Upcoming Events. Karen McMahon July 22, May 5, T h e N e w s l e t t e r o f t h e W EST PENN C L U B. Volume 19 #5 June, 2009

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1 Volume 19 #5 June, 2009 Upcoming Events Jun 13 Tour Ed Mine Cruise Sun Sep 20 Second Annual Miata Golf Outing - Ligonier Sun Jun 21 Somerset Local Attractions Cruise -Sun Oct Eighth Annual Train Ride - Titusville Thu Jul 2 6:30 PM Monthly Meeting at Monroeville Mazda Dec 12 WPMC Christmas Party Jul 11 -Sun Jul Aug 1 10:00 AM Aug 1 Aug 15 -Sun Aug Aug 29 Thu Sep 3 6:30 PM -Mon Sep 5-7 Sep 12 Oakhurst and Wine Cruise Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Monthly Meeting at Baglier Mazda Hutten Cruise Pfeiffer Cruise New River Gorge Cruise WPMC Picnic Monthly Meeting at Monroeville Mazda Topless in the Mountains Powdermill Cruise Karen McMahon July 22, May 5, 2009 K by Linda Zimliki aren passed away on Tuesday May 5, 2009 from a stroke. Her son found her after she didn't respond to his phone call. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University and was an accomplished pianist and organist. Karen sang professionally for 15 years at Shadyside Presbyterian Church and also sang several times at Carnegie Hall in New York City. The West Penn Miata Club membership knew her as a quiet, friendly individual who always had the #2 position in the Miata train lineup on every cruise she attended. She didn't miss many cruises. Karen joined the club in 1990 which was the inaugural year for the WPMC. She had the longest membership in the club and was proud of that fact. Karen got such immense pleasure from the (continued on page 2)

2 2 (continued from page 1) camaraderie with members, the places we visited, and the roads we zoomed. She looked forward to the start of every cruising season and expressed her sadness to me when it ended each year. WPMC was a highlight in her life for 19 years. WPMC would like to honor Karen's devotion to our club. We will collect funds that will be donated to Carnegie Mellon University s Music Department in Karen's name. If you would like to donate, please make a check out to West Penn Miata Club and mail it to: Linda Zimliki 3929 Murry Highlands Circle Murrysville, Pa You can also give it to me when you attend a cruise. We would like to have all donations by her birthday, July 22. Well I been workin in a coal mine Goin down down Workin in a coal mine Cruise By Nancy & Bill Willis W e won t be working in the coal mine, too tired for havin fun, or getting up five o clock in the mornin. We will be going to Tour Ed Mine and experience what it was like to be a coal miner in the 1850s and today. Our guides are experienced coal miners, who will treat us to an amazing, educational tour 160 feet below the Earth's surface. We will be underground for 30 minutes, and a light jacket is suggested with a mine temperature of 52 to 55 degrees year-round. For more information visit their website at Lunch will be at the Gatto Cycle Diner. The Diner is a 1949 O Mahoney Company Diner. We will get a chance to return to the glory days of James Dean, rock n roll and lunch counter hang-outs. All of this plus we will be going on some great Miata roads and stopping for ice cream. Meeting Place: Kings Parking Lot in Harmarville Meeting Date & Time: June 13 at 9:30 AM Departure Time:10:00 AM Cost of the Tour: $8.00 general admission If we have 25 or more the cost will be $6.50. Mine temperature is 52 to 55 degrees year-round RSVP: by June 5, Friday to boomermiata@netzero.net or phone Lord I am so tired How long can this go on I been workin goin workin Workin in a coal mine Somerset Local Attractions by Bill & Karen McCullough C ome travel the country roads of Somerset County with us. We will be zooming around & about to discover local attractions. We will be looking for Barn Stars which are only found in Somerset, Bedford, & Washington Counties with a few in Westmoreland County. These adornments are products of the Pennsylvania Dutch during the late 1800 s to the 1920 s. For lunch we ll stop at Jennerstown s Coal Miners Café which used to be the White Star Hotel. Although most of the artifacts from the Coal Miners were destroyed in a fire, this restaurant is unique because it has gone through many phases in its existence and now contains a Bed & Breakfast along with the restaurant. Of course, there will be a stop at the Pie Shop on our way up the mountain with an ice cream stop in the afternoon. Join us for a fun day. (continued on page 3)

3 3 (continued from page 2) Date & Time: Sunday June 21-10:00 a.m. Departure at 10:30 a.m. Meeting Place: McDonalds in K-Mart Plaza, Latrobe - Address for GPS: 200 Mt Laurel Plaza, Latrobe, Pa RSVP: Bill & Karen McCullough - bkmccull@westol.com or call R Oakhurst and Wine Cruise by The McBrides ay and Barb would like you to join us for crusin thru the Laurel Highlands, touring and tasting at a winery, and a drive across the Yough Dam. We promise beautiful scenery and some great roads for travel. We will stop for a buffet lunch at the Oakhurst Restaurant and ice cream in Donegal before heading home. We hope to see you on July 11 with our tops down and our hair blowing in the wind. Date & Time: urday July 11 at 9:00 AM Departure Time: 9:30 AM Meeting Place: Sheetz (Junction of RT. 48 & RT. 130) - GPS Address: 2100 Mosside Drive, Monroeville Pa Directions: From the junction of Rt. 22 (in Monroeville) and Rt. 48 (Mosside Blvd)--take 48 South to Rt Sheetz is on the left. From the junction of Rt. 30 & Rt. 48 take Rt. 48 North to Rt.130. Sheetz is on the right. Cruise Limit: 18 cars RSVP: By July 7 to rayvrex@yahoo.com or Cruise leaders' cell phone for last minute communication: Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix by Wally Swarmer R ace fans, start your engines. July is the week for this year's PVGP. Events will be taking place all around the Pittsburgh area throughout the week, culminating in the Crown Royal vintage car races in Schenley Park on Sunday, July 19. Once again this year, the West Penn Miata Club will be participating. We will be reserving an area for our cars to be parked on urday for the Combined car show, which can bring as many as 2,000 cars of all makes and years to the Schenley Park Golf Course. We will also be reserving a 20 x 20 tent for the club. All WPMC members are encouraged to attend. We will also have a table under the tent for anyone that would like to bring food and drinks to share. The reserved area and tent will also be available for use on Sunday for race day. Pre-registration for the event is recommended either online at or mail the registration form included in this newsletter to: PVGP Car Shows, P.O. Box , Pittsburgh, PA Mail-in and online registration deadline is July 3, (You will not receive a response to your pre-registration by mail or ; just enter the main gate at the intersection of Schenley Dr./ Forbes Ave. (5370 Schenley Dr., for those with GPS) on. July 18 and the attendant will give you your registration packet and direct you to the site. Gate opens at 9:30 AM.) The PVGP schedule for the week includes: urday and Sunday, July 11 and 12 : Racing at the BeaveRun Motorsports complex in Beaver Falls including muscle cars, BMWs and Minis. Also Solo II Autocross. Monday, July 13: An invitational car show on Walnut Street in Shadyside. Tuesday, July 14: A car cruise for all cars at the Waterfront in Homestead. Wednesday, July 15: A Race car parade and show in Downtown Pittsburgh. urday, July 18: The Combined Car Show and British Car Day at Schenley Golf Course. Vintage Race practice runs, and qualifying races will be taking place from 9 AM to 5 PM. (continued on page 4)

4 4 (continued from page 3) Sunday, July 19: Crown Royal Vintage Race Day. More details of all these events can be viewed online at ANYONE PLANNING TO ATTEND SATURDAY JULY 18 AND/OR SUNDAY JULY 19, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT or New River Gorge Cruise by Bob & Sally Taylor and John & Clara Fuscaldo J oin us August as we travel the curvy and windy roads to the southern part of West Virginia-- destinations being HAWKS NEST STATE PARK and THE NEW RIVER GORGE. If you would like to join us, FIRST me at cjfuscaldo@ma.rr.com or call (home) or (cell). When we reach 20 cars, the cruise will be closed. urday night we will be staying at the Lodge at Hawks Nest. A block of rooms (make your own reservation) have been set aside for the West Penn Miata Club. Make your reservations by AUGUST 1--otherwise the rooms will not be available. Call Hawks Nest at (mention West Penn Miata Club). We are getting the rooms (all rooms are non-smoking now) at the 2008 rate--10% group discount plus 6% sales tax and 6% hotel/motel tax. More specific details will be coming in the July Newsletter. Right now, we know we will be dining at DIRTY ERNIE'S- -noted for their ribs--on urday Night. Sunday morning we will have a buffet breakfast at the Lodge--price of the buffet ($11.10 per person) has to be prepaid, so send me a check for each person attending, Make the check payable to CLARA FUSCALDO. The price of the buffet includes tax and gratuity--also they are giving us the room free of charge. After breakfast we will go to the Scenic Overlook, then take the road (which was the major road to get across the river) deep down into the canyon. After we regroup, we will start our journey home. Again more specific details will be in the July Newsletter. RIGHT NOW REMEMBER TO SEND ME AN OR GIVE ME A CALL. MAKE YOUR ROOM RESERVATION. HOPE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN US. O WPMC Picnic by Joe & Linda Zimliki ur annual picnic is on urday August 29 this year so please mark the date on your calendar. It will again be held at White Oak Park. There will be food, socializing, food, games & oh yes food. Members attending will be asked to bring a covered dish, salad, or dessert. The Club will provide hamburgers, hot dogs, (by request) kielbasa, condiments, soft drinks, plates, plastic ware and napkins. More information will follow in a future newsletter. T Topless in the Mountains - XV by Steve Lapp opless in the Mountains XV will be from urday, September 5 to Monday, September 7. This is an event sponsored by the Trillium Club from Canada with an invitation to WPMC. As always, this event is about one thing - DRIVING. Over the course of two days, expect to take your Miata over 500 miles on some of the best roads West Virginia has to offer. At this point, the cruise is full and anyone registering will be placed on a waiting list. Priority on the waiting list is determined by when your registration is received by Trillium. Registrations will be accepted until July 24. To sign up for this event: 1. Contact Steve Lapp at slapp@westpennmiataclub.com or Steve will send you a registration form which you will complete and send to Bill Olijnyk and Debbie Miller, Trillium leaders for this event. 3. If space becomes available, Bill and Debbie will give you instructions to book your room.

5 CRUISIN & ZOOMIN SEASON BY LINDA ZIMLIKI W e have had some great cruises. Thank you to the leaders for all your hard work. There has been a change in the July 11 cruise name. It is back to Oakhaurst & Wine Cruise. Remember to get your registration form in for the PVGP and to let Wally know if you are attending. Below are two new events for other clubs. Arthritis Foundation 27th Classic Auto Show & Cruise - In PRE-REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Register your MX-5 for the 20th Anniversary of the Miata!, urday, July 11th. Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the MX-5 Miata, display your roadster, and enjoy a day of hot cars, cold beers, good friends, and live entertainment. Plus, your registration will help the Arthritis Foundation raise crucial dollars to fight this horrible, debilitating disease. PLUS, all who register for the event can also enjoy a great Hocking Hills 20th Anniversary car cruise on Sunday, July 12th. Which will take us through the Hocking Hills and up to Buckeye Lake ending at Papa Boos. Contact Paul Anthony at paulie69@wowway.com with questions. Be There!. A registration Form is included in newsletter Miatas In Moab IV - May 14-16, 2010 The Utah Miata Club is holding another Moab adventure. This is a free Event. There is no cost to attend. All information on this event is at Click on Miatas In Moab IV for information. Did you know??? A new magazine came out last year for Miata enthusiasts call Forever MX-5. The magazine comes out four times a year and is a great source of information. If interested, it can be ordered online at: Miata Mountain Mania 2010 Update by Linda Zimliki T he committee now has the event logos. Sketches were done by John Whitmire and the committee had its input. John did a great job. The first two pages, Introduction & Attractions, for MMM 2010 are up on our website. Just click Miata Mountain Mania 2010 on the left. You can check out the logo on our website. We are gathering information so we can price the event. Planning the cruises is also underway. Driving Cruise in the West Virginia Hills. by Pat & Steve Beam S aturday, May 9, 11 Miatas and 21 members met at I-79 Mazda, Mt. Morris, PA. Fueled with coffee and doughnuts provided by the dealer, we gathered to listen to cruise info from Colette Knoll. She and Paul provided take along snacks of cracker packs and Lifesavers as they had planned miles of fun driving with a minimum of stops. At our pre-cruise meeting, Linda Z said a few words about popular and long time club member, Karen McMahon, who had passed away the previous Tuesday. After a few quiet moments, we moved to our cars, topless under the overcast and muggy WV skies. Sights on the first leg of our trip to Moundsville, WV included: lovely blooming flowers and dogwood trees, a coal mine with much to view on both sides of the road, and a draft horse farm (lots of horsepower in those several fields). At our Moundsville stop, the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex, members visited the museum and at least a dozen or more members climbed to the top of the mound; the view from there included the former state prison just across the street. Moving on a few blocks to a refueling spot we were soon on the road again headed for Fairmont, WV. Curve after curve in 79 weather, we arrived ready for a delicious Italian meal at Muriale's Restaurant. After posing for the group picture, we enjoyed our pasta in many variations. As we scattered for home, all gave thanks to Colette and Paul for a fun day of driving. Thanks too for the pre-cruise treat provided by I-79. We enjoyed the roads so much that we retraced the route on the way home, 340 miles of cruising fun.

6 6 Coraopolis Memorial Day Parade and enjoyed the stirring sounds of the Seton Hill University Bag Pipe Band. An appropriate way to spend Memorial Day, and we provided service to our veterans and blew our own horn a little bit. Thanks to all those members who were able to make it this year, I hope you enjoyed yourself. Miata World II Report by Linda Zimliki T by George Kniss his year, the second year that our Miata Club has participated in the Coraopolis Memorial Day Parade turned out to be a great event. This year, though, we were able to russle up six of us to offer our fine vehicles to drive veterans in the parade. Participating was myself, John Whitmire, Wally Swarmer, Ed Diaz, Dan Dematteis and Dennis Weber. As usual, we met up in Coraopolis in front of the VFW on Fifth Avenue and decorated up our cars. We met up with veterans of the VFW and American Legion who represented all of the services and had served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. These guys were dressed in old uniforms which were starched and pressed finely and bedecked with medals and stripes indicating their service. It turned out to be a clear and sunny day and with our tops down, of course, the only shelter we needed was maybe an umbrella or two to ward off the hot sun. After our line up, we drove two abreast down Fifth Avenue beeping our horns and us early models flipping our hidden lights up and down apparently surprising the little kids. This year, I made things a little more personal..i printed up a commemoration and attached it to the side of my car in memory of my great uncle, Harry Kniss who was killed in WWI in the Argonne Forrest of France. He was a member of the U.S. Army's 319th Infantry Machine Gun Company. It was good seeing the line of our Miatas in the parade and I think the old vets appreciated the ride. After the parade, we were hosted by the VFW and grabbed some hot dogs, with or without Sour Kraut, and some beer O ur club was represented by four Miatas - Bond, Stuewe, Willis, and Zimliki. We traveled down to Texas with Bill & Nancy Willis. The Bonds were going to Charleston first and the Stuewes visited friends in Arkansas before going o Texas. Our group enjoyed a lot of sight seeing both going down and coming back. We stayed in Nashville the first night where we went to The Grand Old Opry. Next morning we met up with The Tennessee Music City Miata Club for the next leg of our journey. We stopped off in Memphis to see Graceland then on to Texarkana where we stayed the second night. Thursday morning we started our final leg of the trip to Grapevine, Texas. We stopped on way in Dallas to check out The Sixth Floor Museum, where JFK was shot. In Grapevine, we stayed at the fabulous Gaylord Hotel. Thursday evening we did a sunset drive where we saw mini estate after mini estate. They do make them big in Texas. Friday we visited Fort Worth and saw a cattle herd drive down Main Street, a Cattle Auction, the place of the first indoor rodeo, and Billy Bob's, the biggest nightclub in the world. Then we drove to the Engraving & Printing facility where our currency is printed. In the evening, we met old Miata friends and made new ones at Vendor's Alley. urday we went to Dinosaur Valley State Park where we saw 113 million year old dinosaur tracks embedded in a riverbed. urday evening the Miata was given away. A Texan from The Lone Star Miata Club won it. We had articles signed by fathers of the Miata, Tom Matano and Bob Hall. Both signed Joe's MWII T-shirt. Sunday was Texas Speedway day. Boy did we have fun that day. Joe made about 24 laps around the track total and did get his Miata up to Yes, I was in the car with him. Monday we left for home. We stopped in Nashville again for the evening and toured Loretta Lynn's Dude Ranch. On Tuesday we stopped at Churchill Downs. We toured the racetrack and stables. Four very tired people arrived home Tuesday evening. We took a lot of pictures and they will be on our website after I get them to Steve.

7 7 Details On The Riverside Inn Brunch Cruise by the McBrides S unday, May 31, 18 Miatas left from the parking lot at King s Restaurant in Cranberry. We were headed to the Riverside Inn in Cambridge Springs, PA, for their famous Sunday brunch. The sun was shining but it was quite cool and although most of the cars were topless, I convinced my husband that our roof was staying in place for the moment. It was about a two hour drive and as we arrived at the Inn, the exterior of the building was beautiful and I couldn't wait to see the interior, which was just as picturesque. The Brunch was very good and encompassed everything from a salad and dessert bar, breakfast foods, omelet bar and hot lunch items. Following lunch we were permitted to tour the Inn and see the rooms that were not occupied, and to visit the dinner theatre and the rest of the areas in the Inn. The Historic Victorian Inn, situated on the banks of French Creek, was built to accommodate wealthy patrons during the Mineral Water Boom of the late 1800 s and early 1900 s The Inn has been in continuous operation since 1885 and although it has had several owners, in the fall of '85 Michael and Marie Halliday became the new owners. With an appreciation for its historical value, they have managed to restore the inn to its original charm and beauty. The hotel has no televisions or telephones in the guest rooms in order to keep with the era in which it was built. A dinner theatre, out-door swimming pool, tennis court, and horseshoes are just a few or the amenities. There are also beautiful gardens and a lovely large porch with rocking chairs, although it was too cool to rock on this particular day. The weather was a lot warmer as we left the Inn and we were all able to have our roofs down. We zoomed-zoomed through Titusville, Emlenton, and Foxburg and followed the Allegheny River a large part of the way. Our trip ended in West Kittanning and of course we stopped for ice cream, which was the perfect ending to a perfect day. Thanks Wally, for the cruise!!! Cruis n with Jim by President Jim Pfeiffer T he Miata season is off to a great start! The cruises we have had so far this summer were super and there are still a lot of great cruises coming up. Janet and I have been on four cruises already this summer and they were all great. We traveled a lot of back roads which Miatas love. Several of the cruises had historical stops, which were quite enjoyable. Last weekend we went on the Nemacolin Castle Cruise. Janet and I both thought it was located in Nemacolin, PA. We found out, later, it is actually about 35 miles from Nemacolin Woodlands and the castle was actually named after an Indian chief. It was great touring the castle and seeing some of the original artifacts. Since joining the WPMC, we have been to places we probably would never have visited. Not because we wouldn't want to, but because we never knew they existed. Participating in these cruises we are able to see, not only the back roads, but the beautiful countryside. In addition to that, it is a great social event. If you are planning to participate in a cruise, sign up early. Some of the cruises limit the number of cars and the cruise can fill up quickly. Zoom! Zoom! July Deadline The deadline for articles for the July newsletter is July 6, 2009

8 Officers web site: Founder: Paul Fronko President: Jim Pfeiffer Vice President: Joe Zimliki (724) (724) West Penn Club Legalese The FUN N THE SUN TIMES is published as a service by the West Penn Miata Club, Inc. a non-profit corporation. Treasurer: Bill McCullough Secretary: Shar Whitmire Events Chair: Linda Zimliki Past President: John Whitmire (724) (412) (724) (412) Editor - In - Chief: Steve Lapp Send all editorial contributions to: WEST PENN MIATA CLUB c/o Steve Lapp 105 Gadshill Place Pittsburgh, PA slapp@westpennmiataclub.com The WEST PENN MIATA CLUB assumes no liability for any information contained herein; or injury or damage resulting from the use of this information. The ideas, maintenance, opinions, or modification tips expressed are to be used at the readers discretion. Individual contributors and/or editors express no approval, authentication, or endorsement. WEST PENN MIATA CLUB c/o Shar Whitmire 131 Nyetimber Parkway Moon Twp., PA West Penn Address goes here Club leave room for mail bar code to go here

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11 2009 Class Table 01 CCCA Classic 17 Mopar Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth 33 **Corvette 02 **Rolls Royce 18 Oldsmobile 34 **Cougar 03 Pre-War Convertible & Hardtop 19 Pace Cars 35 **Datsun / Nissan Z 04 Production Convertible & Hardtop 20 Sports All Years 36 **Honda S2000 & NSX 05 Production Convertible 21 Foreign All Years 37 **Italian 06 Production Hardtop 22 Street Rods (Pre-1949) 38 **Jaguar 07 Production Hardtop 23 Pro Street & Modified Convertible & Hardtop 39 **Original Mini Feature 08 Future Classics 1985-Present Convertible 24 Customs & Restomods All years 40 **Miata 09 Future Classics 1985-Present Hardtop & Trucks 25 Specialty, Replica & Kit-Car 41 **Model A Fords 10 Factory Muscle (Pure Stock) Through Clones, Recreations & Tribute Cars 42 **Mustang Including Fox-body- 11 Unrestored Original Survivors & Older 27 **AMC Feature 12 Documented Original Owner 1984 & Older 28 BMW & New MINI 43 **Pontiac Firebirds & Trans Am 13 Trucks & Commercial Vehicles Through **British 44 **Porsche 14 Chevelle & El Camino 30 **Buick 45 **PT-Cruisers 15 GTO 31 **Camaro 46 **Thunderbird 16 Lincoln Feature 32 **Cobra / AC / Kit / Replica 47 **Volkswagen ** Indicates class has sub-classes. To view sub-classes, go to Enter Your Car and click Classes and View Sub-Classes to find your correct class JULY 10TH FRIDAY S CRUISE-IN features more than 1,500 antique cars, street rods, muscle cars, customs and European exotics. Judging continues until 7:30 pm, followed by Mike Albert and the Big E band s awe inspiring Ultimate Tribute to Elvis concert! During concert intermission and in keeping with 26 years of tradition, spectacular 6-foot-high trophies are presented to the Top 100 Cruise-In cars. Many specialty awards are also presented. Pre-Registration Form Entry Friday Cruise-In ONLY - $20.00 urday Show ONLY - $25.00 Friday & urday - $40.00 ($25 each additional car) Mailing Information Name: Address: City/St/ZIP: Phone: Vehicle Information Please note that entry of multiple vehicles per registrant is permitted please use the spaces provided below and attach a separate sheet if more space is required JUDGED! DISPLAY ONLY! CAR FOR SALE! Vehicle #1 Year & Color: Make & Model: Friday ONLY! urday ONLY! Friday & urday! urday Class #: Vehicle #2 Year & Color: Make & Model: Friday ONLY! urday ONLY! Friday & urday! urday Class #: JULY 11TH SATURDAY S SHOW is a Concours format with 47 separate classes. We will be celebrating Anniversaries for our 2009 featured marques which are Lincoln, Mustang and Mini Cooper. There will be at least three awards for every class. Also, the Mustang Club of Ohio will present a specially featured Fox-body Mustang Reunion with multiple Fox-body Mustang classes. Judging takes place in the afternoon with a spectacular awards parade at 4:30 pm. At 7:30 pm, thousands of oldies fans will celebrate the 50 s, 60 s and 70 s at our fabulous Phil Dirt and The Dozers Concert! Tell us the most interesting fact or feature about your car(s) in the space provided.! I am interested in being contacted about judging opportunities at the show.! I am interested in being contacted about volunteer opportunities at the show. I would like to make a tax deductible contribution $ Proceeds benefit the Arthritis Foundation. Payment Total $ Cash enclosed! Check enclosed made payable to the Arthritis Foundation! Credit Card Type Visa! Mastercard! Discover! American Express! Card number: Exp. Date: Name on card: Signature: All pre-registrants will receive a collectable duffle bag and a goodie bag. Pre-Registration Deadline is June 26, 2009 Return registration form & payment to: The Arthritis Foundation 3740 Ridge Mill Drive Hilliard, Ohio / Fax mthomas@arthritis.org General Admission is $10 per person each day, includes nightly concerts Children under 12 are free both days NO CARRY-IN ALCOHOL