OT: DS FEST DATES CHANGE

[victoriawinters]

my name is victoriawinters...  new dates for the 2003 fest have been announced.... the new dates are august 29, 30 and 31 (labor day week-end).  be sure to change your hotel reservations if you haven't already. special full day bus trip added to visit the locations collinwood and blue whale in newport, rhode island.  fest is still in brooklyn, new york, the brooklyn marriott.

i don't know about all of you but i am actually glad because of the extra day trip to the sites.  plus, this will work better for my schedule.   (*engages denial mechanisms-full throttle*)

[Connie]

I wonder why the dates have been changed -- and to a holiday weekend.  Oy...I can just see the traffic now - people heading in droves out to the Island for the "last weekend of summer".

I can only think of two possibilities.  Either a problem with the hotel arose and this was the only alternative availability, OR one of the "major" Fest draws (not naming names, LOL) has announced to Jim Pierson that they've developed a conflict re: the previous date.

Anybody know?

-CLC

[Raineypark]

Driving towards the city will be bad enough....but did they give no consideration to those who will have to fly?  How much more expensive will those plane tickets be for the holiday weekend?  How much harder will it be to GET flights that weekend?

And how many people will be unable to come because they have kids who have already started school, are about to start school, or college aged kids who have to be TAKEN to school over that weekend?

I'm assuming that this was the absolute ONLY weekend they could agree on, with the hotel and all the performers, because it's an appallingly poor choice.

raineypark

[MsCriseyde]

And how many people will be unable to come because they have kids who have already started school, are about to start school, or college aged kids who have to be TAKEN to school over that weekend?

I'm assuming that this was the absolute ONLY weekend they could agree on, with the hotel and all the performers, because it's an appallingly poor choice.

Have to agree wholeheartedly with Raineypark on this one. The university where I am a grad student doesn't get Labor Day off in the first place (which is just wrong), so that is the first day of classes for the semester.

Assuming that I get the teaching contract extension that I would need to afford to attend the Fest in the first place, I will need to be at the university at that time in order to teach.

And the air travel situation is going to be utterly ridiculous, so the Festival is pretty much out of the realm of possibility for me now.

[Midnite]

And how many people will be unable to come because they have kids who have already started school, are about to start school, or college aged kids who have to be TAKEN to school over that weekend?

Exactly.  I was so unbelievably ticked off when I read the announcement and I'm not feeling all that much better about it this morning.  I can't imagine how I'd be able to make it with my kids starting new schools the weeks before and after.  I won't even get into how I feel about flying to the other coast on a holiday weekend cuz that would undoubtedly trigger one of the forum's censored words.

A day trip by bus from Brooklyn to Newport and back?  Not for the faint of heart, or kidneys, methinks.

BTW, victoriawinters, if a post has to do with DS, it's not off-topic.

[Carol]

Is it so unreasonable for Jim Pierson to poll the fan base on where & when they would like the DS Fests? I know you can't please all of the fans all of the time but at least get an idea of the graphics.
Who in their right mind would schedule a fest on a holiday weekend with school/college starting up and family get-togethers planned? Not to mention airfare price increases and busy holiday air traffic.

[MrsJ]

...  I won't even get into how I feel about flying to the other coast on a holiday weekend cuz that would undoubtedly trigger one of the forum's censored words.

LOL!  Probably the only thing to laugh about concerning this whole issue...couldn't have picked a worse weekend.  And, while a bus trip from NYC to RI is a nice idea, but the practicality of it, especially on that weekend is virtually nil.  I know I wouldn't want to be sitting on I-95 for hours and hours...

MrsJ.

[Raineypark]

This gets worse and worse the more we talk about it.

I have one of those milestone birthdays that weekend...you know, the ones where your family members INSIST on throwing a surprise party for you, even though you have repeatedly threatened to kill anyone stupid enough to try?

How do I tell them I'm going away that weekend, without ruining  all their fun?

Assuming, of course, the niece who's getting married SOME time in August hasn't already chosen that weekend!!

raineypark

[ProfStokes]

Well, this is a lousy piece of news.  Maybe we should just hold our own festival, since there seem to be so many problems with this one.

ProfStokes

[Raineypark]

Okay, somebody tell us where to address the irate comments.....it's still 9 months away and if they get enough furious responses they just might have to re-think this idiotic plan.

rainey

[MsCriseyde]

Okay, somebody tell us where to address the irate comments.....it's still 9 months away and if they get enough furious responses they just might have to re-think this idiotic plan.

The Fest web site gives an email address for comments:

pansyfaye@darkshadowsfestival.com

Lest anyone think that I am divulging an email address that has not been advertised as being open for comments, the URL of the page that mentions that email address is:

http://www.darkshadowsfestival.com/page04.asp#trivia

If you prefer snail mail, the Festival's address is:

Dark Shadows Festival
P.O. Box 92
Maplewood, NJ 07040-0092

If you expect a response via snail mail, it's probably a good idea to enclose a SASE.

And some worthless words of advice from someone who has taught Business Writing in college for 3 semesters . . .

Complaint letters that do nothing beyond complaining generally accomplish very little.

Complaint letters that are polite and request a specific course of action in order to address the problem tend to accomplish more, particularly if they also grant that the person or people to whom you're writing do honestly believe they have legitimate reasons (even if you consider them ludicrous) for acting as they have.

End of English teacher speech.

[Carol]

Well, this is a lousy piece of news.  Maybe we should just hold our own festival, since there seem to be so many problems with this one.ProfStokes

  You know, not a bad idea, Prof. Stokes!
  Even tho the hub cities of NY and LA are easier for the actors involved, why couldn't  you have a Halloween/DS Fest in Tarrytown? Or a Summer-by-the-Sea Fest in Newport?
  I think Jim Pierson needs to get creative and come up with new ideas that logistically work.  I can see the traffic now with several bus loads pulling into an already overcrowded Newport the last holiday of the summer season.
   

[ProfStokes]

  I think Jim Pierson needs to get creative and come up with new ideas that logistically work.  

Someone I know suggested a cruise.  That would take care of the location and the field trip, lol.

ProfStokes

[Carol]

Someone I know suggested a cruise.  That would take care of the location and the field trip, lol.ProfStokes

One of the soap operas on ABC is doing just that next year. You have to go thru a selected travel agent but family & friends are invited. And, now that you brought that up, wasn't there a DS cruise several years ago?Did anyone go and if so, how was it?

[Raineypark]

.....particularly if they also grant that the person or people to whom you're writing do honestly believe they have legitimate reasons (even if you consider them ludicrous) for acting as they have.

I have no doubt whatever that they believe they have legitimate reasons for doing this.  But I also believe that after so many years of successful Festivals, it's practically inevitable that they would begin to take their fans for granted.   Where else are the fans going to see the performers?  WE don't have an alternative.

Personally, I've already met the only performer that interests me.  I was much more interested in meeting some of YOU....and while it was looking doubtful even before this date change, I hadn't entirely given up hope.

raineypark