“Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it. Plan more than you can do, then do it. “
Anonymous

In Honor of Artscape and all festivals like it will share with you guys my plan. This is how I enjoy just about every festival I go to. This should work with most festivals, but especially those that are local for you. I’ll use Artscape as my template.

Know the layout
I know where everything is during artscape, I know what buildings what to type of performances are inside, where the black painters usually end up. Where the breakers will be. Most importantly I know the layout for ghetto scape, the low-budget-not-always-legal-vendors that set up across the street. The most important things you can know are the major meeting spots. These are the post-ups…

Post Up
If you want to enjoy a festival truly posting up is required. There was a time when I would go late cause I was trying to gather manpower or find a place to meet. No more. I know all you have to do is find one person and post up in a good place. (whisper) If you post up they will come. A good post up with one person can turn into a group of 20+ people. The other bonus to posting up (if you have my boyish charm) is that instead of you hunting for the ladies they start to choose you. Sooner or later you’ll have nice group of women in your vicinity making themselves visible.

Get In
One thing is a true a free concert will bring out people. It is most important to have a route to get to the front of the stage with as little trouble as possible. There have been plenty of concerts where I didn’t sweat it, but any one I really wanted to see I was right up front. I won’t tell my Artscape route, but I recommend you get one. In reality mine is very visible it’s just not a way everyone wants to take, opting instead to gaze from afar.

Eat first
Now, I know that food becomes a big part of these joints, but you have to eat on your own terms. Remember everything is festival prices! If you depend on them for your meals you’ll spend a lot of time in line and drop a nice amount of cash to stay fed. Eat early so when you go you can pick and choose and won’t end up in the shorter line just trying to hurry up and grab something.

Know the aftermath
Just about every year I end up chilling for like 3 hours after it all shuts down. A lot of times I go somewhere in the area afterwards in a group. For one that’s like an impromptu party and ladies will do the same. Know the good place to go! Don’t fall for those so-called after parties with after festival prices. You’ve been in a crowd all day and being in another one won’t up your chances. I find that finding a nice spot with tables outside is the perfect place. It allows you a chance to pull up on some of the ladies you don’t know that are attached to your group and it may carry over to going to someones house. Can you say intimate? I knew you could.

Things to watch out for

Folding Chairs
These bastards are becoming the bane of my festival enjoyment. People, in an effort to secure a spot near the stage are setting these things up early and chilling until the show starts. This means that people like me don’t have as much room to dance and act a fool when my performer of choice comes on. If you can find someone who is there to take pictures or something like that get them to hold a spot early…but people ain’t always down for that.

Wrong People
In your posting up you will attract lot’s of people. Some of these people you do not want to chill with. They will bring your group value down meaning that you will attract less ladies. Plus some cats just want to jump all over the females and that makes them close up. You need people that know how to work the group well. One person that’s manditory for my group is AbRock. Charasmatic, knows how to work a group, live at shows, energetic and married. The ladies are on him, but he’s not on the market. That means he enhances your group without taking away from your numbers.

Rain
Into plenty of festivals some rain must fall. The important thing to remember is there is rain-rain and festival rain. Festival rain lasts maybe 30 mins. and when it ends the sun comes out and dries things up. You must always know where to go in case of festival rain. When people think it will rain they won’t come out. When they find out it’s festival rain, more people tend to come out. They see the sky all clear again and the ground no longer wet and they can’t resist. Have a place to wait out festival rain. That way you don’t get soaked or go.

A good teacher must also be a good student…any tips are welcome.