Tarp run/shuffle - Winnipeg Folk Festival

The smaller stages during the day are first come/first served, the shady tree locations were invariably the first taken. The main stage had a set procedure to claim spots. At 8am they would hand out numbered tickets. These were used to determine at 10am which groups of people would be able to stake down their 8x10 tarps, 1rst,2nd, 3rd, 4th,etc. Some people would just setup their chairs and sleeping bags and spend the whole night in line to get a no. 1 ticket. That would allow them to get spaces right in front of the stage. We would usually try to get there by 6:30, and get either a 2 or 3 and still get great spots. It used to be called the tarp run, but people got too enthusiastic and some would trip running over the rough ground, Now you can only do fast walking. The morning I did it we got 3s, it rained and we just covered up with the tarp and dozed in our chairs until they handed out numbers. I never did the actual tarp run since I can't even fast walk and staking down a tarp would lead to extreme bouts of swearing, this is a family festival you know.

This leads to a great story from several years ago. G was very early in line and got a 2. He was coaching B in exactly how to line up for the rope drop. B took his bike early to make sure he was there in time. He lines up with the other 2s and realizes he doesn't have the ticket. We are back at the campground when G realizes he still has the ticket. He jumps on his bike and races to the main stage hoping to get there in time to  allow B to take off with the rest of the 2s.  Meanwhile those of us not connected with this are laughing our heads off. Then sheepishly B comes riding back on his bike. We convince him to stay since his going back won't help. G after all the numbers have placed their tarps lays down a backup tarp. Even with that delay we still had good viewing and listening. But it now makes a great story for every person we meet there or any newcomers to our group.  G had hoped it wouldn't be preserved for posterity but now that I'm blogging it had to be written down.  Names were not used to protect the guilty.