Philadelphia Folk Festival (50 years) August 9, 2011

FEST FOODIES: Yesterday, we talked shopping - today let's talk food. You can come just for the different kinds of food is you wish....

Breakfast:  Eggs, egg sandwitches, bagels, muffins, and donuts

Lunch/Dinner: Pork roast dinners, freedom fries, steak sandwitches, hot dogs, hamburgers, spaghetti and meat balls, crab cakes platters, stromboli, pierogies, grilled cheese, nachos and cheese, mozzarella sticks, hoagies, assorted sandwiches, chicken tenders, vegggie wraps, corn, chili, chicken barbeque, grilled chicken caesar salad and wrap, portabello mushroon with roasted peppers and provolone, battered-dipped vegetable Tempura, knishes, Chinese food, gyros, charbroiled chicken, and falafel.

Desserts:
Batter-dipped Oreos, caramel apples, funnel cakes, pretzels, dove bars, fruit bars, ice cream, water ice, sno cones, cakes, pastries, and chocolate cookies.

Drinks:
Soda, juice, smoothies, lemonade, iced tea, milk, orange juice, coffee, tea and ......beer (over 21).

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A special treat tomorrow for you guys and gals. You will find out what the "Sweep" is...... Don't change the channel! For non-virgins, remember what it was like seeing your very first "Sweep" !!! Did you know what it even was at first - mind boggling. Do you know how it got started ?


COUNTDOWN: 8 more days til campers arrive & 9 more days for day trippers.

The Polish Princess - who finally drove a car today with not too much pain.

Philadelphia Folk Festival (50 years) August 8, 2011

Let's talk SHOPPING today?? The music fest is a great place to buy unusual homemade, and not homemade, items.  They have vendors from states all over the country, but mostly from the East Coast.
Most take cash, Visa or debit cards...... And they always chance off a Martin Guitar !!!!

The vendors sell items such as:

- Candles
- Ceramics
- Cd's
- Clocks
- Clothes
- Fiber
- Glasswares
- Jewelry
- Kites
- Metals
- Musical Instruments
- Purses
- Shoes
- Stoneware
- Toys
- Wood

COUNTDOWN: 9 more days til campers arrive & 10 more days for day trippers.

The Polish Princess --- sleepy but still smiling.....

Philadelphia Folk Festival (50 years) August 7, 2011

TIK-TOK: Where would we be without music in our lives? The small sutle notes that bring back a favorite memory, a high school dance, a smile or a frown.  Music pervades weddings, funerals, anniversaries, baby lullabies, scary halloweens, and all holidays. Music is what the fest is about - whether it's foot-stomping or just a sweet sonnet. Music is the heart of our soul!

Roses are red,

Violets are blue;

Piano, guitar and drumheads,

Our music is forever new.

Hike down the hillside to Dulcimer Grove, just minutes away from Camp Stage and Water Gate. Feast under the stars at the many vendors including Upper Salford Fire Company. Dine at the five-star pizza or sunbath at The Craft Stage, then dance all night with all your might in the Dance Tent.  From the summit to the Salford Shore, there's no shortage of things to do at the Folk Fest.

COUNTDOWN: 10 more days til campers arrive & 11 more days for day trippers.

The Polish Princess waiting for her prince to cook some dinner.

Philadelphia Folk Festival (50 years) August 6, 2011

Hi Gang - Not to be a "bore" but here is some creativity to the max - a real life "stuffed boar"!! The little lid opened into their own little frigerator filled with ice (of course) and all kinds of goodies to cook during the fest.  One must get creative when you are off the grid, not bad for Mother Nature either.

                                                                 BOAR FRIG

What types of grills do we have? Check it out--->

FEST TIP: Please drink plenty of water and keep yourself hydrated.  It is very easy for all ages to forget to drink that precious liquid and get dizzy, sick and out of sorts.  You sure don't want to miss the rest of the fest because you didn't fill the thermos!

COUNTDOWN: 12 more days til campers arrive & 13 more days for day trippers.


The Polish Princess, sore and full of stitches.....

Philadelphia Folk Festival (50 years) August 5, 2011

This picture was taken at the end of the festival last year.  Everyone had such a good time but is so sad to have to return to reality.  This truck leaving in the dust creates such a vivid expression of a "movie sceen" goodbye.  It is truly one of my favorite pictures - can you hear Brad Paisley singing that song, "Mud On Your Tires".....well here is that "old bessie" truck - can you see the mud??

                                                          "MUD ON YOUR TIRES" TRUCK

Next, we will be having some discussions of what to expect at the fest; what to wear; how to plan your best fest weekend; where to park; what are the dining arrangements; what is that wristband that everyone keeps asking about; what types of music to expect........

COUNTDOWN: 13 more days til campers arrive & 14 more days for day trippers.

The Polish Princess, still smiling and signing.....

Philadelphia Folk Festival (50 years) August 4, 2011

Ok, my little darlings, here is a scene from last year - the Main Ticket Concert Entrance.  These artists spend all summer painting and creating some of the best fun gallery pictures around.  (Of course, I am just a tad bit prejudiced)  The artsy volunteers are not only crafty but down-right environmental-friendly resourceful at that.

We have beach piers, lighthouses, kites, pillars, etc. - just waiting for audiences to appear. Tomorrow, I want to show you just a sampling of all the signs and work that goes into this entourage.

COUNTDOWN: 14 more days til campers arrive & 15 more days for day trippers.

The Polish Princess

Philadelphia Folk Festival (50 years) August 3, 2011

Well, it is 72 degrees and misting on our beautiful Folk Fest site. As you were reading yesterday's post, you might have thought - "what is this green bus" she is chattering about.  A special treat for you today, below is THE GREEN BUS!  We are so amazed that this old bus (from the 60's), can rev up and down these hills every year and makes it to its usual spot next to Camping Headquarters.  When one climbs on top, the view is astounding.  The campers make the top a "fun place" to be, with a rainbow on the side of it.  One looks for many things to remind you of the fest, and this is just one of them.

                                                                  The Green Bus

Next door to the Green Bus, you will see Port-a-Toilets. This year I must count them, for a trivia question. Pity the poor folks that empty them in the heat of the day - come rain or shine, they are always there.  Speaking of the weather - at the end of August, one never quite knows what to expect from Mother Nature. Scorching hot....rain....hail...and once a "monsoon"...yes.  What you say, you think only southern Asia has the seasonal winds marked by heavy rains! See with your own eyes below:

                                             Year 2009, Year of the Ox and The Monsoon

But really, most of the time the weather has cooperated; if not - the stories abound.  Remember when the kids had mud up to their knee......remember when our tent blew over on our neighbors face.....remember when my eyelids were so soaked.......Ha-ha. 

P.S. Please remember when you come to bring, wear and participate in the sunscreen ritual.  Protect your skin, it being the largest organ of your body, or else you will be sent directly to melamona jail (do not pass go and do not collect $200)

COUNTDOWN: 15 more days til campers arrive & 16 more days for day trippers.

Signing off, til manana....... The Polish Princess

Philadelphia Folk Festival (50 years) August 2, 2011

DAY 2 of the blog --

Here is an aerial view of the Campground at Philadelphia Folk Festival, which occurs every August in Schwenksville, PA. Some call it the refugee camp that people want to be in!  I thought I would stick a visual in so you can picture 100 acres (give or take) tranformed into a musical mecca -sometimes muddy but always magical. This is where all kinds of campers are: tents, pop-ups, RV's and of course, the "Green Bus".

This does not include the parking lots, stages, concert areas and vendor areas.

Each path or roadway is named and they are exactly in the same spot ever year.  You may not believe that, but you will have to trust me.  I have seem people use geometry and all kinds of math to ensure that the alleys are in the same location.

Abe Pool Highway
Aurora Alley
Az-Bat Alley
Azzole Alley
Ballad Boulevard (a favorite)
Bob Boulevard
Broadway
Camping Path
Cliff Drive
Diagonal Alley
Gully Road
Logline
MAIN STREET
Oasis Alley
Park Place
River Road
Winnebago Way (one of my favs)
Zen Bob Way

By the way, for light sleepers - there is a "quiet camping area".  I never know where the best music is -the stage or the campground - so decide for yourself, my little chickadees.

COUNTDOWN: 16 more days til campers arrive & 17 more days for day trippers.

Keep your radio tuned to the blogger station - more to come tomorrow.  The Polish Princess.

Philadelphia Folk Festival (50 years) August 1, 2011

Hi Folk Festies and Youngin's and Not-so Youngin's --

Since this is the 50th year for our beloved Folk Festival, I decided to "blog" about the experiences. Yes, it is the BIG 50 !! Actually, I was planning on composing a book, but that proved to be a monumental task. That being said, sure would be nice if anyone out there would like to take on that challenge and get it off their bucket list. I interveiwed lots of festies last year, and they thought it was a good idea.  Anyway, FIFTY YEARS, that is 5 decades, 600 months, 2600 weeks or 18,250 days......

Where were you 50 years ago ?? Were you born? A teenager? Just getting married? Starting college? Starting your first job? Remember the old "transistor radios" - what a leap to an iPad, uh??  Think back, you can do it.  I was in elementary school while the music was starting to roll out at the Old Poole Farm, in the little country town of Schwenksville.  Question for all you "lifers" - was the first festival actually at The Farm? (Triva Question). Did you know that The Philadelphia Folk Festival is the LONGEST continuously running festival in North American.... anybody out there attend the very first festival in 1961? Bonus Points for that, for sure.

50th Annual Philadelphia Folk Festival
August 19-21, 2011
Old Pool Farm
Upper Salford Township (near Schwenksville), PA
 http://www.pfs.org/

Oh......, who am I you might ask. Well, I am just a little local volunteer - one of many - who helps with the festival every year.  There are many committes (pre-fest, fest and post-fest) but I'll talk about that later. Many volunteers have unusual names/nicknames such as Dot-Man, Indian, Chickie, etc. -- fun names are just part of the fest atmosphere.

 Stay tuned for more info, fun stuff, trivia and pictures from "The Polish Princess".

COUNTDOWN: 17 more days til campers arrive and 16 more days for day-trippers.