http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060722/NEWS01/607220331
Article published Jul 22, 2006 GrassRoots Festival After Dark By Michael Dedek Special to The Journal TRUMANSBURG — As nightfall sets in, the GrassRoots Festival campground has developed into a transient village.
It's a place where most residents set up their camp on the same plot year after year, establishing perennial GrassRoots neighbors. The village even has a ghetto — composed mostly of the younger festivalgoers — that some call “Tent Town.” It seems that many of the older veterans park RVs on cushy infield sites, while the younger novices erect tents near the perimeter of the grounds (a few novices sleep in their cars).
If the fairgrounds during the GrassRoots Festival becomes its own universe for four days, the site late at night becomes another world. While the scheduled music ends in the wee hours after midnight, activity never really stops. Something's always going on. And in that time between midnight and sunrise, GrassRoots becomes almost a separate event.
Like the structure and partitioning of the campsites, the nightlife at GrassRoots is divided by age, with most of the older audiences retiring to bed before the music has ceased, and the younger carousing until 5 a.m.
“When it gets dark, more problems arise than during the day time. Sometimes the worst comes out of people under the cover of darkness,” said Edward Abruzzo, Zone Sergeant of the New York State Police. He monitored the GrassRoots entrance and a cross walk on Route 96 at 10:30 p.m. on Thursday.
At that time, no arrests had been made, and Sergeant Abruzzo was not anticipating any overt criminal activity. He said that Thursday nights are mild. Trouble arises on Friday and Saturday nights.
People “might have too much to drink. There are people who bring drugs onto the festival grounds,” said Sergeant Abruzzo. “But overall, it's a very mellow crowd.”
When Donna the Buffalo took the infield stage at 11:30 p.m., a group of young men stood at the margins of the audience. A skinny, half-bald man in his 20s crouched with a rose colored, queen-sized sheet wrapped around him like a toga.
“It's so good to wrap yourself up in a sheet when you're on hallucinogens,” he said.
The group of men was clandestinely selling what they claimed to be LSD. They didn't announce their trade, but customers flocked to the group. Within 15 minutes, three young men and one young woman asked the group if they had any mushrooms, which contain the hallucinogen psilocybin.
“No, but we have candy,” said one of the men. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a few strips of paper that were shaped like stirring sticks. He ripped off two scraps, which his customers quickly placed under their tongues.
“Usually, I do this while I'm walking, but it's night and no one can see,” said the man.
He said he made about $800 and depleted his supplies during the first seven hours he was at the festival.
“I'm not selling for profit,” he claimed.
According to medic Kevin Romer, who has worked at the festival for 16 years, the number of cases of “potential substance abuse,” which typically occur at night, has reduced, and the festival has become much safer.
“The numbers have gone down,” said Romer. “That's why I feel comfortable saying that it's better now than five years ago. I think one year we took 16 to the hospital, and it started on Thursday night, which was really bad ... I've seen it at its best, and I've seen it at its worst. I think we're at its best.”
Last year, the state police arrested five people for driving while intoxicated, 29 for trespassing and five for drug possession during the festival weekend. There were no reports of assault.
“If you look at the overall population that comes to this event, it's a very mellow crowd. It's a nice crowd, and the vast major ity don't give us any problems,” said Abruzzo. “People come here to enjoy themselves.”
Standing next to a tent covered with tie-dyed tapestries and holding a bottle of Molson Canadian, Kevin Weiland denounced the “under scene” of the GrassRoots nightlife.
“Music and drug use have been tied since humanity was created,” said Weiland. “In general most people can handle the substance that they use. It's all about mature usage. But then, of course, you get the young punks that don't know how to do it, and that's where problems come up.”
After midnight, anyone over the age of 30 virtually disappears, with the exception of the drum circle. On Thursday night, a man in his 60s was dancing, bare-chested, to trance-like African drums around an open fire.
But most of the older generations prefer their beds.
As the Can Kickers wrapped up their set at 11 p.m., 50-something GrassRoots veteran Paul Canaway retired to his sleeping bag.
“I'm not too much of a night person anymore in my old age,” he said. “This is actually on the later side for me. Thursday night's my late night ... I'll probably listen to Donna [the Buffalo] from the tent and fall asleep.”
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Quote:
“Music and drug use have been tied since humanity was created,” said Weiland. “In general most people can handle the substance that they use. It's all about mature usage. But then, of course, you get the young punks that don't know how to do it, and that's where problems come up.”
On Thursday night, a man in his 60s was dancing, bare-chested, to trance-like African drums around an open fire.
These two lines brought back a wonderful rush of memories from roo that had been...misplaced. Thanks.
-------------------- channel your inner Larry David
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