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MartinFest 5
The Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum
5th Annual Members' Get-Together
Last updated on Friday, August 04, 2006
All Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum members in good standing and their families and guests, and all Martin Guitar Company employees, families, and guests, are cordially invited to attend the Fifth Annual informal Get-Together for us lovers of Martin Guitars! The setting will be both indoors and outdoors, definitely informal, and most of all there will be the opportunity to meet new friends, greet old ones, enjoy each other's company, and play the guitars which we have grown to love!
When: Saturday, August 5, Sunday, August 6 and Monday, August 7, 2006, from approximately 10:00 am to dusk each day. But, events will continue after dusk as well.
Where: Nazareth, Pennsylvania.
Who: YOU and your guests!
What: Jamming, a tour of the Factory, some special clinics, and lots of fun!
Here are the up-to-date details. Be sure to watch this page for periodic updates.
The Location --
Saturday: Nazareth Borough Park - The "Large Pavilion" past the concession stand on your left as you enter the Park. It's at the end of the parking lot on the left. We have the entire pavilion.
Sunday: Nazareth Borough Park - On Sunday, we only have the back half of the Large Pavilion. But we also have the Log Cabin that day, reserved for our exclusive use.
Monday morning: C.F. Martin & Co. - Private tour, goodies, time with Chris Martin!
Monday afternoon: Nazareth Borough Park - The Large Pavilion again.
The Events --
1. Warmup Session: Friday, August 4, at Cheers Lounge in the Bethlehem Comfort Inn. Cheers and the conference room next to it (the "Morgan Room") are reserved for us for the entire weekend. This usually kicks off in the early evening. There will also be an informal wine sampling party earlier that day at the hotel.
There is NO SMOKING at any time in the Cheers Lounge, Morgan Room, or anywhere inside the Comfort Inn except for certain designated private smoking bedrooms. Please honor this at all times, even if you happen to be alone in one of the rooms for a short time. Smoking is OK outside.
2. Saturday, August 5: As indicated, we'll be at the Large Pavilion. Setup will be around 10 am after breakfast, and then most of the day is just for jamming, etc.
At about 4:00 we will have a special flatpicking clinic with Clay Hess and Jack Lawrence, followed by an Open Mike. Then dinner and Cheers.
3. Sunday, August 6: The back half of the Large Pavilion and the Log Cabin will be the venues for Sunday. Setup again around 10 am, and there will be a Sunday Morning Worship Jam. Then picking and singing for a lot of the time.
At 11:00 the Nazareth World Series will take place at the ballfield, with the UMGF Aging Toners up against a team being organized at CFM&Co for a softball game. Rescue squads from five adjacent counties have been alerted to this event.
At about 2:00 we will have a songwriting clinic, hosted by Nashville songwriter Ron Peterson ("ronsongz") and accompanied by singer, songwriter and actor Ed Bruce.
Then at 3:30 or so we will have a special guest concert by The Kingston Trio!! The trio - George Grove, Bill Zorn, and Rick Dougherty - will be driving in Sunday morning from a concert on Long Island the night before. They are looking forward to giving us a free performance for 30-45 minutes as well as hanging out afterwards and hitting the Texas Roadhouse, too! This is an exceptional treat for us.
This will again be followed by an Open Mike, and then at 6:00 Laurence Juber will give a free concert on the new stage just by the food concession. Once this performance is over, a large group will be going to the Texas Roadhouse for dinner, and then back to Cheers.
4. Monday, August 7: We will start our day with a private tour of the Martin Guitar Factory starting at about 8:10 a.m. We will break into groups of 12 to 15 or so and be given our private tour in 10 minute intervals in order to space out the groups.
Martin will provide a private room for us to store our guitars while we are on the tour. You will be asked to check your guitar at the front desk and take a tag, and it will be returned to you when you leave.
I will have tour signup sheets available at Cheers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, and all day Saturday and Sunday at the Park. These will be delivered to Martin first thing Monday morning. This will be on a first come first served basis for those who met the deadline of July 16, and I will have that cutoff list in the signup package. At about 10 am on Sunday, registration for the tour will open up for everyone. If you are a latecomer, you can also sign up in the 1833 shop on Monday morning if there is space available.
After the tour, we will be Chris's guests for lunch. This will occur in a large tent that will be set up on the North Parking Lot - on Beil Avenue. Chris will speak to the assembled group after lunch, also in the tent. His talk will be at 1:00 and will be approximately 45 minutes, including questions.
Due to the timing of certain circumstances, Chris will not be available to sign guitars this year. So plan on coming to MartinFest 6 for that!
There will also not be a guitar or old car exhibit this year. Instead, Chris would like all attendees to have the opportunity to take advantage of the new Museum, the new prototypes in the lobby, or the Picking Parlorat your leisure.
After lunch and Chris's talk on Monday, we will have an afternoon of sociality and music at the Large Pavilion, again private and just for us. At about 4:00, there will be a special fingerpicking clinic conducted by Laurence Juber, again followed by an Open Mike.
Martin's quarterly employee meeting is also Monday afternoon, and they will be invited to join us after the meeting is over. As you walk through the factory and have your lunch, please encourage those you see to come!
OTHER ACTIVITIES:
Buy and Sell -- There will be a designated area Saturday, Sunday and Monday at the Park to buy or sell guitars, other musical related gear, CD's and other UMGF related paraphernalia such as T-Shirts. This is limited to private sales ONLY except for CD's, where all artists who are members of the UMGF or are our guests are invited to offer CD's for sale.
Second Strings Project -- Bring your set of old strings to MartinFest 5 and donate them to this worthy cause! TChristianHD28 will be collecting them and forwarding them on to the founder of the organization. New sets of strings are welcome too!
Other General Info --
There is no entry fee at Nazareth Park, and there are restrooms, a concession stand, and other facilities available. We will not be providing any food or beverage, so please bring your own or use the concession stand. I have not been told that alcoholic beverages are prohibited, but if you bring beer or wine PLEASE be circumspect and responsible.
Most importantly, there is NO talent needed or required (other than a good sense of direction to Nazareth). We will try to arrange for an open mike, but both afternoons are really intended just for getting together, enjoying each other's company, perhaps sharing tips and tricks, and just plain old having fun!
You will be responsible for keeping watch over your own instruments and other possessions and for loss of or damage to the same. The parking lot at Martin & Co. is not secure (and also could get hot); however, as indicated above we have arranged for a room at Martin where we can store our instruments. Nazareth Park is a public facility, so even though we have private areas, there could be many other persons passing through.
Food and Beverage -- Since there is a concession stand at the Park, everyone is encouraged to bring his or her own other provisions or use the concession stand. The concession stand is 25 to 30 yards from either facility that we are using. It is not open if it rains, but there is a pizzeria (Mijavo's) right up the road near Martin and other places available.
Pool -- The pool at Nazareth Borough Park is open to all. The fee on Saturday and Sunday is $4.75 for minors (under 18) and $5.25 for adults. On Monday it is $4.25 for minors and $4.75 for adults.
Directions --
From the East: Find your way to Interstate 78 in New Jersey. Follow I-78 into Pennsylvania (do NOT get off onto Route 22, Phillipsburg). About 6 miles into PA, take PA 33 North. Continue until you see Route 248 and a sign for Nazareth. Get off at this exit and bear right at the bottom of the ramp. Go a few miles, past the huge concrete plant on your right, and turn right at the light by the Nazareth Diner. Go through the town of Nazareth and past Nazareth Park on your left (yes, that is the park that we will be using). You will then see a Moravian Church on your right, quickly followed by Mijavo's Restaurant/Pizzeria. Turn right immediately onto Beil Avenue, and you will see C.F. Martin & Co. on your right at the next intersection. The visitor's parking lot is on your right, but we will be making other parking arrangements for Monday.
From the West: Find I-78 East and get off onto Route 33, then follow the above directions.
From the South: Take the PA Turnpike Extension up to I-78 East, then follow the above.
From the North: Follow the directions on the Martin web site
Lodging -- There are many places to stay in the Nazareth/Bethlehem area. The Bethlehem Comfort Inn, 3191 Highfield Drive, Bethlehem, PA 18020, 610-865-6300, 800-732-2500, is where most folks are staying. We have a group number, #3228 (NOT UMGF or Martin Guitar, etc.), but all rooms under that number are currently sold out. But it pays to keep checking for cancellations! The rate for the group is $74.00 for a single and $79.00 for a double.
Here are some other suggestions found at the Nazareth Chamber of Commerce:
Bed and Breakfast:
Classic Victorian Bed and Breakfast, 35 North New Street, Nazareth, PA 18064, 610-759-8276.
Inn at Heyer's Hill, 568 Heyer Mill Road, Nazareth, PA 18064, 610-759-6226
Hotels/Motels (all in or near Bethlehem. most with in-house restaurants and lounges):
Four Points Sheraton, right next to LVI. A first class hotel, with an indoor pool, nice lounge and good restaurant.
Hampton Inn, Easton/Nazareth. Low rates, indoor pool, closer to CFM & Co. than the Comfort by a couple of minutes. No lounge or restaurant, but Continental breakfast. 610-250-6500
Comfort Inn, Easton, PA, 610-253-0546
Comfort Suites, 120 West Third Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015, 610-882-9700
Courtyard by Marriott, 2160 Motel Drive, Bethlehem, PA 18018 610-317-6200
Holiday Inn at the Gateway, Rtes 512 and 22, Bethlehem, PA 18017, 800-360-5050
Local sights and activities:
The Martin Guitar Design Seminar, jointly sponsored by Martin and Northampton Community College, will be going on in nearby Bethlehem from the 7th through the 11th of August. This is a great opportunity to extend your stay, learn a lot about guitar design, and keep having fun!
The annual "Musikfest" is ongoing in Bethlehem.
The 18th Annual Wind Gap Bluegrass Festival will take place on August 3, 4, 5 &6.
Winery tour - Slate Quarry Winery offers tours and wine tasting. The winery is located just outside of Nazareth.
Crayola Crayons - For the kids (including us grownup kids), the Crayola Factory offers tours every day of the week in nearby Easton, PA.
Also for kids, including grown-up kids, is Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown - rides, etc.
There are also walking tours of historic Nazareth and many other activities available.
Registration -- Registration is closed. The list of registrants is available HERE.
Registration Fee -- As always, the Registration Fee will be completely voluntary, and I will have a Contributions Jar in Cheers and at the Park all days. The suggested contribution is $5.00 per adult per day, or $10.00 per adult for the entire 3 days. Children are free. This will be the only "solicitation" - I will not be asking anyone directly.
Photos -- Here are some pictures of the Log Cabin, the Large Pavilion, the old Martin Factory, the old Martin Residence, and the Nazareth Music Center.
Mac Carter, Webmaster