GENERAL INFORMATION

• Planet Bluegrass Ranch Address - 500 West Main Street, Lyons CO 80504
• Planet Bluegrass Farm (Campground Load-in) - 19680 N St Vrain Dr, Lyons, CO 80540
• Emergencies - Call 911
• General Questions - Find a staff member at the Blue Heron Tent between 8:00 - 5:30pm
• Message Board - Located in the Blue Heron Tent. The message board is the place for students to exchange information during the Academy. Feel free to post or check for information about festival tickets, camping passes, rides, etc.
• Lost and Found - Blue Heron Tent
• Wifi - Network: PB-School25, Password: B@ndScramble25 *Note this wifi network will NOT be available during the Festival, so please plan accordingly.
• Security - The Song School is closed to the general public only students, paid guests, instructors and staff are allowed on the Festival Grounds. The front gate is staffed 24-hours a day.
• Instrument Storage - No Instrument storage is available onsite. Instruments should be kept in your tent/vehicle etc.
• Cell Service - Pretty good but can get bogged down at high traffic times.

what to bring

• To Check-in - See Tickets Receipt, ID
• Cash - Parking, Merch, Ice
• Camping Gear- Tent, chairs, stove, lanterns, cooking gear, solar panels etc.
• Clothes for all types of weather (Rain Jackets, tank tops, Jackets etc.)
• Sun Protection (It is Colorado after all) - Sunscreen, hats, etc.
• River Wear - (swim suit, sandals for water etc.)
• Reusable Dishware
• Musical things (tuners, picks, straps etc.)
• Ear plugs! (Late night jams will be plentiful!)

On-site Check-in (Wristbands, Vehicle Passes & school Materials)

• Bring - ID, See Tickets Receipt, Cash for optional parking (See parking section)
• Check-in - When you check-in at the Blue Heron you will also pick up your wristbands and school materials. The hours are Sunday (2:30pm-5pm) and Monday (8:30am-9:30am).

Sustainability

Leave No Trace - Please keep in mind the large impact that we have on this beautiful Ranch. Please practice Leave No Trace camping. So, tread lightly, leave no trace, and use the port-o-potties and trash receptacles.

• Water Conservation - We experience critical spikes in water and wastewater usage during festivals. To help avoid this, we hope everyone takes shorter showers and conserves water when washing dishes.
• Waste Diversion - Over the past decade, approximately 60% of all waste has been diverted from the landfill. Here is how you can help:
• Reduce/Reuse - Please do your part by bringing REUSABLE water bottles, plates, utensils, coffee mugs etc. There is a dishwashing station at the bathhouse.
• Compost - Please compost all your food (including meat) and all compostable cups, utensils, and plates. Compost bags are free and available at the Blue Heron Tent.
• Recycle - We recycle: glass, aluminum/tin (no foil), paper, pressboard (6-packs, cereal boxes, etc.) and plastic #1-#5, including container lids. Put ONLY the recyclables in the bins, not plastic bags.
• Trash - When in doubt throw it out! Please do not contaminate the other bins. No trash should be placed in the recycling, composting, or cardboard bins, as this contamination will prohibit anything from being recycled or composted.

Safety

North Saint Vrain River

• Please be extra careful when in or near the river and always accompany your younger children.
• Tubing is at your own risk. We recommend river shoes and life vests for kids.
• No bathing, urinating or dishwashing allowed in the river.
• Please do not throw rocks at the beautiful rock wall.

Poison Ivy:

Be on the lookout for poison ivy along the river in the backstage classroom area and along the river in the vehicle camping area. Though we have eradicated most of it, some other small areas may exist, so be careful walking through any high grass areas.

medical

• In the event of a medical emergency, please call 911. (Address: 500 West Main Street, Lyons CO 80540). If possible, please alert an Academy staff member AFTER calling 911 so that we can facilitate their arrival.
• For minor bumps and scrapes, a first aid kit is located at the Blue Heron Tent.
• For urgent care please go to the nearest urgent care center in Longmont, CO.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Together, we can create an atmosphere where everyone feels welcome, valued, and inspired. We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or any other protected characteristic. Everyone is expected to treat everyone with respect and dignity. Please report behaviors that violate DEI principles, and promote a culture of inclusivity and belonging to staff members.

Classes

• Recordings - You may video or record class instruction.

food

Dinners

• Monday -Burger BBQ on the Wildflower lawn for all students and guests. (Free)
• Tuesday - On your own
• Wednesday - On your own
• Thursday -Catered dinner backstage for all students and guests (Free). Since Folks Festivarians are moving in on Thursday, a Meal ticket for the Thursday dinner will be given out when you check-in on Sunday/Monday.

Lunches - On your own/Bloomberries/Town

Breakfast - On your own/Bloomberries/Town

Coffee/Snacks - Daily (Monday-Thursday) 7am-10:00am

Onsite Food Vendor - Our friends, Bloomberries Box Cart will be on hand to provide convenient breakfasts, lunches and snacks for students as well as on site food and light dinners on Tuesday and Wednesday. They will be parked near the bath house

Schedule & Materials

The Schedule is posted online! No need to print it out; the final schedule will be included in your materials when you check-in.

Song School Parking Area (Free)– (Onsite parking Sunday 8/3 to Thursday 8/7 @1:30pm)

There will be free onsite parking spots available for students commuting daily to Song School and for all vehicles of tent campers . At Check-in you will be given a Song School Parking Pass to put in the dash of your vehicle. This will have your name and phone number written on it in case we need to reach you to move your vehicle in an emergency situation.

All vehicles in this parking area must be moved Thursday 8/7 by 1:30pm to The Farm. If you plan to camp until Friday morning you may bring your vehicle back from the Farm to load out your campsite Friday morning however your campsite must be fully packed and ready to load.

Song School Vehicle Camping - (Onsite vehicle camping Sunday 8/3 to Friday 8/8 @9am )

Students may sleep in their vehicles in the on-site campground for the duration of Song School. Please remember that all vehicles must have bumper touching the campground road.

Vehicles may stay in the on-site campground until Friday 8/8 @ 9am.

Folks Festival – “On-Site Vehicle Pass” (Onsite vehicle camping Friday 8/8 to Sunday 8/11 @12am )

If you purchased an “On-Site Vehicle Pass” for the Folks Festival, you can pick it up when you check in for Song School . These passes are SOLD OUT and were purchased through See Tickets. Check your See Tickets account to see if you purchased this pass. This pass allows you to keep your vehicle at your on-site campground for the duration of the Festival.

• “Open Stage” - This is your opportunity to perform a song in our Wildflower Pavilion in a loving and welcoming atmosphere. Each evening/night of The Song School we open up the Wildflower Pavilion and host one of the best and most supportive Open Mics around. If you wish to participate you will be assigned (1) 5-minute time slot on either Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday from approximately 8pm-11p. You will confirm your day/time when you check-in on Sunday/Monday. Depending on the amount of people that sign-up, there is a possibility we will need to have a lottery.
• Morning Yoga - (Daily Morning Practice - Check Schedule for Times) Feel refreshed and restored with this 60 min Yoga class with Heather Hottovy. Be ready to flow with this relaxing, energetic practice that will leave you feeling long, lean and strong – both mentally and physically. (Meet in field near silo)
• Qi Gong - (Daily Morning Practice - Check Schedule for Times) Qi Gong is a 4,000 year old practice that cultivates energy and vitality. Practice gentle movements that strengthen the body, increase flexibility and relieve stress with Carli Zug. No experience necessary. (Trout Tent)
• The Taylor Guitar Road Show is a guitar lover’s dream: a fun, lively gathering that brings enthusiasts together with Taylor experts straight from the company’s factory in El Cajon, California. We will be partnering with Haggerty’s Music from Rapid City, SD and will be bringing 40+ guitars for everyone to play and hear. At this Road Show, Eric will share insights on the company’s guitar making process, including an informative demonstration on how body shape and wood affect tone. After the demonstration, players are invited to take part in the show’s popular “Petting Zoo” segment, during which players have an opportunity to test-drive a variety of different models, including rare and one-off Taylors and custom beauties, new Gold Label Collection, as well as the popular standard models across the Taylor line. Admission is free.
• Grace Designs Demo (Wednesday 4:15 - -5:30pm) - Acoustic Instrument Amplification (Eben and Michael Grace) - So you have your guitar and your song and you’re ready to hit the stage. You’ve spent countless hours honing your act and conjuring up beautiful sounds on your instrument, and now you need to plug in. Along with all the other skills you work to master as a performing acoustic artist, plugging in an acoustic instrument is an essential skill which can really help you sound your best. In this class we’ll be investigating the various ways to get your instrument plugged in and sounding great, including: Acoustic instrument pickups / selecting the best one for your instrument and style, using various types of Preamps and DI boxes, using EQ to dial in the best sound for your instrument and pickup combination, adding and using effects–reverb, compression, delay etc. We will have a number of our preamps to try (FELiX, ALiX and BiX) with a high quality PA system. Participants are asked to bring their instruments so we can do hands-on experiments with everybody’s particular setups. (Wildflower Pavilion)
• HB Woodsongs Traveling Store (Tuesday 4:15-5:15pm ) - The easy way to have items like picks, strings, capos, music, delivered to you at Planet Bluegrass. Feel free to call them ahead of time with special requests (303-449-0516). They will set up in front of the bathhouse.