Three time’s a charm some may say and when it comes to the Virgin Mobile Festival 2008 (Virgin Fest), I could not agree more.  Setting camp on the Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore once again, with an impressive line up that seemed to one up last year's, the Virgin Fest was in full force.  Featuring the Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails, Bob Dylan, and Kanye West, just to name a few, I had been looking forward to this weekend for a while.  Aligned with two good friends, who attended the festival with me last year, we took on the festival. The weather was perfect for a weekend jam-packed with music and entertainment. 

Getting to the event was much easier than in years past. We left a whole day earlier to make sure we were settled in, rested, and prepared for the two day event.  I decided it would be in our best interest to book a hotel with at least four stars seeing how last year’s experience went.  Based upon that incident, we found the nice hotel a little south of the event but unquestionably much more luxurious.

Day One:

We packed up our backpacks and hit the road to the festival around 10:15am.  Despite my GPS taking us though unfamiliar areas en route to the grounds and getting denied at the gates to bring my camera in (it’s an SLR and they defined that as professional), there were no major problems.  I was a little upset about being deprived of my camera for the weekend and having to take it all the way back to my car, but rules are rules.  Luckily, I parked in a parking lot attached to the race track so my detour was not too much and before I knew it I was in.

The grounds were set up the same as last year with two giant stages seeming equal in size, each on opposite sides of the horse race track.  The dance tent was tucked away behind one of the vendor strips and was already starting to full up as we walked past.  Various booths mainly gathered in the middle “Village” with local vendors either advertising their business, products, organization, or art were a focal point for many of the attendees as they first arrived, seeking the freebies that were being offered by some vendors.  I myself was excited to score a “Rock Me Sexy Jesus” bumper sticker (promotional material for the new movie Hamlet 2) and also a reusable shopping bag.

Once again the theme of keeping the festival green flowed through the area with many stationed recycling centers as well as informational areas on alternative energies.  There was even an air conditioned dome in the canter of the race track that was fueled from bio-diesel.  After roaming the groups we decided we should do what we came there for, check out the bands.

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