Subject: Festival Photos – WVA aka Winfield
From:
JohnInKansas
Date: 21 Mar 04 - 11:46 AM
"Lin in Kansas" has gotten ambitious about "dressing up" our campsite at Winfield for coming years, and in the process has pulled out a bunch of her, and my, old photos. We're on a 30-day free trial with posting some of them at The Waterhole. We haven't quite decided whether we'll pay the $10/mo to keep them up after April 1, but it's under consideration.
(The "Waterhole" is the named picked by some of our camping buddies last year, to commemorate their acquisition of a new "pickin' parlor." Previously, we were called various things.)
Most of the guilty parties – i.e. those pictured – have been notified, and a note was posted in one obscure thread probably not seen by many. For those with just a "passing interest" in what the festival looks like, be advised:
1. There are way too many pictures.
2. Given that a lot of the "action" happens at night, and often on very short notice, there are far too many "bad" pictures. Especially shots of the "street stomps" often came back from film processing as "unexposed." While I did feel a little silly scanning the first few "black" pictures, application of extreme methods with scanner and photo editing brought some back to "ok for my memory book," but they probably shouldn't have been posted. (She didn't really ask which ones to post. snarl growl ...)
3. There aren't enough pics that show the music – simply because the "chief photographer" is usually playing when that goes on. So all you get is "camp life" stuff.
4. There are a few bad shots of "the world's greatest double-tub washtub double bass," but none that show details. Maybe later, if we keep the site.
5. There is a place to comment on pictures. Please be gentle, but especially if you can identify any of the stage acts, pop a note up. We think there might be a couple of performers we know, especially in the early years, but they were so much younger then….
There are a few pics from 1983, which was my first year there. Some of us went early, on Wednesday to get a good spot. The festival started the following day. We all "complained" about how crowded it was in the campground. All those tents. There were no musicians of any sort (at least none with instruments, unless you count Darla and her spoons) in our group that year.
I've missed 3 years since 1983 (1991-1993).
I brought Lin down from Seattle for her first year in 1994 (we tented that year). When she "made me" buy a popup to drag down, and refused to miss another, I got tired of the drive from Seattle and used it as an excuse to move her back to Kansas (1998).
Last year, I went down on August 23 and "got in line" by camping in the municipal park, so that I could move to the "lineup" on September 4, to be in line for a good spot in the "Landrush" on September 11 – when you got to try to get your good camp site and actually got to set up camp. The festival started a week later, on September 18, and was over on September 21. Now, it's getting crowded. And very few tents in the "core" parts of the campground, we're all in RVs. (And we used to think a day or two was "going early.")
Actually, I could probably have gone a week later and still been able to get very near to the spot we picked to camp; but we would not have been able to get one of the too few electrical hookups in the campground we've always used. We couldn't get our "traditional" spot if we came late enough to be "self-contained," but if we go early enough to need the hookup, we have to get in line a lot earlier than in the (far distant) past. Catch 22 or 23 or 997 or so…
Those not ancient enough to need a refrig for all the meds could probably get quite good spots if they're in the Landrush or come in very soon after. (Sept 11, or shortly after, last year). Shady (and dry when it rains) spots are scarce by several days before the official start of the festival, although there's always room for one more tent. Motels in the area – and "off site" RV parks within easy driving distance, are booked now for 2005 or after. A tent (or small camper) and a good cooler (or two) are your best options if you can't come for more than the few days of the fest. (Water and ice are easily available, but late arrivals may have to carry the water to their site.)
The website Lin has set up is just our "personal gang" stuff. Those who really want more of what the festival is like might want to look in on Don Shorock's Walnut Valley page. He's got sound clips posted of "what was happening" during his (mostly 2002) walkabouts. (Sounds like he caught our buddy Big John at the Rollin' R on a "nervous" day.) If you click on individual camp groups here, many of them have links to their own websites.
I suppose it should be noted that the "official" site for the whole thing is at WVA Festival. Not much there at present, since they're still showing last years schedule, but they promise to have a new one up if you "check back in 130 days." But that's only 44 days before the da… thing starts. I'll probably BE THERE by then..
John
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sj
