We tried staring into our event-planning crystal ball, but the thing about doing something for the first time is that it is, ultimately, inherently unplannable. One can only work to manage chaos and, jujitsu-like, redirect its energy towards the positive. What we have going for us, though, is a operations team that have earned their black belts in the movie arts, and we put ourselves to work attempting to pull off a giant day of bikes, food, slip n’ slides, music, movies, and a hundred delicious details.
And, now that our muscles are mended and we’re fully rehydrated, we’re glad to say that the first annual Boone Dawdle exceeded our expectations. Sure, it took some effort to make certain that the rainiest day ever in August came the day BEFORE our event. But by the time riders were pumped and ready and decorating their bikes at the old MKT train station (now Shiloh), all the tree limbs had been cleared and we knew we were in for a memorable day.
Some images from the Dawdle are still being uploaded from our memory banks to this Flickr page. In the meantime, here’s a few scattered highlights –
The impromptu party at Twin Lakes, with drinks flowing out of the back of bike trailers, while Polina and Holly’s shaved ice stand cranked out dozens of exotic treats and Scott Denson played accordion. The Advice Machine plopped near a cliff at the 5.5 mile mark, dispensing Alan Watts-inspired wisdom to the most random questions ever. The perfection of hearing a Cajun band near a riverside oasis (and the cold refreshing Mountain Valley springwater that flowed as we listened), seeing our old friend John Reid handing out wild elderberries like they were candy (they’re not unless you like tart snacks), the interconnected hands around the Bur Oak tree, Kyle playing a 45 rpm Gary Glitter record and making the area under Interstate 70 seem like a perfectly wonderful place to get together.
The gorgeous sunset behind the towering white screen (which almost toppled off the blufftops the night before!), the overflowing plates at Les Bourgeois, The Record Collector playing the great soul song, Eddie Floyd’s “Big Bird” with the lyric “Open up the sky Cause I`m coming up to you” and then David and Jon blasting some fireworks into the heavens, and, last but far from least, the super-nice guys Michael & George from Best Worst Movie.
Just so you don’t think we’re over-romanticizing things, there were some volunteers putting in 15-hour days, doing thankless jobs like hoisting bikes into trucks. There were makeshift platforms to be build, flats to be fixed and chairs to be moved. But we’re pretty sure that everyone working stopped for at least a few minutes to take it all in and enjoy the glory of the day. All in all, the Boone Dawdle was a great adventure, and we’re certainly glad to have shared it with you.
So mark your calendars for August 20, 2011. You have a year to gear up. In the meantime, you can relive the day by going to Butterfly Tattoo at 9th & Walnut to pick up a Frank Stack-designed poster or a special commemorative shirt (there may even be a few of our nifty new T/F bike bells left).
Thanks to all who rode, all who played, all who worked and all who came. True/False is, above all else, about community, and as cheesy as it may sound, we’re awful proud of ours.
Team T/F
