The 2013 Firefly festival is underway, but for many fans it started later than they expected. The three-day event at the Woodlands of Dover International Speedway doubled in size in its second year and state capital felt the impact of that growth.
Thousands of festival fans and beach-goers delayed traffic along major roads in the Dover area throughout the day, often times leaving it at a standstill on Routes 1 and 13. At its peak, slow-going traffic stretched 10 miles or more north from the grounds of Dover International Speedway. Route 13 southbound was often backed up to Smyrna from the morning rush on.
[caption id="attachment_45974" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Traffic at a complete standstill was a regular sight in the Dover area on Firefly's first day."]
WDDE intern Scott Himelien says his drive to the capital from Wilmington Friday took more than three hours, but noted that not all those bogged down seemed frustrated by their situation.
“You’re so used to in bumper to bumper traffic not being able to find any beacon of tranquility, but people seemed completely blissful, being out in the sun. Some people were standing outside in their cars, playing music, dancing a little bit,” said Himelien.
DelDOT Secretary Shailen Bhatt says DelDOT prepared for the Firefly traffic for almost a year, with officials ready for many different scenarios, but he adds a variety of factors created a perfect storm of congestion.
??“What we hope that people understand is that it’s a beautiful weekend here in Delaware,” Bhatt said. “We had Friday commuters, sixty thousand people coming to this event, and then we have a ton of people coming to get to the beaches.”
Bhatt added DelDOT was working the entire time to ease the traffic woes.
"I was in the Traffic Management Center all morning, looking to manipulate some of our signals and maneuver some of a variable message signs out there. We were in constant communication [with motorists] through the media," said Bhatt. "We hope that people exercised some patience out there on the roads, because while its great to have these events, 60,000 people coming to Dover is not something we deal with on a regular basis. We are taking steps to make people as comfortable as possible."
While some sat on the roads, other festival goers who arrived early, or even the night before got the party started. A continuous line of fans snaked around fencing and meandered into the Woodlands all day long, taking in the sights and sounds they’ve been anticipating since tickets went on sale following Firefly's success last year.
Nashville’s The Leagues kicked the event off, hitting the Lawn stage at 12:45 Friday afternoon with their brand of dance-inspired indie rock.
Governor Jack Markell (D) praised Firefly organizers for helping make Delaware a nationally recognized name in the music festival circuit.??
“Every single state, all fifty states, are going to be represented here this weekend as well as a number of countries from around the world,” Markell said. “This has really put Delaware on the music map, which is really, really exciting.”??
[caption id="attachment_45974" align="alignright" width="300" caption=" The Spinto Band, Delaware's only musical contribution to the 2013 Firefly Festival, entertains the crowd at The Porch stage."]
Delaware’s own Spinto Band hit The Porch stage at 2:15 Friday afternoon to a devoted group of fans and some new ears as well. They played songs from their newest record Cool Cocoon, and finished with an energetic version of their popular tune “Mandy”.
This year's festival layout bears a small resemblance to last year’s general set-up, but expanded to accommodate the growing attendance. Greg Bostrum, Red Frog Event’s Chief Innovator, cautioned people before heading out to enjoy the fun.
??“As you’re going out in the festival, you might get a little lost,” Bostrum joked. “Double the amount of people, double the amount of space. Firefly is getting bigger and better.”
Attractions like Balloon Ride and The Coffeehouse, which also featured stripped down performances from various day one acts, proved to be just as popular as the stages. Present again were the Arcade, the Brewery and the Vineyard, and plenty of places to eat that included local fare manned by festival volunteer “Foodies”.
The Outdoor Cinema made its debut, playing silent black and white films in the festival’s second Hammock Hideout locationnestled in the heart of the Woodlands.
Multi-platinum headliner Red Hot Chili Peppers finished off the first night followed by late night dance sessions featuring Krewella at the Backyard Stage and Dan Deacon on the Porch stage. Another full slate of music is scheduled Saturday with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers scheduled to close day two;