Folks, with 3 days to go until Maplewoodstock 2022, here are a few last-minute reminders.
First, the festival is this weekend, July 9-10, 2022. Some of you saw a flyer from our canceled October 2021 attempt. There was no October festival; there will not be a future October festival. We are re-using the already-printed flyers from last October. There is a one-page insert listing the 2022 lineup (and the lineup is on our maplewoodstock.com website).
Second, we had a Canopy Lottery for attendees this year. If you weren’t selected in the lottery, do not bring a canopy to the festival. Only those attendees selected in the lottery should bring their canopies.
Third, we have rearranged our layout. We have moved the Arts Vendors, Food Vendors, Kidzone, and Beer Garden across the creek and Duck Pond to the East Field. (The footbridge by the Duck Pond has been repaired.) This arrangement provides much more room for attendees on and around the hill, as well as more space in the “Vendor Village.”
Fourth, once the festival is underway, we will try to provide real-time updates and announcements on our Twitter account – @maplewoodstock. You don’t have to be a Twitter user; just point your web browser at twitter.com/maplewoodstock to see updates.
Lastly, whether you are new to Maplewoodstock or a long-time attendee, we encourage you to read our Canopy, Space, and Crowd Policy.
We look forward to seeing all of your smiling faces this weekend!
All festival spectator canopy slots have been filled but we expect a limited number of "no shows" each morning.
If you are a Maplewood or South Orange resident and would like to be added to the wait list, please email maplewoodstockcanopies@gmail.com with your name, cell phone number, and day(s) you want to be on the wait list. By joining the wait list, you should be prepared to receive a phone call and set up a canopy on Saturday or Sunday morning between 10-11AM on short notice. Being added to the wait list will not guarantee a canopy location; only winners will be notified.
For all lottery winners, please re-review your notification email for your specific arrival time and instructions.
Looking forward to seeing everyone at the festival!
And what was even better is that those of us on the sides could actually see the lead singer because he came to the front of the stage. I wish more of them would move forward so they aren't blocked by the "curtains" showing the sponsors.
Galactic was excellent! Thanks for another great year! My favorite weekend every year. I didn't particularly care for people leaving their garbage on my blanket, but otherwise a stellar weekend.
Thank You for another wonderful event. And Thanks to your volunteers, who helped me set up our canopy on Sunday (I am recovering from surgery). The lottery concept was a great idea.
One of the many people who shared the canopy with us came up with an interesting thought. While the festival is free for everyone (with main fees paid by food vendors and artisans), the canopies are so sought after, that you should consider a small fee for the winners in the canopy lottery.
At $20 each, you would generate $4,600, which should help towards the festival budget. We had some 10-15 people circulate through our canopy area, so it is less than $2.00 per attendant. Even going to $30 or $40 per canopy would not be escessive.
Having the food/artisan village on the other side of the river was a blessing (in terms of space & noise reduction) for attendees, but I don't know whether the food vendors saw the same sales volume as they did while at the top of the hill. You need to canvas them, and then decide what should be done going forward.
As a regular at Maplewoodstock, I enjoyed not having multiple generators running in the old food court area.
I second Tomcat's suggestion that canopy winners pay a small fee.
Also, for next year, part of the agreement could be that if a canopy holder does not clean up properly, that household may not enter the lottery next year. As we left Sunday evening I looked at the amount of trash left behind by the canopies nearest the library and hoped the young people cleaned it all up.
Again, thank you to all the organizers and volunteers.
I wonder if an October event would be more enjoyable. A festival in crisp, autumn air.
We almost had it in October last year - hence the old date on the handout.
The big plus with July is - daylight. We only hit darkness usually during the final act (which is perfect). In October we'd go dark about 2 hours sooner - and it gets a bit colder at night and sometimes during the day. Does anyone know of 2 day music fests in our area in October - I'd be up for attending one to see how it goes.
We almost had it in October last year - hence the old date on the handout.
The big plus with July is - daylight. We only hit darkness usually during the final act (which is perfect). In October we'd go dark about 2 hours sooner - and it gets a bit colder at night and sometimes during the day. Does anyone know of 2 day music fests in our area in October - I'd be up for attending one to see how it goes.
Yes. Lighting would be involved and the noise from generators would ruin the experience. Westchester County used to have a Labor Day Bluegrass concert on a farm museum. Mid September, from 1 to 6 would probably work. Probably better kept as it is in summer.
sheesh. Maplewoodstock has only been held in July since 2004. I guess we need a few more years to figure out whether the event can be a success in the summertime.
We had a great time at the FunkYeah concert. The next day, we went back for the food vendors and along the way had a conversation with one of the vendors selling clothing. They were disappointed not to be closer to the music, which was barely audible. I know funds are tight, but I'm wondering whether wireless speakers set up in the vendor area would help make vendors feel like they're more a part of the festival and also give customers the feeling that they're not missing out by exploring the booths. We enjoyed the generous space for the vendors, though -- it was easier to walk through and see everything.
Unfortunately, it was too pricey to bring the music to the vendor field. It would have been a lot easier if the river wasn't there.
On Sunday - we did bring in a second stage to the beer garden (big thanks to Matt Mattheiss for making this happen). We were hoping that would bring more music to the whole area. But the only location available in the beer garden didn't make it easy to point the speakers that way.
Loved the setup, loved the tent lottery. Selfishly, would have loved to have had the Beer Garden at the top of the hill, but understand you need an anchor for the other vendors to draw customers. Time will tell in the form of repeat vendors and their new location, but from an audience member's POV, it was fantastic not to have the food vendors and everything that comes with them at their prior location.
I'd also suggest you charge the juggling/plate-spinning dude who kinda set up his own space at the top of the amphitheater. He was an odd duck but had a lot of kids engaged--assume he was promoting his business and didn't pay to be there.
It was great and the canopy system went very well! I would definitely be willing to pay a modest canopy fee. I agree that it wasn't as nice for the vendors so anything that can be done to improve that experience for them would be great, but I was happy to have the hillside space all available for the audience.
Writing on behalf of the volunteer Maplewoodstock Committee, we take all the input and feedback we receive seriously. And, we discuss it all during our August debrief and fall "ramp up" meetings to plan the upcoming year's festival. There are various reasons (financial, logistical, aesthetic, etc.) we act or don't act on suggestions, but we can assure everyone that all ideas are considered.
sheesh. Maplewoodstock has only been held in July since 2004. I guess we need a few more years to figure out whether the event can be a success in the summertime.
It wouldn't be a Maplewood tradition without the complaining.
sheesh. Maplewoodstock has only been held in July since 2004. I guess we need a few more years to figure out whether the event can be a success in the summertime.
It wouldn't be a Maplewood tradition without the complaining.
there's a running joke among the committee members about how often they hear comments that start with "you know what you SHOULD do..."
After 3 years away I was so happy for it to be back. One thing I thought was lacking was garbage cans. I had to walk across the park to throw out garbage and it seemed like some people just decided to create their own garbage areas. Bring back Shark Hat and 3rd Gear!
Folks, with 3 days to go until Maplewoodstock 2022, here are a few last-minute reminders.
First, the festival is this weekend, July 9-10, 2022. Some of you saw a flyer from our canceled October 2021 attempt. There was no October festival; there will not be a future October festival. We are re-using the already-printed flyers from last October. There is a one-page insert listing the 2022 lineup (and the lineup is on our maplewoodstock.com website).
Second, we had a Canopy Lottery for attendees this year. If you weren’t selected in the lottery, do not bring a canopy to the festival. Only those attendees selected in the lottery should bring their canopies.
Third, we have rearranged our layout. We have moved the Arts Vendors, Food Vendors, Kidzone, and Beer Garden across the creek and Duck Pond to the East Field. (The footbridge by the Duck Pond has been repaired.) This arrangement provides much more room for attendees on and around the hill, as well as more space in the “Vendor Village.”
Fourth, once the festival is underway, we will try to provide real-time updates and announcements on our Twitter account – @maplewoodstock. You don’t have to be a Twitter user; just point your web browser at twitter.com/maplewoodstock to see updates.
Lastly, whether you are new to Maplewoodstock or a long-time attendee, we encourage you to read our Canopy, Space, and Crowd Policy.
We look forward to seeing all of your smiling faces this weekend!