Windowseat: come to my birthday party

I'll be turning 30 on July 5th, 2001. (Eek! Where has this year gone?)

Y'all are invited to my party (well, parties).

I'm lucky enough that the Winnipeg Folk Festival (and Baggiecon) overlaps my birthday this year, which is a truly fine way to celebrate.

I like to think that Blue Rodeo, Crash Test Dummies, Cowboy Junkies, the Wyrd Sisters, Chuck Brodsky, Danu, Stephen Fearing, Sarah Harmer, James Keelaghan, Jess Klein, Tom Landa & the Paperboys, and the rest will all be playing music just for me. This may indicate I've got a bit of an ego problem, but hey. :)

There are main stage shows on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. And all sorts of stuff on a number of different smaller stages during the day on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Lots and lots of music to hear and see. Plus wares to check out, and food stands and whatnot.

I camp with a group of science fiction & folk music fans from Winnipeg, Minneapolis, Chicago, and other places and we call our little gathering Baggiecon. 'Cuz we sit together on giant baggies rather than tarps for the main stage shows. (We're usually easy to spot at main stage shows after dark because we wear pink and/or blue glowstick halos). Most of us camp together, some of us take turns cooking breakfast and dinner for each other. Folks do kinda scatter to do their own thing during the day. We tend to have a crowd of musicians playing music around our campfire after the main stage show ends until the sun begins to rise. Our campground is rather elaborate . . . kitchen tent, shade tent, storage tent, shower tent . . . and we enjoy it (though it can be a fair bit of work to set up). Many of us camp there, but some prefer not to rough it so much and to stay in hotels in Winnipeg (but they still hang out at the campsite a fair bit). It is very loud in the campsite and if you have trouble sleeping 'cuz of noise, you'll want to bring earplugs or make other arrangements.

Early bird passes cost $70 (in U.S. funds) until May 31st and cover all four days (and nights) of the festival. Campsite passes for the "festival" campground cost $11.50 (until June 30th). (Even if you decide to stay at a motel or hotel in Winnipeg, if you wanna hang around at Baggiecon at the campsite, you'll want to buy a campground pass).

I've had more fun at Baggiecon & the folk festival than just about anywhere in recent memory. For me, it's not so much about the music (though the music is wonderful) as it is about the comraderie. Hanging out with friends (new and old) is fabulous. Building the campfire, music circles, watching the northern lights, having all sorts of adventures. It's all so much fun that the sunscreen and bugspray and hauling of gear and sleeping in a tent stuff is worthwhile (and even sometimes fun).

If you've never been to the festival and are considering it and want more information, feel free to email me. I'm a relative newbie at this myself (I've only gone twice) so I'm still pretty aware of the Important Things You Need To Know when going for the first time.

If you're going on your own or with your own group of friends-- be sure to say "hi" to our Baggiecon group if you spot us. Some of us have Baggiecon shirts. At night at mainstage we sit on what looks like an oversized lunch baggie and after dark we'll have pink (and/or blue) glowy things on en masse. And I think this year we're going to try to mark our campsite with a sign or something (it already stands out somewhat because of the sheer number of tents in a circle + the shower tent setup).

As for other parties . . .

My friends in Minneapolis (and elsewhere) who don't do the Baggiecon thing expect there to be some sort of birthday shindig in Minneapolis a week or two before or after the festival. As details are settled, I'll post something here. While I feel weird making a big deal of my birthday, I'm excited if it means another excuse to gather together a bunch of my favorite people. :)

It's not about me, it is about my fabulous friends.