We had an absolute blast this year!! Perfect weather... great times with great friends... Chupacabras rule!!
I was gonna PM a couple of the Chups but I am sure they will read Ryans' thread so I am putting my thoughts here for all to read. The "new" venue just blew me away. I was glad the east end of the fairgrounds was only closed off to vehicles but not foot traffic. I actually walked over there three times to visualize the difference from last years show. Jill and I finally decided the west end is definitely larger--the other side being deceptive because of the driveway through the middle. I just really hope it is financially beneficial to the club to keep it here. The obvious BEST feature is the stage. Now you can see the music from anywhere. I know the sun was about to melt Dale and the gang by the time they got up there but they are troopers and did not seem to mind the big spotlite in the sky! The music drifted over the entire field and was my favorite change from before. Loud enough to hear but not too loud to affect conversation. The folks lucky enough to be parked in the stage area were comfortably kicked back in their rides able to watch the jams! The vendor area had a paved drive making for easy flow from browsers. A good mix of food, art, and kulture necessities. The clubs decision to let folks rent an extra space for chairs and coolers between friends cars who arrived together was a huge improvement over the cramped feeling of the east end. Laughter and merriment rolled through the air, music to our ears as we strolled the grounds taking it all in, the overall vibe was Casual and Kool. To echo what Brian B*** said in his post, it was very much family oriented. Lots of cute kids who were no problem. Not your usual baby stroller crowd so prevelant at other shows. These were kids growing up IN the scene not just observing it! There were plenty of folks imbiding but no stumbling, obnoxious drunks. The on again, off again Kacklefest throughout the day was music to some ears while not obtrusive to others. Finally and probably only personally, since I came as a spectator instead of a participant this year there was another thing that really got me. You bought your (cheap) entry p*** at the old style ticket window and walked in to the fairgrounds between the awesome old rodeo rink on one side and the livestock barns on the other. Totally kool, after all we are talking Denton and we are talking Texas and we are talking retro so I really dug that feel. Hoping for that same feel this weekend at the old Power Plant down south! Thanks for the HAMB, Ryan, so folks like me can share our feelings! Eddy in Dallas
sounds like a really cool show - and yeah - that '36..................ugh TOO MUCH! makes me wanna throw my '35 in the junk pile.
The B&W is playing tricks on my eyes. The wheels on the bare steel A look black in one shot and light colored in the other.
Thanks for the kind words Eddy. You and Jill have supported our little show from the beginning and your take on things is somthing I always look forward to. BTW, my bike should be ready to ride by mid December! Thanks again, Ed
I have another take on this.... Ryan, my respect for you has gone up! You put your family first. You wanted to go to this event for years, but you would not because you knew you had to do the right thing for your daughter. When the situation worked out that you could go, you brought the whole family, and left early to be with extended family. It is a great hobby we enjoy, but it does take a backseat to family.
The Jalopy Journal
