Doe Bay Fest 2011: Two (or More) for One

Leo tries to merge the two festivals during Fort Union's Sunday set.

I've really enjoyed reading all the posts that other photographers and writers have written about this year's Doe Bay Fest (the Full Moon Festival, as the subtitle goes). But it strikes me, as it did last year, that there's really a couple festivals going on that overlap. Much of it has to do with being a parent, as with only a few exceptions, parents with their kids missed out on a good 75% of the "magic" that others gush about in piece after piece (after piece, after piece -- all finely written, I might add).

Kids put on some shadow puppet theatre before Champagne Champagne's set.

This being my fourth year, you'd think I'd consider myself a veteran, but in many respects, this was almost a kind of first year. It was the first year that the kids were old enough to leave in the tent after they fell asleep (running back consistently to check on them, surrounded by other families in tents as well -- don't go calling CPS on us). As such, once the kids passed out around 11PM, the wife and I were able to venture out in short spurts to friends' cabins, (outside) the yoga studio, the campfire, to the unscheduled midnight by torchlight performance by John Vanderslice and Damien Jurado, and even make it as far as Scott & Jenny's Two Bar at the beach at Otter Cove.

And yet, much of the fun of Doe Bay that others gush about still eludes us. Sure, we had fun hanging out and drinking in front of our tent while the kids played on the playground and did arts & crafts at the table set up nearby, but it it still feels that part of the festival is still out of our reach. It's still a vacation with my family, though, so I'm perfectly fine with it -- that's just part of the trade off. Find me another festival where a family with small children can find something for everyone to enjoy for as much time as we did. Sunday went a long way in that regard, with us making it to the Slip n' Slide this year.

Because I was with the family, I considered myself off the clock as far as the camera goes, but I still had it with me for use, and use it I did.