# General Mandolin Topics > Jams, Workshops, Camps, Places To Meet Others >  Wickenburg Az, bluegrass nov14, 15 & 16

## Dennis Russell

Dont forget the wickenburg Az, bluegrass festival in November, Mandolin picking contest  1st place winner will recieve a Custom Weber Yellowstone F5 mandolin plus $500 in cash, second place gets $300, and third place gets $100, boy howdy I entered the mandolin event but commpetition is stiff, my arthritis might hold me back, hope to see and meet other pickers there.................DEnnis in Yuma

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## Sandy Beckler

Dennis.....do you have a link to the site, or an address where one could find out more about the festival.

Thanks, Sanchan :Grin:

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## Dennis Russell

Hello Sanchan: here is the Web           WICKENBURGCHAMBER.COM   I read it in capitol letters but check and see if it was meant in lower subscript, the Telephone to call is (928) 684-5479     check out this info I just recieved...................www.WickenburgChamber.com, if you call them ask them about the upcomming BG festival  person in charge, they put you intouch with that person...........Dennis in AZ

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## hotclub

Here's an unfortunate update for those planning to attend this year's festival: TENT CAMPING HAS BEEN BANNED IN THE CAMPGROUND AND ANYWHERE ON THE FESTIVAL GROUNDS! I've been attending this festival for 18 years straight, and I'm very dissapointed, and angry. If any rule changes to camping needed to be made, I had hoped they might establish a generator free zone. Instead, they've gone in the opposite direction. But, I'm not going to rant on, nor will I and many other musicians attend. If you'd like to contact the folks in charge, here's the address:  http://www.wickenburgchamber.com/

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## Tom Mullen

I looked at the camping rules and forms and I saw nothing that banned tent camping. There was even a cost of $10 per night for tent camping on the forms page. 
Where was the information about banned tent camping?

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## hotclub

Here's what I read....Dear Friends,

Many of you will receive the November issue of the Flagstaff Friends of Traditional Music newsletter in the next couple weeks.  In the newsletter, there's a flyer for the 29th Annual Four Corner States Bluegrass Festival and Fiddle Championship on November 14-16, 2008.  FFOTM is glad to distribute this flyer for the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce free-of-charge and has been supporting the festival for many years.  Featured bands will be Flint Hill Special, High Plains Tradition, and Midnight Flight, with a special Saturday afternoon appearance by Rhonda Vincent and the Rage.  She'll also be playing a special show at the Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts on Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm.  Adult admission is $42 for each show.  In addition to the fine acts, there a lot of great musical competitions as always, including contests for vocals, individual instruments, and bands.

However, I feel that is my duty to inform you of some unfortunate news that I received from the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce last week.  According to Carol Wallace, of the Wickenberg Chamber of Commerce, TENT CAMPING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED ANYWHERE ON THE FESTIVAL GROUNDS this year.  This is indeed bad news for many of us tent campers.  I've been attending the festival in a tent for the past 18 years and have never had a problem.  Furthermore, Flagstaff Friends of Traditional Music has had a small contingent of folks in tents, pickups and small trailers for several years in the Constellation Campground, across from the rodeo grounds and it's brought a lot of people to the festival who might not otherwise have attended.

When asked the reasoning behind this decision, I was told that it's because tents have been camping too close to campfires, in the roadways, and that it's the Fire Marshall's decision.  (Haven't people been camping in tents close to fires for hundreds of years?)  Carol said "I know, but it's for everyone's safety."  I asked if there was any chance that they would reconsider that decision.  She said "No, I'm sorry."  

Something about that just doesn't make a lot of sense to me.  So I contacted Ed Temerowshi, the Wickenburg Fire Chief, who has jurisdiction on all fire-safety matters in that area.  He knew nothing of the decision nor could figure out why tents were to be banned at this year's festival.  He said "people camp at the Constellation Campground in tents all the time."  I also contacted Steve McKay, the Community Services Director in charge of the Constellation Campground..  He said there is actually a little-known ordinance on the books banning tents, but that was put in place a long time ago to prevent people camping there for the long term without any sanitary facilities.  He said the ordinance is not enforced; in fact there was a group of Boy Scouts with tents in the campground just a few weeks ago.  He said "We rent that campground, along with the rodeo grounds, to the Chamber of Commerce and they are free to manage it as they see fit."

I certainly respect the right of the Chamber of Commerce to make their own rules about how they run their festival, and I suppose, that includes the "right to refuse service to anyone."  But somehow, it seems a little discriminatory to folks who chose to attend the festival and camp in tents and a little dishonest to pass the decision off to the Fire Marshall.  Do we tent campers really constitute such a "bad element" that they would turn us away and not allow us to camp at the festival unless we had a large vehicle to camp in?  Is there now enough of this "bad element" each year that they must enforce some effort at "cultural purity?"

As I think about it, the Chamber of Commerce, rather than "promoting and preserving bluegrass music", is primarily in the business of attracting visitors to the area who will patronize RV repair shops, restaurants, and grocery stores and who may be possibly looking for a warm place to spend the winter.  That's fair and reasonable, but t seems like this ruling doesn't do much for promoting and preserving the genre, much less attracting a new and younger crowd who may continue to patronize the festival for years to come.

I can only speculate on the reasons for this, but the bottom line is that they're not allowing tents at the festival.  I don't have a motor home, and I choose not to spend the night in a hotel while my friends are jamming around the campground.  Therefore, as much as I'd like to attend this year's festival, I won't be going.  And I thought I'd let everyone know who may be planning on bringing a tent.  I pity the campground host who has to deal with irate attendees when they're told they have no place to stay.

So be forewarned about camping this year.  I regret that I won't be there.  If you have any further questions about this decision or any other aspect of this fine festival, call the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce at (928) 684-5479, e-mail events@wickenburgchamber.com, or visit their website at www.wickenburgchamber.com.

Bill Vernieu
Flagstaff Friends of Traditional Music

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## Tom Mullen

Thanks for the info. I have a room, but you are right.....there are gonna be some irate people. I can see that they want them in town eating and getting rooms, but that is not the way they have done it in the past.

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## gnelson651

Thanks for the info since I could find nothing on the website saying that tents will not be allowed this year. It saved me a 220 mi trip to find out I'm not welcome.

I did call to confirm this information and also spoke to Carol. She stated that the festival committee decided  no tents this year. Their decision was based on tent campers not registering, camping in the street and fires too close to the tents. I told her that I saw none of these things at last year' festival. She said she did. 

I thank her and told her I will not be attending this year. I'm a former Arizonan having grown up in Tucson. It seem that the AZ bluegrass festivals just don't like outsiders. My last AZ BG festival in Bullhead City was also a disappointment. Most of the jams were closed to vistors and it was hard to find an open jam.

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## man dough nollij

I'm thinking about a spontaneous road trip to check this out. I lived in Prescott for 18 years, so I have a ton of friends there.

Anybody know if this event is dog friendly? I have Conan with me.

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## man dough nollij

I'm in Cedar City, UT now, on my way to Wick-town. I will be wearing a black t-shirt with Antarctica on it (in a sort of Dharma Initiative/I Ching logo), in case any other cafe dwellers are there. I have my new Weber custom Bridger OM with me too, in case any of you would like to give it a spin around the block.

Lee

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## Dennis Russell

Hello All:  I came back early from Wickenburg, had unfortunate accident while camping out, My small motor home caught fire friday night, we didnt get hurt, but had to do some quick repairs with duct tape. Seen those nice Webber mandolins on display from wickenburg mandolin shop, dont reckon I won the raffle on one of them.......................Dennis in Yuma

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