Patrons Campgrounds March 13-14 and general info

[mpullen]

This coming weekend's forecast is two days of perfect weather.

It is also Spring Break.

Therefore I anticipate a massive turn-out for the Patrons campgrounds. Come as early as possible and get a good spot in line for when I open the campgrounds at noon. When you enter the billboard gate, please move to the left side of the road, so that Participants can enter to the right and people exiting can move between the two lines. If the line reaches Highway 290, I will open the campgrounds earlier.

Please have your tickets or printouts ready, along with (hopefully) exact change for the camping passes (and tickets if you need them). No bills larger than $20 please. If all you have is a $50 bill, we will direct you to the nearest bank where you can get change (provided it is during banking hours).

Do not bring in firewood from any place farther than 50 miles from the Faire, to prevent pest infestation. Bring chainsaws and axes and cutup as much of the dropped trees in the campgrounds as you desire. Besides in the campgrounds, there are tons of dropped trees throughout the area. If you have time and energy, please cut up extra wood and deposit it by the fire circle, so that we can have a good fire for the Friday and Saturday drumming sessions. I'll bring starter firelogs to get the fire going (obviously if no firewood stacked, I won't bother).

No in-ground fires. Fires must be in metal firepits above ground level, with stones underneath. If I find an in-ground fire, I will direct you to put it out immediately. The only ground fire is the fire/drumming circle, which has received the Fire Marshall's approval.

For the Reserved camping groups, a reminder. You must have at least one person camping in your reserved area each weekend. Knights of the Shadow, I didn't see anyone in your area this past weekend. Celtic Rogues, you should have word about the area you can claim. I expect that your group sets up marker tape and a namesign this weekend. If not, I'll take it that you don't want the area and I'll release it to the next group on the waiting list.

There are at least two groups trying to mark reserved areas in the General/Open campgrounds. I will remove your markers/barriers when I come onsite Thursday afternoon.

I cleaned up the General/Open campgrounds after opening weekend. I didn't mind the beer cans and bottles. I DID MIND the two outdoor toilet bags dumped by the port-a-johns. I think they were dumped in the port-a-johns and when the contractor sucked the toilets, the bags clogged their vacuum and they deposited the bags nearby. If you are using an outdoor toilet, the preference is that you haul the bags out with you, or at the least, seal them up and place in the dumpsters.

Groups in the reserved area, please pickup the trash by the port-a-johns by your area. This is a group effort to make the area clean for everyone.

I should be getting a key to the gates. My schedule is to help with the Faire site clearing of Patrons at closing each evening. When I get to the top of the hill (by the Pub), I'll close and lock the Campgrounds to Faire ticket booth and open the gate between the showers and flush toilet trailers.

Please note that it is possible to get from the Patrons campgrounds into the Participants campgrounds and thus into the Faire area. If any Faire staff member catches a Patron within the Faire area after closing and informs me, that person will be immediately ejected from the Patrons campgrounds (as in "pack up your stuff and get out") and not able to camp for the current Faire season.

Other than the negative vibes, I expect the upcoming weekend to be our best weekend. Bring your drums, bring your glad hearts, and be ready to have the time of your lives.