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[Joy]

Welcome to the fifth week of "A Detailed Discussion"!

The current Discussion will be stickied as well as the previous, so there will always be two threads of this project at the top of the thread for people to have easy access.

INFO ON A DETAILED DISCUSSION THREADS

I thought I might try something new on here. Once a week, I'll post a new thread where we can have detailed discussion of a specific aspect of SDC where we can give compliments, air concerns, and do comparisons to SDC's sister park Dollywood. Once all the topics on my list have been exhausted, I will be going through all the threads and putting together a "Fandom Entreaty" including direct quotes and the like (as long as you give permission). Once put together, I'll post the Entreaty to the forum for everyone to read and give ideas for changes, omissions, additions, etc. Once we have a final draft, I will be sending it to SDC.

TOPIC 5: SOUTHERN GOSPEL PICNIC

For the fifth "A Detailed Discussion," we can discuss Southern Gospel Picnic, now that it's over.

To give a bit of a format to these Detailed Discussion threads, here's a list of questions to get things started:

What is your favorite fest-related show during Southern Gospel Picnic? Least favorite?

What is your favorite fest-related activity during Southern Gospel Picnic? Least favorite?

What is your favorite fest-related shop during Southern Gospel Picnic? Least favorite?

What is your favorite fest-related food during Southern Gospel Picnic? Least favorite?

What would you omit if you were in charge of Southern Gospel Picnic?

What would you add if you were in charge of Southern Gospel Picnic?

Would you be interested in being quoted in a "Fandom Entreaty" to be compiled and sent to SDC (this "Fandom Entreaty," when finished, would first be posted in full to SDCFans)?

So.... let the Detailed Discussion begin!

Joy

[Duelist]

This is the only festival I've never gotten to attend.  Probably because it coincides when our kids go back to school.

[Joy]

Yeah, I've never been to it either.

[Ozark Outlaw]

For better, or worse you can add my name to the list of people who have never attended this festival either.

The problem for me is that it is more of a mini-festival of sorts, and I always hold out until late September, or early October for my fall trip. 

[betamike]

Sorry to not be able to contribute to this thread as well, but thought I would chime in as well.  I'm sure it is a true niche for SDC!

[rubedugans]

Seeing that it coencides with school returning to session, and the fall sports season...I have never, nor will I be able to attend this festival. I am a music fan, but the bluegrass festival is a much bigger draw for me than the gospel festival. I see it as a less crowded time of year-with still good weather- that warrants itself to a festival that more than likely draws upon a specific group albeit a smaller festival at that.

[StaceySue]

I've been a couple of times to get my Christmas ornament credit.  I can't say we did anything out of the ordinary.  We didn't see any shows or eat anything that has to do with the "picnic."

[Ozark Outlaw]

So it begs the question, has anyone on the forums had a chance to visit during the Southern Gospel Picnic this year? If so, I wonder how the crowd levels are?

[pintrader]

We were there the 5th and 6th of Sep,  I asked a citizen how many people they had the day before, which would have been the 4th.   She told me they had 15,000 and were expecting at least that many or more for the 5th, which was probably about right.  We went back on Labor Day the 6th and the crowds were down quite a bit.  I would say somewhere around 10,000.

[marolinesdad]

This is one of my favorite festivals...  The problem with it is that it is too short and moth years I just can not get there.  I really wish they would make kids fest shorter and SGP longer.

[mbrownx4]

oklaSDCfan!!  Now that is a fantastic idea!   Yup, time is too short for the Southern Gospel Picnic and too long for the kids fest.  Now if they could have the picnic during a little cooler weather-perfect!

[Copper]

I have heard several people say they wish this festival was longer, it is obviously successful.  We might see it lasting longer in the future.  

We went back on Labor Day the 6th and the crowds were down quite a bit.  I would say somewhere around 10,000.

Sundays are usually the slower day of the weekend because it is the travel home day, but when you have a three day weekend Saturday and Sunday are both extremely busy and Monday becomes the travel home day.  I always tell people to come out on those travel home days if they can.

[biscuitcreek]

We went to SGP for most of one day this year.  Was very disappointed in comparison to past years.  We got up and walked out of one show after one song because it was gospel karaoke.  When I received my email survey from SDC asking about the festival, I expressed that I thought the festival had gone down in quality from the years when Gary McSpadden hosted the nights in Echo Hollow.  There used to be more groups during the day, too. 

[mbrownx4]

Yeah, I thought that they had more groups in the past also.  I was disappointed that some groups were there for three days while some just a day.  Its probably a scheduling thing, so I can't complain because if not for this festival, some of these groups I'd never see.