Greetings from the Staff and Volunteer Appreciation Party!

Dear Friends and Family,
The music stage opened this afternoon, with a traditional opening performance by one of our sound engineer volunteers, John Ames. He plays a modern cello set that is so beautiful it sends chills up your spine... and that's just the beginning of a week of eclectic performance by hundreds of talented participants.

The spoken word stage also fired up its mics this afternoon and poets and soapboxers have begun to fill the air with words. This evening is our Staff and Volunteer Appreciation Night, where we take an hour or two to pop open a cold beer, give hugs all around, and generally say thanks to everyone who has worked so hard to bring the city to life. As a special treat, Phat Man Dee and her husband Tommy Amoeba sang some tunes, and Diva Marisa Lenhardt from the Thunderdome belted out a few lovely arias for the occasion.

Whew, just enough time to take a breather and tour a little of the city before things jump into hyper drive? Too late!