The Travelin’ Grampa Touring the U.S.A. without an automobile Focus on safe, fast, convenient, comfortable, cheap travel, via public transit. Music Festivals Supplement Vol. 10, No. 7, July 2017 Photo credit: Red Frog Events, Firefly Music Festival. Firefly Music Festival 2017 in Dover, Delaware, reached by DART #301 bus, is said to have attracted 90,000 fans. It’s time again to ride a bus, or train, to a music festival Dozens of multi-day music festivals beckon during summer 2017. Ranging from psychedelically spotlighted rock music events, where performers and audience both jump around and wave their hands into the air, to those where the audience sits quietly as a full-fledged symphony orchestra plays classical music, many, if not most, of them are readily reachable by public transportation. The following pages of this special Music Festival Supplement focus on popular jazz, rock and classical music festivals and how to get to them via public transportation. Getting particular attention is the Firefly Music Festival, a four-day rock music fest in Dover, Delaware, attended by Grampa, who rode there by SEPTA train and DART First State bus. Photo credit: Town of Vail, Colorado. Telluride Chamber Music Festival symphony orchestra performance at Sheridan Opera House, Telluride, Colo. 1 . The Travelin’ Grampa Music Festivals Supplement . Here are a few Summer 17 classical music festivals: Telluride Chamber Music Festival, Sheridan Opera House Telluride, Colo., Aug. 10-13, has since 1973 specialized in presenting high quality small-ensemble performances of classical music of such composers as Brahms, Dvořák and Mozart. Galloping Goose Transit, a free bus system, services riders in the Town of Telluride and adjoining San Miguel County communities. Lincoln Center Festival, New York City, July 10-30; hosts more than 40 music, dance and theater events, ranging from jazz performances to a George Balanchine's ballet. Ride there on A, B, C, D or #1 subway train to 59th Street-Columbus Circle station. Or bus marked: M5, M7, M10, M11 or M104. Mostly Mozart Festival, David Geffen Hall, New York City, July 25 - Aug. 20, includes a nice variety of orchestral concerts, opera, chamber and contemporary music. MTA M5, M7, M10, M11, M66 and M104 bus lines all stop nearby. By subway, ride a #1 train to 66th St Station Grant Park Music Festival, Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Chicago, June 13 - Aug. 18: Grant Park Chorus marks its 50th year with beautiful music, such as Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana and Dvorak’s The Spectre’s Bride. From CTA Red Line or Blue Line subway/el train, exit at Jackson, walk three blocks east. Closer Madison-Wabash station currently closed, due to new Washington-Wabash station construction. CTA buses stopping near Grant Park are marked: 3, 4, 6, 7, 10*, 14, 126, 129, 146, 147, 151 or 173. Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, Civic Auditorium, Santa Cruz, Calif., July 30 - Aug. 12, maybe the USA’s longest-running festival of new orchestral works. This season, it boasts a stunning roster of international guest artists. Santa Cruz Metro #10 bus stops nearby. The auditorium is a several blocks walk from Santa Cruz Metro Center bus station. For more: www.cabrillomusic.org Wolf Trap, Filene Center, Vienna, Va., suburb of Washington DC, May 25 - Sept. 9: Wolf Trap Opera Company regularly performs Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Stravinsky’s Rake’s Progress. It joins this summer with the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington Chorus to perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Ride Metro Rail Orange Line to West Falls Church station and Fairfax Connector Wolf Trap Express Shuttle bus from there. For more: www.wolftrap.org Music Academy of the West Summer Festival, Santa Barbara, Calif., June 12 - Aug. 5 is a seaside series of orchestra, chamber and solo concerts, ten premieres, and a new piano competition, including the New York Philharmonic’s Alan Gilbert conducting Beethoven's 9th Symphony, billed as the Santa Barbara area’s “largest outdoor classical music performance in history.” Electric Downtown Waterfront Shuttle bus routes #31 and #32 stop near the academy. Mann Center for the Performing Arts. Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, May 11 - Aug. 26. The Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Curtis Symphony Orchestra, and cellist Johannes Moser are among this season’s highlights. Popular People’s Choice concert by the Philadelphia Orchestra is July 26. SEPTA special bus service for Mann Center events charges a regular $2.50 bus fare (free for seniors with proper ID). For more: http://www.iseptaphilly.com/mannloop Minnesota Orchestra Sommerfest, Symphony of the Cities, July 3 - Aug. 5, is in several different Twin Cities area locations: Lake Harriet, Mon, July 3; Plymouth, Wed. July 5; Winona, Thur. July 6; Hudson, Sun. July 9. For more: www.minnesotaorchestra.org and https://www.metrotransit.org/ Des Moines Metro Opera, Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa, June 23- July 16 performances include Benjamin Britten's Billy Budd, Sondheim's A Little Night Music, Piazzolla's Maria de Buenos Aires, and Puccini's Turandot. Indianola enjoys bus services of both Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) and Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA). Bravo! Vail, Gerald Ford Amphitheater, Vail, Colorado, June 22 - Aug. 4, marks its 30th season with four of the world’s finest orchestras: New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, and St. Martin in the Fields orchestra. Vail Transit and free village-to-village buses go there. 2 . FIREFLY MUSIC FESTIVAL . Photos credit: Facebook, Red Frog Events, Firefly Music Festival. Signs at Firefly Music Festival. Just as some events might have a place where cars can drop-off kiddies, Firefly had a parent drop off spot, from where Grampa could ride a tricycle pedicab to campsite or other destination. Firefly definitely not geared to grown-ups, but attracts many anyway Attendance at Firefly 2017 topped 90,000, say its promoters. Others guess 70.000, or maybe low as 60,000 paid full-price. When Grampa arrived early Thursday morning, official opening day, there was only a fraction of those numbers. Some vendors said they were told “to expect about 30% fewer fans” than the figure touted, said the daily Wilmington News Journal. “Ask just about any fan in The Woodlands and that person will tell you, the crowd is smaller,” wrote reporter Ryan Cormier. What definitely can be said about the audience is: it was ultimately humungous, overwhelmingly teenagers over age 16 and twenty-somethings, mostly female, light color skin, noisy and boisterous but otherwise well behaved, and largely sunburnt and exhausted by the time it was over. Grampa rode to Firefly on SEPTA train, #301 DART bus Grampa went to the annual Firefly Music Festival in Dover on a SEPTA #109 bus to Chester, Pa., SEPTA Regional Rail train to Wilmington, Del., and a DART #301 bus to Delaware State University. From there, it was a 25-minute walk to The Woodlands, the festival site, DART bus fare: $2.40. SEPTA train: $1.75. SEPTA bus: zero. Round-trip total: $8.30. For a not savvy adult, this trip could have cost $34 or more: $16 train, $4 SEPTA bus, $12 DART bus, because: (a) in Pennsylvania, seniors ride on public transit free*, (b) in Delaware, seniors pay half fare or less**, (c) SEPTA interstate railroad fare is 50% of regular adult fare, and (d) SEPTA train fare is cheaper from Chester than from center city stations. * Proper ID required, such as: SEPTA Senior photo ID card, or Medicare Card and photo ID showing age. ** Grampa has a red-color Senior DART Card, which cost $14 but provides $48 worth of rides. Photo credit: SEPTA. Photo credit: DART First State. SEPTA Regional Rail train and DART #3101 express bus Grampa rode on to Firefly Music Festival in Dover, Delaware. 3 . FIREFLY MUSIC FESTIVAL .. Grampa seemed only age 80&+ guy at Firefly festival At Firefly, Grampa sensed he was the lone age eighty-something guy among a congregation that ultimately grew to perhaps 70,000 teenagers and twenty-somethings, plus many ages 30&+ and a smatter of folks in their 50s. He wasn’t the only senior citizen there, however. “I think the first year, we were two of maybe 10 people over 45,” said an annual attendee. “There definitely have been older people the last couple of years.” Judging by a Firefly Over 50 message board, the festival attracts folks up to at least age 69, most buying VIP tickets and staying at nearby hotels, motels, or in comfortable recreational vehicles or trailers. A few camped-out in tents, such as one age 69, accompanied by two 30-somethings and 14-year-old granddaughter. Most seniors there came from Delaware or nearby Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania or Virginia communities. Some were from far away as New York, Ohio and Canada. Seniors ignore dust, rain, mud to enjoy music, partying, fun Guy named Jeffrey, age 57, was there by himself. “I am not a loner and I am not a misfit,” he insisted. “I just like good music.” Quite a few others at Firefly agreed with him. Gal named Allyson, also age 51, from Virginia, hoped to attend the Bonnaroo rock festival in Tennessee earlier in June, but that was at the same time as her son’s high school graduation. So, she went to Firefly instead. Performers named The Weeknd and Chance the Rapper performed at both events. Another age-resistant fan said, “Here I am at 60+ going to my 3rd Firefly. “I really enjoy the whole experience: the music, the people who won’t let mud, dust, or rain ruin their fun – and falling asleep to the happy sounds of the all-night partiers,” wrote another.