Darkness Day 2014 Thread

Also worth noting all bottles will contain BA Darkness, Roughly 30K according to Todd

 

30k huh? So they are just selling at surdyks now?

Thanks god for the value that is saga

 

I was planning on attending for the first time this year, where does the camping happen or is this something I should get a hotel room for?

 

The brewery is located in an industrial park - the other businesses are nice enough to let everyone occupy the industrial park and everyone takes a different approach. Some people just brave the cold in a lawn chair, others camp, some people sleep in their cars (remember to lock doors to keep the zombies out), others built make-shift structure to fight the cold and I also believe that there are numerous campers of various types. It's basically a long line with a lot of drunk people - so join the line and try to stay warm any way you can, I suggest lots of beer!

Almost everyone is really cool and even if you show-up with no plan on how to fight the cold - give the guy next to you with the giant heater a beer & I bet they will make room for you to share the heat.

I'm making the trip from Illinois myself, wish I still lived in Madison to make it shorter, so the hotel room could be better severed for Saturday night.

 

Does anyone do the line share on Friday night and still make it to Stub and Herb's for their great stout line up? How? I have always spent at least, like, ten minutes before I start drinking on Darkness Eve on how I could make this happen...

 

Yes, they do.
The people that are at the end of the line do this.

Not really sure why anyone would want to drink a few kick ass beers that they've probably had before, in favor of joining Minnesota's biggest bottle share and securing a place in line for BA Darkness.
But to each his own...

 

Me, personally, I do this because Stubs gets the first batch of Darkness on tap and you can try it even before Darkness Day. Also, all the kick ass beers you mentioned. In the past, I've had no problem kicking it at Stubs the night before and then getting in line early the next morning but it's gotten harder every year (because of getting older, family obligations and the growth/popularity of craft beer).

 

Since so many people are hating on Surly lately and also on the fact that Darkness is BA this year surely the line at Darkness Day will be much shorter this year.

 

Will Jester King sours be good enough to trade for this? I've gotten the past couple years bottles third or fourth hand pretty easily but was looking to get a few fresher bottles this year.

 

I would say that's plenty sufficient and I'd take you up on that trade if you want.

 

Most def looking forward to getting there at 1 pm, right near the front and getting bottles, for the first time ever.

 

I apologize if this has already been covered in this thread (or another), but last year Surly did a 2nd release of Darkness, giving Chicagoans their first taste of dark perfection. Does anyone know if they're doing a staggered release again this year, or are they releasing simultaneously in both places?

 

FIB's...

 

I've been to Dday the last two years, showing up at noon for the drafts. This year I’ll be lining up early to get my bottle allotment!
A fellow BA of mine said he lined up at 3PM the day prior and was #550 inline?! What's the earliest people show up?

Obviously people bottle share, but are the cops enforcing PI? (Public intoxication)

 

No way they got there at 3 and were number 550. They don't let people line up until 3:30 Friday night due to the other businesses, and please, respect them and don't show up at 11 on Friday, they will not let you. It's just beer people. If you get there anytime in the evening Friday you'll be fine.

 

Good to know. I plan on showing up early to partake in bottle sharing and have a good time. Allotment of BA Darkness will be a bonus.

 

So what constitutes the line? Is it people's tents? And where do tents go? Do people just make a line/tent camp leading down Dusharme? I plan to get there after work on Friday and want to make sure I'm in the line but not cutting in front of anyone...

 

The line starts were they have the barricades, tables and stuff for any of their events. Basically right where the road turns down the driveway to the brewery. (just looked at a map. It's where 48th turns into Dushmare. You'll see a line of people in chairs, with tents and tables out along 48th. Some of the businesses will allow tents for sleeping on the grass and stuff, but they can't go up before 7 I think, maybe 8 last year. Tents and tables and stuff for beer sharing, tvs, fire pits, will be out on the road. Just find the last person and go behind them. Line goes all the way down 48th, then north on lilac, then loops back around south on lilac. It was still fairly light out by the time people were lined up down lilac last year.

 

I haven't been in the past to one of these, is this an event you have to pay to attend?