Potsdam, it seems, has a “Fall Festival” now. I don’t know much about its provenance, but I assume it’s just the latest in a series of half-assed events organized by the chamber of commerce as an opportunity for stores to sell their shit outside instead of inside and for local “craftspeople” to re-sell some shit they bought in bulk online. They’ve also started roping off areas of public parks and charging entry fees for exclusive experiences. Can you tell I’m not a big fan?
We went down anyway and hung out at the newly constructed playground in Ives Park (I helped build it!). We bought some shawarma from a food truck/tent and listened to a band playing rock covers in the gazebo (even though we didn’t pay for this exclusive experience!). Then, at the nearby farmers market (which may have been part of the festival, it’s not clear), the Crane Latin Ensemble started their set. This would have been fine, except they were less than 100 yards away from the amplified band in the gazebo. Some bozo had scheduled both performances at the exact same time. (Or, perhaps, some bozo organizing the festival hadn’t consulted with the organizers of the weekly market.)
Regardless, it sounded pretty neat, if a bit cacophonous. And it was perfectly appropriate for Ives Park!