River Daze

Hi Internet.

Inside the massive Beer Tent, sponsored by Midland's Rotary Club.

So I've mentioned River Days before a time or two. It's Midland's annual, weekend-long summertime bash, centered around the Tridge downtown, where they light off dozens and dozens of hot air balloons into the sky. Tons of food trucks, lots of live music, vendors, arts and crafts, merch galore, and thousands upon thousands of people.

Kinda like summer's weekly Tunes By the Tridge, only on steroids.

(And featuring hot air balloons.)

We've made an appearance here for years - sometimes for only one night, sometimes all the nights - and it's always a good time. Following the initial lighting of the balloons, for the next couple days you can spot balloons drifting around Midland, often times flying right over folks' houses and scaring the crap out of people (one year one actually crashed onto our street , back in 2018 if you'll remember.) We went for a walk with the Johnsons the day after the initial lighting, and they were everywhere (as you'll soon see in the pics below.)

So yeah, another entertaining 48-hour period around these parts. Check it out. . . 

Us and the Johnsons had to park way down at First United Methodist, which was a bit of a hike but all the lots and side streets closer than that were already taken (the whole city had more or less come out for this.) When we reached the park by the Tridge, we purchased our drink/meal tickets and set up shop in the Rotary tent. Kris' friend, Kim, and her daughter, Makayla, ended up meeting us down there, and after everyone had finished their burgers all the womenfolk wandered off to check out some of the local vendors and crap.

Erik, Mitch and I hung back in the beer tent and watched as balloons slowly took off into the sky.

Mitch attempts to crouch like a Slav (heels down, unlike how we Westerners crouch, with our heels up.)

After a few beers, the three of us walked around a bit to check out what else was set up down there.

Not much cool stuff to check out unless you were a little kid (they had henna tattoos and face painting and crap), or else were jonesing for a food truck.

They usually have a lot of carnival-ish attractions set up for River Days, which our kids used to get into but not so much anymore.

We then made the mistake of walking over the Tridge to see the balloons up close, over by the dog parks. None of them were firing up at the time, and there wasn't much to do over there, so we decided to head back the way we came. Unfortunately there was a frickin' line of folks trying to get back over as well, and the crowd was backed up for hundreds of yards - I've never seen anything like that before. It was all thanks to a bunch of dumbasses stopping to take pictures in the middle of the throngs, holding everyone up.

Seriously took us like twenty minutes to cross back over that damn bridge. . . 

Alayna, Abby, Ella, and a few other kids were walking around downtown as well. They didn't want to acknowledge our presence, 'cause teenagers.

Kim and Makayla, showing off their new ink.

Back by the beer tent, Erik and I hit up the line of porta-potties, which was in front of some nearby live music.

Forget who this band was, but they were not one of the coolest bands I've seen this summer.

Kris, Courtney, Kim and Makayla ended up crossing back over the Tridge at the correct time, and were able to catch some balloons firing up.

Crowds watching the balloons, um, inflating. . .

I assume they're glowing 'cause of the fire. . . ?

Around 9pm we headed up to Main Street for the evening's main band - Stone Street Revival.

This was by far the best cover band I've heard this summer - definitely a few clicks above the usual Tunes by the Tridge acts. Thousands of people crowded throughout the Commons to check them out, I've never seen the downtown area so packed.

Lots of 70s funk, rock, and even Yacht Rock (which, as you know, I'm a huge fan of.)

The next day, in the evening, us and the Johnsons went out for our usual hours-long walk around the Chestnut Hill neighborhood, and there were balloons floating around EVERYWHERE.

It was almost like some of them were trying to find a spot to land, 'cause they kept hovering right over the tree tops. As we were walking back in front of Chestnut Hill Elementary (the girls' alma mater), there were a bunch of trucks and cars passing us trying to follow the balloons.

Vehicles in hot pursuit. Including the Batmobile.

Courtney and Kris, straining to keep an eye on one of the balloons.

I think this one was attempting to land in Plymouth Park - that's the only open space around there that accommodate a balloon I think.

Doesn't take much to excite these ladies. . . 

- Brian