Death of the Gypsy Camp at Djangofest Northwest

cbwim

One of my favorite festivals/camps is Lark Camp which happens at the Mendocino Woodlands State Park. Its a music camp even with a small Gypsy Jazz contingent. One year a person complained to dancers and musicians on a stage at 2AM that he couldn't sleep. I got out of my tent and went up to him (I was just wearing my boots) and informed him that this was a music camp, not a sleep camp. He huffed off and went to the Camp Director the next morning to complain. The Camp Director said the same thing - and suggested he find a place in Mendocino or Fort Bragg, 7 miles away, to stay.

I don't see any middle ground evolving here with the Fairgrounds, or at least with that narrow minded person in charge.

Bones

Oh ok, yeah that sounds like a typical "petty bureaucrat". Sound all reasonable when they have to put on a good, public face but then act like an idiot in private.

Like I said, seems like they need a new venue. How many people are they talking about? I've never been there but again, if it is big enough they should book a whole campground like the Live Oak fest. Growing pains??? Honestly, regardless of the management of the campground, it just doesn't seem like a good fit to say the least. Just have to face up to it and move on. Take ur business elsewhere...

Conversely, if the campground management knows what DF is all about, maybe they shouldn't have hosted the campers in the first place???? Somewhere along the line someone has to recognize when there isn't a good fit and make an adjustment.

Like Einstein said, doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is insane (or some words to that effect).

lewischang88

fritzf wrote: »

Really, this is a mountain made out of a molehill. We'll find a solution!

I certainly hope the issue gets resolved. From my life experience, a molehill with a petty bureaucrat standing on it becomes Mount Everest.

MichaelHorowitz

lewischang88 wrote: »

The Djangofest officials stand behind our rules and regulations 100%, and of course, stand behind the law 100%.

I wonder if she actually spoke with someone at WICA/DjangoFest and who that person was. I spoke with WICA and they were pretty upset about the jams being shutdown at the campground and were looking into a solution.

lewischang88

@MichaelHorowitz Should I ask to whom she spoke?

MichaelHorowitz

@lewischang88 Probably not worth agitating her any further. Hopefully the people at WICA will be able to work something out.

Bones

Petty bureaucrats, the bane of our existence.

Years ago I was in a band and several of the members also worked at a certain local large University here in Santa Barbara that shall remain nameless :-) and in honor of the institution we were called the Petty Bureaucrats of Swing....

fritzf

Lewis - appreciate the input. I do agree with Michael though, just leave it where its at with Roxy. A solution will have to come from higher levels.

Again, it would be really helpful to get more ideas of other festival campgrounds strategies for dealing with local noise ordinances and non-festival campers - post those if you can think of some!!

I swung through Cashmere today on my travels, am trying to learn more about how the Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival handles things - that one is also at a fairgrounds campground, with a county noise ordinance. Need more examples!!

jazzmanouchenwct

Wow. DiJ is an absolutely flawless event in comparison. The worst we deal with is a polite sign requesting us to remove hair from the drains after showering.

Jim Kaznosky

There have been a few folks that can't handle any of their extracurricular activities at DiJ. I can't speak to DFNW, but DiJ is very self contained in a quiet corner of a college campus in the summer and campers self-police the scene. While there are summer classes and events occurring on the campus that mix during mealtimes, distance limits campers and non-campers. While the teaching and concerts are big part of the draw, the real event happens in the time between these things.