Camping Load In Procedure
Camping Load In Procedure
Camping Load In Procedure
Due to high demand for camping spots, we will be utilizing a random lottery process to determine the order of access to the On-site Campground for Song School. 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).
If you do want to participate, bring an instrument, a comfy chair, plenty of water, and a few snacks. This is all part of the Song School camping experience!
If you wish to participate in the random lineup lottery, here’s how it works:
- Staff will facilitate a vehicle lottery from 9:30am to 11am at the Farm Parking Area on Sunday, August 4th, 2024.
- 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.
- After the consolidation, staff will exchange your lottery number for a new line number, which will be your ticket into the campground.
- At 1pm, staff will facilitate the vehicle lines entering the onsite campground in an orderly fashion.
- If you aren’t concerned with your position in line, you can arrive at the Farm any time between Noon and 12:30 pm and jump in the back of the line.
- We request that you try not to arrive between 12:30pm and 1:30pm, as it makes things very confusing while the vehicle lines are driving over.
- If you have no choice but to arrive between 12:30pm and 2:00pm, please head to The Farm parking lot, and staff will instruct you on where to go.
- If you arrive after 2:00pm, 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!
- 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.
- DRIVE SLOW - there are pedestrians, vehicles, trees, plants, banjos, and staff members all over the place. Let’s keep everyone safe!
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- If you don’t need your vehicle, please move it out to the parking area (only 50 yards away!) as soon as possible to make room in the camping area for everyone.
- If you’re having trouble finding a spot, don’t worry! Do another lap around the campground, and try a different road. As campers move their vehicles to parking, more space opens up. If you’re still having trouble, find a staff member and we can help!
- 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, suddenly you’re the problem.
Important things to note about the lottery lineup:
- You have the same chance of getting #1 in the lottery at 9am as you do at 11am
- We recommend showing up before 10:30am to help prevent a long line caused by too many arrivals right at 11am
- If you are on the Farm Property by 11am, you will receive a lottery number, even if you’re waiting in line past 11am
- 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!)
- When the consolidation of lines occurs (usually between 11a and 11:30a), 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!
- 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.
- Make sure you don’t leave until you have exchanged your lottery number for a different colored line number!
- Once you receive a lottery number, YOUR VEHICLE CAN NOT LEAVE THE LINE or else you forfeit your number and space.
- Please be back at your car by 12:30p to prepare for the campground load-in.