Should i go to Dark Lord Day 2016???

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by buckslayer50, Jul 28, 2015.

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  1. buckslayer50

    buckslayer50 Initiate (0) Feb 20, 2015 Florida

    Hello all, hope I am not stepping out of my lane here starting this thread, you probably get a million of these every year, but I figured it was worth a shot. Basically, due to my girlfriend changing jobs and some unforseen surgery for our puppy we can't afford to/don't have enough time off to go on a vacation this year. I am hoping that by the time DLD rolls around next year we will have a lot of that debt paid off, and thought this would be a pretty cool mini-vacation for us to take. I think we are gonna try to fly to Chicago on the friday beforehand, go to DLD on saturday, and spend sunday seeing chicago before flying back on monday. Now I am a small town Florida boy who has been to three states in my life(Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina) and she has been to more but still not much. I have no beer festival or big beer release experience, so I guess what I am asking is: What should I expect from the day itself? When do tickets usually go on sale? Is there a decent chance I dont get tickets(might not completely ruin the vacation)? Any stuff that is a necessity to bring? Do they take credit or only cash? How much cash should I bring?

    I am just looking for whatever general information I can get, and any help y'all can give me is very much appreciated. 3 Floyd's is one of those essential breweries I want to start trying stuff from and while she isn't a big beer fan, I think the festival type setting and the trip itself will keep her happy. If there's any must see stuff in Chicago or good affordable places to stay, I wouldn't mind some advice there to. Thank y'all again for any answers I get, maybe I will get to meet some of you there! Cheers!
     
    #1 buckslayer50, Jul 28, 2015
  2. jlsims04

    jlsims04 Initiate (0) Jul 14, 2013 Illinois

    Ill leave the rest for people who have been but is pretty much impossible to get tickets. I have been trying for awhile with no luck.
     
    #2 jlsims04, Jul 28, 2015
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  3. RobotScott

    RobotScott Initiate (0) May 21, 2013 Illinois

    #3 RobotScott, Jul 28, 2015
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  4. Jaycase

    Jaycase Grand Pooh-Bah (3,858) Jan 13, 2007 Illinois
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    You are correct, sir :wink:

    Recommended reading => This year's DLD thread & @kodt 's great DLD history compilation thread. A search through this forum might provide some other good threads as well.

    Around St Patrick's Day. This year it was March 14th.

    Yes to the first question. Complete online crap shoot. Yes to the second question as there is plenty of other things to do beer-wise (and otherwise) in Chicago.

    A necessity? Except for the DLD tickets (if you get them), not really. Bottle sharing (will likely be there in 2016 but is not an automatic assumption) is big so if you are into participating you can bring some stuff but certainly not required. Not something you would need to know until closer to the day anyway.

    Cash only. ATMs on site. Read the official FFF DLD site for more info (FAQ, etc).

    Again, I recommend reading some of the existing threads on DLD for good background information (yes there is a lot of filler to wade through but there is good info there). Most of your questions have been asked before and have been answered as well. Also check out the above FFF DLD site.
     
    #4 Jaycase, Jul 28, 2015
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  5. NBHeart

    NBHeart Crusader (475) Jul 27, 2015 North Carolina
    Trader

    Do tickets only go on sale online or do the sell at the shop as well? If at the shop is it easier to get tickets there?
     
    #5 NBHeart, Jul 28, 2015
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  6. BigBadBeerSnob

    BigBadBeerSnob Zealot (545) Jul 31, 2013 Wisconsin

    Read the above comments on online ticket sales. They do go on sale on site but its sporadic and very limited to give locals a chance who missed online sales.
     
    #6 BigBadBeerSnob, Jul 28, 2015
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  7. core42

    core42 Pooh-Bah (1,862) May 5, 2010 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Online is 2 tix per person but at FFF it's 1 tix/person when they are available
     
    #7 core42, Jul 29, 2015
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  8. buckslayer50

    buckslayer50 Initiate (0) Feb 20, 2015 Florida

    Damn, is it that hard to get tickets? I kind of thought it was a pretty decent chance I got some if I tried? Oh well, like I said, it doesn't completely ruin the trip if I cant, I will have to make up for it with other beer adventures then!

    Thank you for the reading! Man, I wish I lived in Tampa or anywhere close to rare/pappy barrel aged beers lol. I will see what I can do!

    Wow, thank you for the wealth of information and reading good sir! Like I said, sorry again for starting a thread I am sure y'all see a thousand times, but this will all be extremely helpful to me!
     
    #8 buckslayer50, Jul 29, 2015
  9. SeanBond

    SeanBond Pooh-Bah (2,904) Jul 30, 2013 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    It's difficult to get tickets, since you need to basically be lucky (log on to your computer a few minutes early, get luck of the draw within 15 minutes to an hour of the tickets going on sale). If you're willing to settle for general admission tickets (as I had to last year), your chances are greatly increased; last year those lingered for at least 24 hours, maybe more (I can't remember). Think of tickets for DLD like tickets for a popular concert; it's a similar situation.
     
    #9 SeanBond, Jul 29, 2015
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  10. BeerMeBro720

    BeerMeBro720 Initiate (0) May 2, 2013 Ohio

    @buckslayer50 why not go to Huna Day instead? Better weather, better guest taps, etc...
     
    #10 BeerMeBro720, Jul 29, 2015
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  11. buckslayer50

    buckslayer50 Initiate (0) Feb 20, 2015 Florida

    Well then I am gonna cross my fingers, my toes, and my eyes and hope for the best when the time comes. I have had pretty decent luck getting concert tickets that way, but of course more people will be tyring to get into this than a concert in the St. Augustine Amphitheater lol. I wouldn't mind general admission, but I was really hoping to be able to bring some Dark Lord home to enjoy throughout the year. Maybe if I am lucky enough get a variant, but wouldn't count on that. We will see what happens though, hopefully I will be able to join in the fun
     
    #11 buckslayer50, Jul 29, 2015
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  12. buckslayer50

    buckslayer50 Initiate (0) Feb 20, 2015 Florida

    I want to make it to that one to at some point, this one would be more for the travel/experience with an awesome beer festival thrown in. The lady friend wasn't too stoked on the idea of Huna Day as we have both been to Tampa plenty of times, the tickets are way more expensive, etc. I was able to sell her on the travel and fun around the beer and seeing new places, and she is already stoked so seems like no matter what we will be in Chicago that weekend now lol. I also really want to see new places, I have been around a good bit of Florida, seen a couple cities in Georgia, and Columbia, South Carolina. I am only 25 but I don't feel like I know anything outside of my bubble lol
     
    #12 buckslayer50, Jul 29, 2015
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  13. mayorQuimby

    mayorQuimby Zealot (633) Jun 5, 2009 Tennessee
    Trader

    Don't want to rain on your parade, but think there's some things you should consider:
    1. FFF's is not in Chicago, it's ~ an hour outside the city with transportation being a pain to get there if you don't have a car.
    2. The weather for DLD is generally a crapshoot. More years than not, it is cold and windy, and in multiple instances, cold, windy, and rainy. Most specifically, for your girlfriend, if she is not full blown into beer, and the whether doesn't take kindly to you, which in some capacity, it most likely will not, she will be less than thrilled at the prospect of spending the day suffering out there, soaking wet, cold, and stomping through mud. My wife has gone to DLD 3 times, spread far apart as she had conflicts some years and we lived on the east / west coast for awhile and she wouldn't travel for it, but this last year, she said was her last, and she loves craft beer! Her comment was basically, "I could be sitting at home drinking (insert any great beer) in my pajamas on the couch, and instead I'm standing out here soaking wet and freezing my ass off..." There's a threshhold where the beer experience does not outweigh the elements, and while it may be very high for you (it is for me), it may not be for her.
    3. Visiting Chicago in April is a crapshoot. Spring in Chicago is not spring in Florida. I played golf with my dad in Chicago, in JUNE, and the temperature never reached 50 degrees. That is a bit extreme, BUT, until you are hitting late-May - mid-June, there's a reasonable likelihood for any given day that the weather will be chilly, rainy, and grey. If not for DLD, I would definitely not suggest that time of year for a fun vacation to Chicago. Lived there 7 years, your best bet for decent weather is to just go when it's hot (i.e., now), or at the tail end of summer, and enjoy all the fun things the city has to offer.
    4. It can't be said enough...the likelihood that you will win tickets is slim to none. You'll need to have every device you both have going, everything your family has going, and they'll be gone within a couple minutes, and most likely you won't get through. Unless you have great stuff to trade for 2 tickets (or find some very generous people to help you out), which will be tough but is possible, it would be unwise to plan a vacation (especially one you are saving up a long time for) around the hope of getting tickets to DLD.
     
    #13 mayorQuimby, Jul 29, 2015
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  14. jlsims04

    jlsims04 Initiate (0) Jul 14, 2013 Illinois

    Totally forgot about the weather. 99% of the time the weather in April blows.
     
    #14 jlsims04, Jul 29, 2015
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  15. buckslayer50

    buckslayer50 Initiate (0) Feb 20, 2015 Florida

    Dang, y'all are killing me! Lol I am just kidding of course. I will present all this to my girlfriend, we need to know the harsh truths of what all this could entail and it could make her want to try something else or maybe go a different time of year(obviously no Dark Lord then but could still see 3 Floyd's and plenty of other area beer stuff), we will see.
     
    #15 buckslayer50, Jul 29, 2015
  16. croush

    croush Pooh-Bah (2,407) Mar 20, 2015 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    It sounds like you want to do the Chicago vacation, so as long as you lower your expectations about getting DLD tickets, you'll have a good time. The weather can be ugly that time of year, but it also can be nice...be prepared for anything. There will be plenty to do here rain or shine (or snow :grimacing:), cold or warm, so can enjoy yourself if you're flexible.

    And if getting some Dark Lord bottles is really something you're interested in, but aren't able to get tickets, you can probably arrange a trade with someone that is going to get a bottle, if you bring some good stuff from Florida that can't be had easily up here.
     
    #16 croush, Jul 29, 2015
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  17. buckslayer50

    buckslayer50 Initiate (0) Feb 20, 2015 Florida

    I have never seen snow so that would actually be pretty cool for me, but yeah, sounds like weather is a complete coin flip that time of year. And at this point I am expecting to probably not get tickets regardless of if we go or not. Yeah, I could find some good Florida stuff to procure one to, that'd be pretty cool if I found someone to trade with because it is a beer I really want to try.
     
    #17 buckslayer50, Jul 29, 2015
  18. atkins666

    atkins666 Initiate (0) Mar 19, 2015 Indiana

    Can't be said enough. Last DLD the weather was AWFUL. And completely random. The week before wasn't cold, but it wasn't super hot, and sunny. It just so happened on that ONE DAY of the week the weather was 40 degrees and raining sideways all day.

    Regardless, I had a blast, as I always do at DLD. But yeah, tickets are terribly difficult to get, and you might have to settle for GA if you're going to build a vacation around it. I'd honestly just rather spend a weekend in Chicago and hit up the breweries/bars and sights in the city.
     
    #18 atkins666, Jul 29, 2015
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  19. buckslayer50

    buckslayer50 Initiate (0) Feb 20, 2015 Florida

    That's honestly what I am thinking will happen at this point, and I am ok with that. Seems like a great beer town and town in general
     
    #19 buckslayer50, Jul 29, 2015
  20. jlsims04

    jlsims04 Initiate (0) Jul 14, 2013 Illinois

    I cant recomend doing this enough. Come in July when it is nicer weather and hit the following all of which are in the actual city.
    - Revolution
    - Half Acre
    - Goose Island
    - Goose Island Clyborne
    - Haymarket
    - Lagunitas
    - Dryhop

    If you do rent a car
    - Three Floyds (I personally do not think the tour is worth traveling out there from the City, ymmv)
    - Two Brothers
    - Solemm Oath
     
    #20 jlsims04, Jul 29, 2015
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