
Onsite Tent Camping - These are still available for 2007. A tent camping ticket gets the ticketholder one tent sticker. Four people maximum are allowed per tent. Tent camping is in the wooded area behind the Cabaret Hall and the craft vendors. Tent camping ticket holders enter through the front gate. They can either pull their car into the small load-in area next to the front gate and unload their stuff, leaving someone with it while the other person goes and parks the car OR they can park their car at the off-site parking lot and just haul everything over to the site in one fell swoop. Price: $40
Offsite Camping - This is the best option for people who really want to spread out, or who want quiet camping. This campsite is located on Agard Road (about a mile from the festival site) and is serviced nonstop by a shuttle bus that runs back and forth from the festival. An offsite camping ticket gets you a car and two tents, with a reasonable amount of space, your choice between wooded land or flat land, etc. Price: $40, only for sale on the day of the event at the offsite area.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:
Currently Listening: The Best of Memphis Minnie
There are 3 camping options available through GrassRoots itself (this doesn't count local campgrounds or festival neighbors selling space in their backyards). There is onsite vehicle camping, onsite tent camping, and offsite camping.
Onsite Vehicle Camping - This is sold out for 2007. It sold out in March this year because, due to new health department regulations, we had fewer spots to sell. A vehicle camping ticket gets the ticketholder either one car and one tent OR one RV/bus/large van. Only four people are allowed per site. Vehicle campers enter through the back gate (Rabbit Run Road) and the sites are located in the infield and behind the track. New: Extra tent tickets can be purchased to go along with the vehicle camping sites. They are specifically assigned to your site; you must have a vehicle camping pass in order to buy them. Price: $95, plus $40 for an additional tent
Onsite Tent Camping - These are still available for 2007. A tent camping ticket gets the ticketholder one tent sticker. Four people maximum are allowed per tent. Tent camping is in the wooded area behind the Cabaret Hall and the craft vendors. Tent camping ticket holders enter through the front gate. They can either pull their car into the small load-in area next to the front gate and unload their stuff, leaving someone with it while the other person goes and parks the car OR they can park their car at the off-site parking lot and just haul everything over to the site in one fell swoop. Price: $40
Offsite Camping - This is the best option for people who really want to spread out, or who want quiet camping. This campsite is located on Agard Road (about a mile from the festival site) and is serviced nonstop by a shuttle bus that runs back and forth from the festival. An offsite camping ticket gets you a car and two tents, with a reasonable amount of space, your choice between wooded land or flat land, etc. Price: $40, only for sale on the day of the event at the offsite area.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:
- All of our campsites are primitive. No plug-ins, no electricity, etc. We generally do not allow people to run generators, either, as they are quite noisy... if your neighbors complain, we will ask you to turn it off. There are showers available on-site; we recommend camp showers (the Coleman
ones are decent - just make sure you use earth-friendly soap and shampoo) if you are camping offsite.
- Onsite camping is noisy. The stages run well into the wee hours, if you can't sleep through music, onsite camping is not for you. If you like to be right in the thick of it, though, it's definitely the place to be.
- There is potable water available both onsite and offsite, so if you'd like to bring some containers, you can fill them up. You also might consider buying some jugs of water to bring with you, or even just fill up your container at home... this will save you the time of waiting in line.
- No fires! On wet years, we'll sometimes make some designated fire pits at offsite, far away from tents, but generally, no fires. None. You can have a well-controlled hibachi grill or a Coleman camp stove, but be smart and have some sort of fire-put-out-er substance available (an extinguisher for gas, water for flame) if you decide to cook your own food. If we catch you lighting a bonfire, we will not only extinguish the flames, but we will confiscate all of your marshmallows and graham crackers and proceed to eat them in front of you while making obnoxious noises of delight. This will make you very sad, you really don't want it to happen.
Currently Listening: The Best of Memphis Minnie
State of the Union
Well, I didn't make it down to Shakori, and apparently the lack of the "Megan Bad Weather Karma" worked like a charm... it was sunny and mid-70s all weekend! Ain't no joke, folks... this is the best weather Shakori has ever had, and sunshine surely makes a difference. Apparently, nearly a Brazillion people showed up. This is lovely and wonderful and everything, but it of course means that unless I am able to change my weather karma, I'm never allowed to go to Shakori again. Any ideas on how I can do this? Burn sage and twirl? Please, folks, I need help... I really want to go back.
Planning for the Trumansburg festival is going well. We're a week and a couple of days away from the end of the Early Bird Deadline. We're also a week and a couple of days away from announcing the band list, which means that I am going to be very busy very soon, sending out press releases and making sure that you GrassRoots Blog readers are not the only ones who've heard of the festival.
While we can't tell you the names of any bands yet, if you dig around MySpace a little bit, you'll discover us on several different tour schedules. It's like a treasure hunt. What I can tell you, though, is that I like making lists of things, and this morning, I made a list of where our musicians are coming from this year. I'm not telling you names, but there will be 15 countries (5 continents!) represented among our performing artists. Also, thus far, people have purchased tickets from 28 states and 2 Canadian provinces. We love the idea that so many people from so many places converge upon TinyTown T-burg every summer, all coming together simply to have fun and make music. It's big. It's cool. It's really, really fun.
FYI, this blog is comment-able... feel free to leave one at any time.
Currently listening to: John Brown's Body - Pressure Points
Planning for the Trumansburg festival is going well. We're a week and a couple of days away from the end of the Early Bird Deadline. We're also a week and a couple of days away from announcing the band list, which means that I am going to be very busy very soon, sending out press releases and making sure that you GrassRoots Blog readers are not the only ones who've heard of the festival.
While we can't tell you the names of any bands yet, if you dig around MySpace a little bit, you'll discover us on several different tour schedules. It's like a treasure hunt. What I can tell you, though, is that I like making lists of things, and this morning, I made a list of where our musicians are coming from this year. I'm not telling you names, but there will be 15 countries (5 continents!) represented among our performing artists. Also, thus far, people have purchased tickets from 28 states and 2 Canadian provinces. We love the idea that so many people from so many places converge upon TinyTown T-burg every summer, all coming together simply to have fun and make music. It's big. It's cool. It's really, really fun.
FYI, this blog is comment-able... feel free to leave one at any time.
Currently listening to: John Brown's Body - Pressure Points
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Welcome to the GrassRoots Festival Blog!
Howdy, folks!
Welcome to the GrassRoots Festival Blog. We're starting this blog as a way to answer questions, provide information, and give a space for feedback in an open, public way. My name is Megan Romer and I'm the marketing director for GrassRoots, and I'll be your primary blogger.
Today is April 19th. It's the first day of the Spring Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival. I didn't get to make it down there for this festival, but I'm thinking this might be a good thing... every time I attend Shakori, there's a massive rainstorm and/or painfully cold weather. I appear to have some seriously wicked bad weather karma, and, thus far, it looks like my staying away is working... the weather report is FANTASTIC... sunny and warm every single day. Knock on wood! It's bittersweet to know that the sun is shining and I'm not there, but I'm willing to take one for the team. :)
We're also less than two weeks away from the end of our early bird ticket deadline - the last day to buy tickets at the discounted rate of $65 is May 1st.
May 1st is also the day we will be announcing our band list, so stay tuned for that! We've got some seriously exciting surprises up our sleeve.
More to come soon... please feel free to shoot general questions my way at megan-AT-grassrootsfest-DOT-org, and I'll be happy to answer them to the best of my ability.
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: Jennie Stearns - Sing Desire
Welcome to the GrassRoots Festival Blog. We're starting this blog as a way to answer questions, provide information, and give a space for feedback in an open, public way. My name is Megan Romer and I'm the marketing director for GrassRoots, and I'll be your primary blogger.
Today is April 19th. It's the first day of the Spring Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival. I didn't get to make it down there for this festival, but I'm thinking this might be a good thing... every time I attend Shakori, there's a massive rainstorm and/or painfully cold weather. I appear to have some seriously wicked bad weather karma, and, thus far, it looks like my staying away is working... the weather report is FANTASTIC... sunny and warm every single day. Knock on wood! It's bittersweet to know that the sun is shining and I'm not there, but I'm willing to take one for the team. :)
We're also less than two weeks away from the end of our early bird ticket deadline - the last day to buy tickets at the discounted rate of $65 is May 1st.
May 1st is also the day we will be announcing our band list, so stay tuned for that! We've got some seriously exciting surprises up our sleeve.
More to come soon... please feel free to shoot general questions my way at megan-AT-grassrootsfest-DOT-org, and I'll be happy to answer them to the best of my ability.
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: Jennie Stearns - Sing Desire
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