Philly Folk Fest

Anyone planning to attend the philly folk fest? We are considering it. Some of the people we met at FR are going. Anyone ever gone to Philly? If so what did you think of it? How does it compare to FR?

Huge difference from FRFF.� I have been going for about 6 yrs now.� Space is severely limited so you'd have to either know someone getting there early or go Thurs morning for the land rush.� They've been better recently about not letting the volunteers steal all the space.� It's also a lot more strict about their rules.� You should check out the website to see what's up with them.� They are a bit more uptight than FRFF but with good reason as they tend to attract more rowdy people (probably b/c of proximity to various cities).

It's a lot of fun and it seems like there will be some interesting acts this year.� I'm somewhat dissapointed that none of my fav performers will be there, but there's enough "good" music to keep me occupied.

There are great aspects to each festival.� I think a lot of times the experience is made not by the music line up (though that helps) but by the people you surround yourself with.

Feel free to Frum me with any questions. :)

Hope this doesn't happen to Falcon Ridge...

Support your Festival (like a true "Friend".) Here is what you get:

Convenient reserved parking near the gate on either the concert or camping side. Reserved seats in the front rows for afternoon and evening Martin Stage concerts. Access to the Backstage Hospitality area. Tour of stage area and the opportunity to view a performance from the stage (as available.) Select "meet and greets" with performers. A special commemorative Festival T-shirt. Better restrooms! Recognition in the Festival Program Book All for a price of $150 extra on TOP of the regular festival ticket.� So you'll end up spending about $270 per ticket to camp and get all of the perks.� Wow, and I thought Woodstock '99 was an expensive ticket. So, would it be worth all that extra money to save yourself from tarp runs, porta-potties, and long walks to your parked car?� Not to mention accessibility to the performers that you already get for free at Falcon Ridge?

if i go, i'll -hafta- volunteer because i spent WAYYYY too much $$ at FRFF even -though- i volunteered.{and i only bought -3- CDs.� please, people....don't allow me to go spend-crazy next year again}

my only problem being the tent needage -and- the fact that i have to work 9:30-8pm on friday night, so i don't know how my volunteering thing would work.

if i am able to get in touch with any of my front porch pals and coordinate camping with them, then i am pondering it.� coz i can probably go up some night to set up the proverbial non-existent tent. and of course, figuring out the working volunteer shifts and such.

but i *heart* emmylou.� and i'd love to hang with my site crew pals again.� it's just a matter of getting in touch with them....

oh, ew. are they trying to turn philly folk into some kind of lame sci-fi con?

It's not even saving the tarp run, it's like, real chairs in a roped of seating section.

John (SJ) is really excited about Emmylou.� I've never heard her before, but I trust his taste.

If you are thinking about volunteering, I'd do it soon b/c they fill up quick & I heard from inside sources that they are cutting down b/c of costs.

Emmylou is someone worth getting excited about. She's one of the absolute best singers.

yeah, but this is not -new- for philly folk; i remember they had the reserved seating and stuff 2 years ago when i merched it for the band.� do i think that philly is capitalizing needlessly on this stuff? yes.

but.

maybe it's worth it for some people who -physically- can't do tarp run{like older folkies who don't wanna get run down by people}, don't like a huge walk to their cars/etc......

we all know that falcon ridge is my fest of choice and i wish philly were more like it{though there are some things about philly that it would be -awesome- if FRFF could implement...}, but i don't think we should judge people who may have legit reasons for wanting to pay the extra moola for the reserved seating and bennies.

i'm just sayin'.

i filled out the volunteer form online today.

vee shall see.� and i'll worry about the tent thing when i know what's up.� =)

if i don't get approved, i won't go this year, but next year, maybe i can get an 'in' for pre-fest with my buddies since i won't have a cruise to figure into the vaca mix next year.....

well, at frff, people with mobility impairments have nice canopied "access areas" at the main and workshop stages, with volunteers who are probably the most helpful non-steve volunteers i've ever encountered. the week before frff, i had been at the chicago folk & roots fest, which is my favorite local festival and sponsored by my favorite local venue, and they were practically going out of their way to be inaccessible, so lord, did i appreciate everything that frff did--and for no extra cost or anything. to have to pay extra in order to enjoy a festival if you have a mobility impairment would definitely put me off the festival, whether i was impaired or not.

I couldn't agree more its the people you hang out with that make the festival. I don't think there could be a group as nice as the people we have met at FRFF the past 6 years.

I think they have some great acts at Philly this year-Tempest especially cause they don't tour much in the northeast.

If I understood the website correctly Philly does not have public showers which is kind of a drawback-but we are thinking of investing in a solar shower setup.

I doubt if we could get there before friday though.

So are the rumors true? Did you break your ankle so you could get good seats at FRFF?

yeah...but that's you.� not everyone who can't necessarily weather tarp runs{especially the crazy-ass 'do or die' one at philly folk} can count at 'handicapped' and use accessible areas, so maybe it's worth it to them.� *shrug*

i hear ya about fests not making provisions, though; i don't recall that appel farm even -has- an accessible area and i don't recall bridgeton having one, i'm sure clearwater does coz it's clearwater, but having not been there in 6 years, all i remember is mud, good friends, & the fr�-lads� :)

so -if- i get chosen for the volunteer thing, i have not to worry about a tent 'coz i'm seeing do-na-na in a few weeks for�robbie at jammin java{and possibly a nats game} and i can borrow her tent!!!!� woooot!!

OMG.

am i -actually- getting excited about philly folk???!!!�� who -AM-i???� and what have i done with......me????� *chuckle*

-clearly- the universe has shifted.� but i know it's more the people i'll see than the acts/fest stuff like you said.� hopefully it'll all work out.

i'll keep you posted{proly via email so as not to bother this forum� ;)}

�

I don't think the reason is to help with mobility.

BUT, with Philly, the ground is a lot less friendly than FRFF. It's hilly, rocky, and difficult to manage if you have any inparements. It's hard to explain, but there's a huge hill to get to the food, a hill to get to one of the other stages, the camping is not directly connected to the main stage, and so this ticket would not really help with mobility at all.

I think people don't realize that Philly is a non-profit fest and according to some people I've talked to, they are in desperate need of $. I'm not saying I like this new "pay $ and get all the freebies & stuff", but it's something they are trying to get some more $$s.

yah...philly is really MUCH more in need of a ski-lift than FRFF as far as getting around goes.

and the smell of the funnel cakes wafting down the hill is, like killer!!!!

heeh--mike said the other year 'i wish all of our gigs could be like this; down-wind of funnel cake!!!'

Y'know, every year one of us buys funnel cake. It's a funnel cake conspiracy!!! Intoxicating funnelfumes!

I just....

I will never get used to hearing "funnel cake" I don't think.

it just sounds too damned dirty.

:D
You weirdo southerners.

To quote blue laser, I JUST HATE YOU SOOOO MUCH!

If it was because they were in dire need of $$$, I can understand that.� But the regular tix are still pretty pricey...� Just too big of a festival for some people.

There are access areas at Clearwater.

Appel farm not only doesn't have accessible areas they are pretty much hostile to wheelchairs. I was there with Sab this year. When we asked about wheelchair access they told us we had to sit in the back since Sab's scooter would get in other people's way.

When it came time for Rufus to go on we got bold and decided to try again and to go up near the fence at the front. This time we ran into a volunteer with a RPP (Real People Personality) who totally understood and told Sab to get closer.

wow.

it's amazing to me how ignorant and hostile people can be to people with disabilities.

you would think since Appel Farm {and actually�seems like -every- fest except FRFF & Clearwater} who try to be all 'community-minded' and granola� could be that way.

if i were sab, i'd run over the cheeky bastards with my scooter� ;)�