Floydfest

A couple weeks ago we headed to Floydfest, an bluegrass/rock/folk music festival in Floyd, Virginia. We left around noon on a Wednesday, loaded up with camping gear, our radio flyer all terrain wagon, and comfy music festival clothes for all. Lane napped for the first couple hours of the trip and then woke up and played until we arrived in Mount Airy, North Carolina to the vintage Mayberry Motor Inn, a 50's style roadside motel in the town that Mayberry was based on. I'm not a big fan or anything, but there was a huge collection of Aunt Bea memorabilia.  Lane liked the grass, we liked the clean and comfortable small room. We got take out bbq and hunkered down for a quiet night before heading to Floyd in the morning. The new hotel criteria includes outdoor space that is close enough to the room that the baby monitor will work so that we can sit outside while little one sleeps. This has worked for us a couple times, and it came through again so that we had some pavilion alone time - just a little bit - but it makes us feel like people and not just parents when we can enjoy a beer at night under a pavilion.

Feeling rested, we headed out for Floyd. It was crisp and cool and green and we stopped for a breakfast sandwich at a fantastic diner/gas station where everyone was friendly, plus I think the man standing next to us placing his order was the real Santa Clause - so Lane got a chance to charm him.

 

'Driving' - no, the car wasn't moving

 

We arrived at the 'Alpha Lot' parking area with about a thousand other people around 10:00 in the morning and were guided to our grassy parking space nestled between two girls who were excited that we had a baby with us and a couple who had way more stuff than we did. Dave unloaded and packed the wagon while I backpacked Lane up to the gear check line. I found my way to the 'orange' line to save us a space and began to survey the crowd. There were lots and lots of families, lots of baby boomers, lots of college kids, a few old-timers and a few shirtless music festival junkies complete with hula hoops, body paint, ukuleles and glow sticks. By the time Dave got into line with us I had found a Mom to talk to there with her 18 year old son - she said music was the one thing they had in common still, which made a lot of sense. I noted that she looked fantastic, toned and firm and young. I figured she had her son when she was like 20, but later found out she was my age which made me feel like I'll still be cool when Lane is that age. The gear check line was long and it was hot. Lane fell asleep in her carrier and slept until after we checked out gear and were on the shuttle taking us to the festival site and I was glad. Following a new walker around who loves to look in bags and coolers would have been a little rough.

 

Helping

 

Staging

 

 

Riding Mommy

 

Riding Mommy while Mommy pulls the wagon in line

 

We arrived at the festival site with our gear around 1:30. The main entrance gives way to a bunch of little shops with crafts and art and tie dye and exhibits and the prime wooded camp area which we walked through thinking we might just settle in if we found a spot. We didn't find a spot. We kept walking. We made fun of people who were camping on a slope. We kept walking. We started to notice that much of the camping was on a slope. We kept walking. We started downhill. We realized that things were pretty crowded and that we better find a spot. We changed our standards. The spot we found was on a slope - a big one - but we set up our tent, changed clothes and tried not to think about how we were going to sleep. So we went to the beer tent next to the stage and let Lane run around while we relaxed and listened to music and we knew that this was going to be awesome.

 



Cruising the beer tent



 

After the beer tent we headed to Children's Universe to see what that was all about. It was fantastic. There was a stage in there with a great band, clean sand boxes with toys, a play ship to climb on, a nursing tent, dress up for the older kids and lots and lots of families. I saw one pregnant lady with FIVE other kids there! I felt like a lightweight. Lane loved the sand box and the other kids. Mommy and Daddy loved letting her run for a bit.

 

Our first big concert was the Lumineers. It was incredible. The stage the music, the people, the glowsticks. Lane decided that Dave should put her to sleep, so he had the sleeping baby with him (with her earmuffs) for most of the concert. I was okay with this.

 

Cool stage.

 

Daddy + baby + earmuffs

 

We headed back to the tent about midnight and settled in on the side of our own little mountain. Trying to sleep whilst sliding downhill proved difficult for Dave and I, Lane slept fine. Not sure if it was the crisp mountain air, the excitement of the day ahead or just plain old positive attitudes, but we headed out the next morning like we'd had a full night's sleep. Dave even went for a run in the morning. After an awesome local breakfast, some coffee and a little bit of music, we headed back to the booze tent for Lane's nap.

 

 

No sleep, no makeup but feeling happy!

 

After her nap, we went back to the tent and prepared for shower time. Showers were hot and clean and in wood outside stalls. The line was short and we felt refreshed. I hippied out with a flowered dress and a naked baby - brought everything but a diaper.

 

 

After our shower we headed to hear a smaller band and get a good place for an intimate concert and conversation at the Workshop Porch Stage with John Butler. He was fantastic, and our spot was worth the wait. Lane was a very good girl, dancing and playing with random objects from Dave's backpack. If you haven't listened to the John Butler Trio, I suggest you do.

 

 

 

After the concert, we went and met he and his band and got signatures from the band on Baby Lane's picture in the FloydFest program. Pretty cool.

 

 

After all that excitement it was time to eat again. We had grassfed burgers, or maybe it was the day we had these awesome stir fry vegan noodles - I can't remember - but all the food and local wine was incredible. After dinner we went back to the tent for a clothes change and to put Lane in her pj's and then back to a different stage to see Donavon Frankenreiter - another one of our favorites. This was by far my favorite stage and he put on a great show, and Lane went to sleep.

 

The stage is on the bottom right...not a bad sunset.

Chillin pre-concert

Listening to music with Daddy.

  

Sleeping with Mommy and glow sticks.





After that concert we headed over for the big (thousands of people) John Butler concert which was fantastic. Little one slept, we rocked out. Then it was time to sleep. Dave was going to head to a couple more good acts, but we were beat. It started raining when we got back to our tent. It rained all night. The tent leaked. We decided to go in the morning because we were on a slope with nowhere dry to sit and ride out a whole day of forecasted additional rain - and we had very few dry clothes. I put up an umbrella in the tent and managed to keep Lane and some clothes dry. Lane slept in her carrier while I packed some stuff out and took refuge in the nursing tent. Dave packed up the tent and wheeled the wagon out. We were one of the first shuttles out that morning, good thing because the mud in the parking lot was already so thick our Prius was sliding all over the place. We missed a couple more good concerts, but we had already gotten a lot of good music and happy memories out of Floydfest, so it was okay. We headed to Charlotte for the night, and then we headed home. We plan to go back again next year - better prepared for rain and knowing the routine - if the lineup is as good. Thanks Floydfest for an awesome festival and we'll see you next year!