~ Le Mars Bluegrass Festival, Le Mars, Iowa ~
After driving for several hours, we made a quick stop at Walmart before our first performance.
It's always good to arrive with plenty of time to spare beforehand! You never know what might happen on the road. Our van has over 230,000 miles on it. We are praying it holds out until we can get another vehicle!
Studying the performance schedules for the many different stages... 10, I think.
After lugging all the equipment across the field (We made it in ONE trip!!), through the people (hey! it's good promo!), to "back stage" behind this building before our first set, our next job is to get everything as ready as possible for a quick and smooth transition onto the main stage for our time slot.
At festivals, everything is timed and the more time spent setting up, the less time you get to play. Soooo... get ready to FLY! Everyone has a job, and things are set up in a jiffy.
After our first time slot, everything must be hauled all the way back to the van.
Then it's time for a watermelon break. :) Hot and tired, we rested for a while.
Then it's off to jam with some friends, listen to other musicians perform, and talk to many people - old friends and new.
After jamming and talking, it's back to the van to grab the rest of the equipment before our second time slot.
Unpack.
Play.
Pack up.
After that performance...
Daddy treated us to Culver's. Thank you!
Then it's back to the van to get the equipment, unpack, play, and pack up once more.
Then it's.... ice cream time!!!
At Blue Bunny.
Le Mars is the ice cream capital of the world.
See that huge bowl of frigid goodness? If you can eat it all by yourself in 15 minutes, you have conquered the Goliath! (Plus, you get a free T-shirt.) Any takers?
This is only SOME of the grand array of flavors they offer.
One of our family favorites is huckleberry, only available at ice cream parlors.
Need the time?
Talking to friends and fixing the world over ice cream. :)
~ Back to the van for the hours of driving. ~
And we're home!
And that is one day in the life of a traveling musical family.
Come back next week to hear about more of our adventures. Life is never dull around here.