A Pirate and a Parade
Parade
The parade on Saturday at 5pm is a Grey Fox staple, though unfortunately it was cancelled last year due to the excessive mud. This year it made a smaller-than-usual comeback with only a few short floats, but all of the typical bluegrass mayhem.
A Pirate’s Scheme
As I was leaving the parade area a drunken man dressed sort of like a pirate approached me with a business proposition. It may have been a real pirate, but his business plan wasn’t as well thought out as his outfit.
He saw my camera and lens, and thought he could charge people $5 for a photo with a pirate. He’d grab an innocent gathering of 2-6 people and advertise me as his professional photographer. This was their chance to have their picture taken with a pirate, he’d mutter. Due to my zoom lens I had to back up at least 10 feet after he found his victim. He’d always scream out “Where’d he go?”, as if I had stealthily maneuvered into a nearby tent. I hadn’t. I had just backed away a bit, and he was incredibly drunk.
How drunk was he? I wanted to ask, but there was no way of asking without sounding concerned or accusatory. I legitimately just wanted to know how many beers it took a man that size to be that drunk at 6pm. Over the course of the past 6 hours I probably had 3 deliciously frosty Sierra Nevada beers, but I considered myself fairly sober. Had he had 10 beers? 30 beers? I was just curious.
He didn’t want me to leave, though I tried to exit the area several times. He wanted to exchange details in order to handle billing and delivery. I said I’d stop by later in the evening. If he asks, just tell him I stopped by and he was passed out on the floor.
A Band on an RV
Once I lost the pirate I discovered a group of people with instruments climbing on top of an RV. I don’t remember what they sounded like, and I may not have even been able to hear them. RVs are fairly tall. But it made for some interestingly steep angles in these shots.
Click Here for Main Stage Changes — Year 2
The Grey Fox (2018) Boxed Set (this is a multiple-page post) Introduction The High Meadow Day Stage (Main) The High Meadow Night Stage (Main) The Dance Stage The Creekside Stage and The Sierra Nevada Tent Jamming Around the Farm The Fans of Grey Fox A Pirate and a Parade Main Stage Changes -- Year 2
LET IT BE REVEALED 
I’ve enjoyed your post and your photo’s. Although your knowledge of the festival itself is a bit short because you miss a very large part by not staying on site. I understand your point of view as far as it goes. I do disagree with your opinion about the day stage and recognize that it is poorly informed and over simplified. You are obviously unaware that several big name performers have refused to play the outdoor stage in the afternoon hours because they are looking directly into the sun and it is blistering hot on that stage for them. Notably, in 2016 a large part of the schedule had to be re-arranged on the fly because of one performers refusal to play. I do understand your perspective given the information you have, but please know that there are other elements in play here.
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