The Side Pony Express music festival - 2019

I take off on another cargo van adventure to Bisbee, Arizona for the Side Pony music festival on November 8th.   I believe this is the 3rd year I have attended this festival which is now in their eighth season, and actually I am surprised that it isn't mobbed with concert goers by now.  it's a unique event as it is in Bisbee to start and takes place all over town at various venues with many diverse bands and is free.  I suppose it doesn't draw the huge crowds as there are no big media names, no stars, most of the bands are local, the venues are all small and it's in a remote location.  These are the reasons I like this festival and I hope it doesn't change.  Actually I shouldn't be promoting this festival, popularity may destroy it ?

This isn't really much of a van adventure although it is a scenic ride to Bisbee.  I do a stealth overnight on a nearby street in the new Bisbee area near the Warren ball field.   There is a great Saturday farmers market across the street in the park and the ball park is one of the oldest continuously operated ball fields in the country.

I attend many music sessions from Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon, but there is no way to se everyone. The performers play short sets and then rotate to different venues around town so if you want to see specific people you get considerable exercise hustling around town.  That can also involve considerable step climbing as anyone who has been to Bisbee will know.

The music venues

The Saturday schedule - so many choices 

Part of the fun here is people watching, Bisbee attracts a strange element and the ambiance of the downtown, particularly the Brewery Gulch area, puts one at risk for some debauchery.  The other part for me is taking photos, Bisbee is extremely photogenic even when nothing is going on.

The St Elmo is a "dive bar" that that lives up to the reputation

I won't attempt to detail my daily events, the photos will speak to that, hope you can visualize the rest and enjoy.

I usually get a parking spot in front of this building which
starts the day on a positive note

I love this downtown view

The Pythian Castle is an awkward building to get a decent photo, I like this angle

Bisbee is weird !

That Agave in the foreground is incredible

Bisbee is beautiful

The Silver King Hotel entrance

Blind mountain Holler in the patio at the Silver King

Carol Pacey rocking it up at St Elmo's

Ancient Egypt at the Stock Exchange

    

Great mining mural in parking lot

This mural gives you a sense of the mountains surrounding town

That's about the way the Monsoon rains fall

Which way to go ?

Bisbee Womans Club diversity mural

One of the most interesting musicians was West Phal Slim

Attractive member of La Luz de La Luna

The stage filling Whiskey Lickers Band

The Los Jones Band

Ghost Cat Attack Band

A woman with a backbone

Local Bisbee band that I enjoyed as much as anyone at the festival

Inside the nostalgic Stock Exchange Bar

Safety first

There was much more, but you get the idea ?