Concertgoers frustrated by parking problems

LIMESTONE – Just after 8 a.m. Friday morning, the few, the proud and the weary were finally allowed in. That’s how It began.

After bag searches for fireworks, weapons and drugs, a dozen fans trickled through the gates on foot across the tarmac at the former Loring Air Force Base in hopes of catching a prime camping spot and maybe some much-needed rest.

A half-hour later, the deluge of cars, trucks and campers began. And so did the parking troubles inside of the festival.

As hundreds of cars streamed through the gates and moved easily to the venue, some fans complained that parking was not as close to the camping area as they had expected.

Unpacking also became cumbersome for many festival-goers who had loaded their vehicles to capacity with coolers, tents and consumables.

“I think it’s a problem that we’re not being allowed to camp next to our vehicles,” said Jason Mcalister, a 24-year-old from Kansas City, Mo.

Many fans depend on their cars for shelter and music. They have loads of stuff to carry, and it’s really difficult when parking is so far away, he said.

“The car situation has been a problem, but everything else has been great,” Mcalister said.

On the first morning of festival activities, the only music to be heard was created by zippers, steel poles and canvas. By noon, an ever-expanding city of tents and tarps was taking shape.

From 8:30 a.m., rows of tents sprouted on the moist ground like a forest of green, white and yellow mushrooms.

Only inches away from one another, campers clustered in small tribes, eventually forming a loose network of trails that snaked in and out of the tent city.

“I’ve been to other Phish shows, but here it’s more like family,” said Ashley Jouss, 19, of Gaithersburg, Md. “We’re all struggling to get to the show, struggling to get the tent up. It’s awesome.”