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| Pratt student piece |
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| Demo area |
This was the first free festival of food and music that I'm aware of in Prospect Park, though an older gentleman I met on Sunday morning told me that M.Night Shyamalan filmed "The Village" there, and that they threw a special opening event that was roped off. After doing research for this piece, I found out he fed me a bit 'o The Blarney. He also told me that a Singaporean fair of a smaller scale had taken place in the park, but who knows? BTW, it was great to meet Chloe. What a doll baby :) In any case, New Yorkers are used to big events. Because we have a lot to compare it with, we tend to have expectations that are higher than your average American. After all, we have "Shakespeare in the Park" and professional opera singers who sing to crowds in the subway on their days off, for free.
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| Food stalls |
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| Restaurant tent |
We are surrounded by the very best everywhere we go, so I kept my expectations fairly low for opening day of The Great Googa Mooga. Even still, I saw some daunting, long-ass lines. New Yorkers spend a lot of time on lines, and it's something we avoid on our days off, if we can. Because Prospect Park is my hometown respite from the crush of crowds and tourists, I have a protective attitude towards it. "Liquid courage" was first on my list, then. I headed directly for a beer tent, and was denied. The tap workers weren't even flowing the juice yet because of line problems. A guy came over for a beer, and showed me the Googa card I needed to buy drinks, hence the very long lines I saw. Whoa, no way. I decided to stick to food, but lines near the main stage area weren't moving either. I finally found the less-travelled "Hamageddon" section, and I bought a small sandwich with a side of store-bought potato chips for 7 bucks, which I ate under a shade tree because it was brutally hot in the sun.
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| Rice ball with IPA. Yeah! |
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| More food stalls |
I can't imagine paying $250 a pop for "Extra" Mooga. Eight food stands and drinks that you pay for, on top of ticket prices? Not the best deal. G.A. (general admission) is fine for an event like this.
I mean it's food, plus there's free concerts all summer long at the parks' Bandshell. On Saturday, I was out of there pretty quick, and went to a bodega by my place for two ice cream cones and two tall boys for $7.50. On Sunday I got clever, especially after reading the comments online. I left early, arrived before opening time, and was delighted by the lack of crowds. It was a gorgeous, sunny, crystal clear day. I stuck to my food plan: a rice ball and a chocolate-covered banana. I also got the IPA beer I wanted, which came with a mandatory drink cup that had the event's name on it, as a souvenir. Those 3 items cost me cost me $22: $2 for the Googa plastic cup, $10 for a full beer, $7 for a rice ball, and $3 for the frozen dessert banana. They removed the Googa card element on Sunday, and proofed people at the ticket entrance, which was a great improvement for attendees and workers alike.
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| The Beast, "Hamageddon" |
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| Responsible clean-up |
Was it worth it? For me it was, because it was close to home and the music was free. I'd also be in the park on any given day, anyway. I am a tad concerned about potential damage from foot traffic, which I'll check out later this week. But after a slight beer buzz and some good food, I was fine. Turns out, this is like any other New York City event—go early and leave early to avoid crowds. I also saw a steady stream of "tools", tourists, out-of-towners, "Jersey Show" types, and d-bags as I left the park, too. Listen, Gen Y, I know I'm just a middle-aged a-hole to you, but ironic tattoos you find funny now will age horribly, and no one will be "in" on the joke. Bushwick, Williamsburg, and Greenpoint seemingly disgorged their entire contents of very pale and rich hipsters in high-waisted shorts and headbands into my beloved 'hood, much to my anger and dissatisfaction. So there you have it—my impressions and photos. What did you think of The Great Googa Mooga?
