Staycation Day 1

We never go away for Labor Day weekend. There's a lot that one can do around here without leaving a 10 mile radius, and the Ford Arts, Beats & Eats festival is one of them. Knitting is another. I'm glad I chose not to mix the two.

My husband and I went to the festival yesterday afternoon, spending $15 to park a half mile from the event, $3 each to get in and $40 for food tickets, half of which we didn't use. Still, the weather was perfectly cool with a high of around 60 degrees with winds out of the north (thank you, Canada!). The crowds were enormous, the food really good and the music at the different band stands was decent.

Can't figure out why people are standing in line for free flax samples.

I'd never heard of Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas before this week and now I've seen her twice. The first was on a morning news show and I'm enamored with her voice. And look! She looks cute without going all Lady Gaga on the audience. While she has tats, her bits are actually covered. LG was in town last night, too, though her venue was at a concert hall where ticket prices ranged from a low of $75 to the heavens. I really think I got the better end of that deal.

This is the first time we've been to this festival. Prior to this year, it's been held in downtown Pontiac where the festival had a hard time attracting vendors and crowds. This year it's in the town next door to us. It's so close, we could have walked if it weren't for my back. I don't resent the parking fee. It helps the host city recoup its costs for police, sanitation and the like. The admission fee goes to charities.

The festival runs through tomorrow night, and I may go back for the music. The lineup for the rest of the weekend includes War, Clint Black, Macy Gray, Alexander Zonjic & Friends and Kansas, just to name a few. There are different stages sure to appeal to everyone.

Be prepared for the monumental size of the crowds if you decide to go. At times it felt as though we were in a cattle chute.

Oh...sometime last night, my brain clicked in and despite the varying yarns, I was able to read my knitting to see where I'd been and where to go from that point. It's almost a shawl!