2016 Surly Darkness

Never been to darkness day but I would like to go this year. I am reading about camping, lining up on Friday, bottling sharing at a table/tent, ect.

Someone needs to paint this picture for me. If you are waiting in line, how are people able to camp out? And how can there be bottle share tables if you are standing in line? Seems like you would lose your place in line to either sleep or bottle share.

Sorry, just trying to understand how this all works. Ive been to Dark Lord Day, but I did not get there early when all the bottle sharing was going on. I got there at 2pm this year and most of the sharing was over.

 

You camp in line. You bottle share in line. :-) Cheers

 

One more for good measure

 

You show up. You nicely listen to the volunteers telling you were to park (me). You park your car. You take your chairs, canopy's, tents, grills, tvs, N64s and whatever else you have to the end of the line. You set up your stuff (not the tents until after 7:00). That's your spot. You can freely walk up and down the line, visit. Drink beer. Start Dumpster Fires. Best to keep someone in your area if possible to make sure no shenanigans happen, but you are free to walk. The next morning you'll be told to tear down your stuff and compress the line in a nice orderly fashion.

 

Ideally you don't show up on Saturday morning with yoga pants on.
Unless of course, @Bonedizzle is a smoking hot babe, then by all means...

Because you are from Nebraska, I will kindly ask you to refrain from acting like it. No one wants to hear about how the Cornhuskers were good years ago.

 

When you're there long enough on Friday, who get to know "who is around you." There's not really a "set" line, but more of a guideline on the Friday before. You might have those that get there at noon (typically near the front) but then more of their friends might show up throughout the day to join them.

You leave your stuff up at night, tear it all down in the morning. Then, that's when the "real" line starts (usually a few people wide). They eventually come by and check ID's, then they come by and give you a wrist band with a time slot on it. That's when you can disperse and put your stuff back in your car, etc.

The earlier you get there on Friday, there won't be too many people who end up cutting in front of you by joining friends, or whatever. But as you can imagine, the later you get there and set up camp, the more groups there are in front of you, it gets harder to keep tabs on who is cutting and who isn't.

My advice is just to get there as close to noon the Friday before as you can. Suck it up and enjoy the day, rain or shine (although shine makes the day infinitely better).

 

DO NOT GET THERE AT NOON! They will tell you to piss off if you try to get in line then. They specifically state do not show up until 3:30. You can be that guy and park in the streets around the area, but you can't line up until then.

 

What if we know a volunteer and we bring him a tasty beverage?

 

Try living here

 

Ha! I'll echo what BrettHead said on that one. I'm new to Darkness Day, so please be patient, but am not sure I'd plan on camping - how late are people drinking? Assuming if I show up between 2 and 4am, most people are passed out or have already had enough to drink (if that's even a thing)?

Thanks!

 

Based off my experience last year, I'd say it depends. There's a good chance that the people further up the line who have been there all day will be done for the night already (as they were drinking all day), however the people in line around you would have also been late to arrive. Whether or not they plan to drink or just hunker down when arriving that late... Not sure.

I'm sure you'll find some people to talk and share some beer with.

 

ok, I see no line in those pictures, more like a mass of people. I guess I will figure it out when I get there. or just pull an all nighter

 

I think most of the folks who start early in the afternoon/evening have wound down by this point. However if there are other people arriving near you in line, they may be down to share. My first year, my group got there at ~2am and drank until the official line formed. We had a decent size crowd at our table most of the night too. Last few years we have been getting there earlier on friday and are usually done drinking by 1am or so and pass out/sleep for a couple of hours.

 

That mass of people is an informal line going down one side of the road and looping back around the otherside. It gets condensed into an actual line in the morning.

Herein lies the problem, where the condensing can be tricky as people cut across, or friends join at the last minute. Surly volunteers do their best to try and prevent this, but with the sheer number of people, it's challenging.

 

O shit, waddup, that's our South Dakota group. @BigBadBeerSnob

 

Mykel with those ugly boots right? He found me to share good shit a few times.

 

That's what I meant. You can get there at noon and line up in your car, alongside those ghetto apartments (which, there's always been some form of entertainment).

 

Been doing Darkness Day for 5+ years, regardless of where in the country I am. Best friend and co-pilot is out of the country this year doing quality honeymoon time (since they moved the date up on us from the usual, right before Halloween). Hoping a plan B surfaces to camp out again this year without him.

 

He's not from around these parts, he doesn't know any better.

 

Still hoping for:
Apple Brandy Darkness
Vanilla bean Darkness
Bourbon vanilla bean darkness
Cherry Darkness
Bourbon Darkness
2 year aged Darkness
Maple and coffee Darkness