Time at festival vs. time spent at campgrounds?

[Hercules]

I've noticed much of the discussion lately is focused on the camping portion. Aside from folks who work there, how much time, percentage wise, do some of you spend at campgrounds and how much time is spent TRFing? 

Planning on being in festival grounds from opening cannon to closing fireworks. Will I miss anything? 

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

That's only 9 hours or so...  o' dark thirty is when everything gets going...

[Hercules]

So if i get my 8 hours of beauty sleep I'll miss everything?

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

pretty much.  stock up on red bull or monsters.

[Yrose]

Monster and vodka is a good thing!

[Rapier Half-Wit]

Faire grounds are great, a significant part of the fun, but it's the people that you hang with that are the best part.

And you don't want to miss the after-party.

[bellevivre]

we usually get inside by about 10 or 1030... we wake up when the birds start talking (usually 730ish for me) make breakfast, clean up, then get dressed. Hubby actually tends to take longer than me- then we get on all the extras (belt, etc) and head in...

we're always inside till fireworks or after... so, I'd say it's more like 5/8 faire/camp ratio

[Lady Laura]

We're at camp (awake) for roughly 31 hours and faire for appx 9 hrs.  Here's how it breaks down:

We get to the campgrounds at 9:00 a.m. Friday, set up 'til around 1:00, then kick back and relax or walk around visiting friends the rest of the day and night.  Bedtime is somewhere between 1:00 and 3:00a.m.

We get up Sat. morning at 6:30-7:00, move the van to row 2 general parking (so we don't have to stagger back to camp after faire), have my friend who followed me in her car take us back to camp where we eat, dress, and get into the faire around 10:30.  We stay until twilight, then get back to camp to eat dinner and relax by the campfire/visit friends until we can't party no mo.

Sunday, we're not as rushed so we generally start packing around 10:00a.m. and get out of there by 1:00.

We go 3 weekends.

[bellevivre]

yeah, sunday, we try to pack up as much as we can before we head in, usually only leaving the big things (tent, awnings) to take down after we leave faire- usually leave come back to camp around 3 or 4, and are on the way home by 5pm..

[Hercules]

I've taken Monday off so I'm planning on leaving Sunday evening (hopefully after the rush).

I've done the Jager-Bombs (JM and Red Bull) before and they help but oooooooooh when those things wear off the fall ain't pretty....I'd prefer to allocate most of my energy to the fair but ya'll really have me scratchin my head. 

[bellevivre]

so do it! this is YOUR time at Faire, not anyone elses. If you dont want to go to the quiet family camping, then bring some earplugs and/or some ambien... No one is going to fault you for turning in early- i dont think we've ever been up past 1AM at TRF (except one opening weekend where I had a bottle of loki to myself... and i dont want to talk about that....)


BUT: so everyone knows, I am not a fan of energy drinks but OMG, Monster Irish Coffee is the best thing in the world. Tastes like irish creme. I may be getting some for TRF

[RenRobin]

Monster Irish Coffee?  How do you make?

[bellevivre]

oh no- you BUY!!!

It's the Monster Brand, but thier JavaMonster type- in Irish Blend- green can...


would be great with vodka, or even khalua or MORE IRISH CREAM!!

[Breandan]

looking at all of these wake-up times, I can only say- lucky bastages! I am up and in the forge starting the fire to get the coal lit around 0730, and I have the fire fully coked and ready for the day, am fully dressed, and have had breakfast by 0845.

[bellevivre]

BUT, Breandan, YOU get to sleep right there- I'll gladly trade you accomodations and start times!!