New York: Helping with the Grassroots Festival

Guess we are now professional volunteers... especially when you travel over 1000 miles to volunteer for two different music festivals: Old Songs in Altamont NY and Grassroots in  Trumansburg NY.

Downtown Trumansburg NY
Yes, a river runs through the town

So, late on a Sunday afternoon in early July we arrived at the Trumansburg Fairgrounds to find a the dance tent and kitchen tent in place but little else.  Being late on a Sunday afternoon there were few people around but that did not stop us from finding a relatively level place to park the trailer for the night.  Early the next morning we were on the job, meeting new volunteers and catching up with friends from the Virginia Key GrassRoots Festival where we volunteered the previous February.

Staff member Leslie from North Carolina
Fairgrounds infield in the background

About Tuesday it was time to venture into town, a short bicycle ride, and explore.  We canvased the main street checking the laundromats, pubs, bakeries, coffee shops, and health food store.  As we wandered back to our bicycles we noticed a friend from the Virginia Key GrassRoots Festival.  She was leaving a staff meeting at the GrassRoots Headquarters and suggested we pop in.  This was a great plan as we could visit with more of the crew.

GrassRoots Headquarters
An upstairs office in this
historic Masonic Lodge

Now we performed many random tasks during the two weeks of setup... everything from cleaning the toilets to building the kitchen.  It was all good fun and comradery.  One highlight was the day we made a lumber run.

A real lumber yard
our destination for rough cut lumber

Not knowing the area, we took the pick-up and head out to the lumber yard... about 20 miles away in Cayuga.  This is a rural area so we didn't expect there to be another lumber yard right down the road as happened on our return route.  However, Robert Collins Sawmill was the business we were told to frequent and I am so happy as it was a true experience!

Yes, it had rained the day before we visited

This was truly a "over the hills and through the woods to the lumber yard we go..." experience as Cayuga is located near the next lake in the Finger Lakes chain.  And, it seemed the hills were small mountains to this flat-lander.  The trip south west to the lumber yard was mostly through the woods and valley farms.  At one point we turned too early only to find a church thrift shop, it was open so we had to stop for a look.  Back in the truck, we drove back one block to the main road and continued to the lumber yard road.

When was the last time you selected lumber
from the store room?
Bet is wasn't like this!

Now, we were expecting to see a sign or a warehouse for the lumber.  No dice.  There was no sign only a dozer, two old buildings, a couple of pickups, stacks of lumber, and plenty of mud.  With a shopping list in hand we entered the building and inquired if this was the correct lumber yard.

Lumber stockpile
surrounded by hills and mountains

Yes, it was.  The younger gentleman stopped the mill, read our list, walked around the lumber piles and started selecting boards.  These were rough cut boards and the full 1x8 or 2x4.  Somehow we managed to fit a huge amount of lumber in the truck and prayed the ratchet straps would keep the lumber in the back of the truck.

Dance tents, serving as the volunteer check-in
on the grassy fields at the Trumansburg Fairgrounds

We made it back just before lunch and delivered the wood to the in-field.  We could not miss one of the wonderful crew meals which are provided by local residents and/or businesses.   

Relaxing at lunch with the
Volunteer record keeper (computer)

The lumber was used to build additional 'comfort houses' AKA a multi-station, unisex, plumbed outhouse.  Sorry, no pictures.

Building the dance floor

After two weeks of set-up we were hopefully ready for the festival opening on Thursday 7/16... I was set to open the kitchen registers and help with random tasks, Bill was a Stage Crew Leader on the in-field stage.  But the universe had other plans for us as the cell phone rang late Wednesday evening with disturbing news... we had to return to Florida immediately due to my mother's condition.  So, we packed it up, said our farewells and left Trumansburg on a rainy Thursday morning.

Trumansburg after a rain

On the positive side, we had a wonderful two weeks in the area with old and new friends, sampling wonderful ice cream, hiking the gorges, and in general enjoying life.