On-Site Campground Load-In Procedures
On-Site Campground Load-In Procedures
On-Site Campground Load-In Procedures
Alright folks, there are a lot of words to read here. But this works better for all of us when everyone knows what’s happening, so study up!
Due to high demand for on-site camping spots, we will be utilizing a random lottery process to determine the order of access to the On-site Campground. The goal of this process is to maintain a fair, orderly load-in that minimizes stress for everyone! If you aren’t worried about your position in the line, participation is not mandatory (see info below).
However, if you wish to participate in the lottery and lineup, be ready to commit most of your day. Bring an instrument, a comfy chair, plenty of water, and a few snacks. This is all part of the on-site camping experience!
If you wish to participate in the random lineup lottery, here’s how it works:
- Staff will facilitate a vehicle lottery from 9am to 11am at the Farm Parking Area on Thursday before the festival
- Upon arrival, you will receive a random lottery number, assigning your vehicle a spot in the lineup
- Staff will help you find your spot in the parking area where you will wait until the lottery closes.
- When the lottery closes at 11am, staff will consolidate all the vehicle lines to fill in gaps and prepare everyone to load into the campground.v
- After the consolidation, staff will exchange your lottery number for a new line number, which will be your ticket into the campground.
- At 6pm, staff will facilitate the vehicle lines entering the onsite campground in an orderly fashion.
For concern of our Festivarians safety: Any individuals preferring to load in on foot, will not be allowed to walk into the campground until after the vehicle load-in line enters.
Still reading? Good! Now we can give you all the insider tips:
1. You have the same chance of getting #1 in the lottery at 9am as you do at 11am.
2. We recommend showing up before 10:30am to help prevent a long line caused by too many arrivals right at 11am.
3. If you are on the Farm Property by 11am, you will receive a lottery number, even if you’re waiting in line past 11am.
4. If you draw a lottery number that you don’t plan to use, please remove your vehicle from the line up area and park in the lower lot prior to the consolidation. (It helps us a lot!)
5. When the consolidation of lines occurs (usually between 11 and 11:30am), YOU MUST BE WITH YOUR VEHICLE, ready to move. If you’re not there, the lines will all drive around you and you will MOVE BACKWARDS in the line-up!
6. We will need to give a lottery number to every vehicle on the property before 11am. Sometimes it can take 30+min to work through the line, so be prepared to wait a little while for the consolidation to begin.
7. Make sure you don’t leave until you have exchanged your lottery number for a different colored line number!
8. Once you receive a lottery number, YOUR VEHICLE CAN NOT LEAVE THE LINE or else you forfeit your number and space.
9. Please be back at your car by 5:30pm to prepare for the campground load-in.
Phew! Lots of details!
If you’re feeling like this is more than you want to take on, don’t fret!
- If you aren’t concerned with your position in line, you can arrive at the Farm any time between 11:30am and 5:30 pm and jump in the back of the line.
- We request that you try not to arrive between 5:30pm and 7:00pm, as it makes things very confusing while the vehicle lines are driving over.
- If you have no choice but to arrive between 5:30pm and 7:00pm, please head to The Farm parking lot, and staff will instruct you on where to go.
- If you arrive after 7:00pm, proceed to the main entrance of Planet Bluegrass and staff will assist you
Here’s what to expect during the campground load-in
We will be honest with you - it can feel a little chaotic, especially if it is your first time. However, we’ve been doing this for years, and everything works out in the end!
1. When you enter the property, have your line number ready to present to the staff at the gate. If you’re out of order, you will be stopped until the numbers that should be ahead of you come through.
2. DRIVE SLOW - there are pedestrians, vehicles, trees, plants, banjos, and staff members all over the place. Let’s keep everyone safe.
3. DO NOT STOP IN THE ROAD - We get it, people are running and yelling, and you’ve got your eye on a perfect spot. Your buddy in the passenger seat is ready to jump out with their tarp and make a run for it. Please pull off the road before you stop. We need to keep the line moving off the highway, or else we get in trouble.
4. Know where you’re going! Tent-only camping is in the back (north campground) and vehicle and tent camping is in the front (south campground). Review the campground map below so you don’t waste precious time going the wrong way!
5. ALL VEHICLES (Including trailers) MUST HAVE A BUMPER TOUCHING THE ROAD. To ensure everyone is able to get vehicles out when necessary, anything with wheels must have a bumper touching the road. Help us out and make it the “short side” of your vehicle or trailer to maximize road space.
6. Be friendly! Be ready to scooch a tarp to help someone else fit or do a quick tarp move so that we can back a trailer in. This is a great time to make new friends.
7. If you have a trailer and want to back it up into a spot…STOP! Unless you back up trailers professionally (is that even a thing?) we would prefer you grab a staff member (look for a radio) and we will rally a team to move it by hand. This is much safer and ends up being faster in the end. We can lift any popup camper and many small hard-sides!
8. IF YOU DON’T HAVE A VEHICLE PASS - Please unload your vehicle as fast as you can and move it back to the Farm for parking prior to setting up. We need the space your vehicle takes up cleared for other campers!
9. If you’re having trouble finding a spot, don’t worry! Do another lap around the campground, and try a different road. As campers return their vehicle to the Farm, more space opens up. If you’re still having trouble, find a staff member and we can help!
10. If you’re stuck in a backup on a road, please don’t leave your vehicle unattended. Things clear up quickly and if you’re not in your car when the line moves, that’s a problem!
And finally…
We polled 5,000 random people across the United States to ask for their best tips for the on-site camping load-in to share. Unfortunately, none of the people we polled had ever attended the festival, so instead we had to get this tip from a staff member:
- “If you don’t have a vehicle pass, I would advise trying to find a place to pull off and park as soon as possible upon entry to the campground. Things tend to get tighter for vehicles the further back you go, and you risk getting stuck in a traffic jam. Find a safe place to pull off early on, WITH A BUMPER TOUCHING THE ROAD, and search for the perfect campsite on foot.” - Anonymous Staff Member
Alright. That’s it. That’s all the info we have. Our Operations Director doesn’t think anyone will actually read this entire thing. But he only communicates with 160 characters at a time. He also sometimes wears slippers around the office and used to have a mullet. But thanks for proving him wrong! If you made it this far, let a staff member know after the load in. Maybe you’ll get a high five! Or you could get a very confused look, cause we’re definitely not going to tell anyone about this. FFFEEEEEESSSSSTIIIIVVAAALLL!