Shuttle to Hamtramck Labor Day Festival

Bearinabox · September-05-10, 11:40 PM

The Night Move people are running a free shuttle from the WSU campus to the Hamtramck Labor Day festival, and for some reason they decided not to publicize it at all in any way. So, in the interest of Good Citizenship, I decided to do it for them on here, just in case someone in the Midtown/WSU area is planning to go to the festival tomorrow and doesn't feel like driving. The WSU stop is on the east side of Anthony Wayne north of Warren, in front of the freshman dorms, and the Hamtramck stop is on the north side of Caniff just east of Jos. Campau. Apparently there's a CCS stop too, but I don't know where it is. I don't think there's any kind of schedule, they just sort of circle continuously between noon and 8:30ish, and there is no stop signage at either end. It's a really cool idea, I just wish they'd executed it a little bit better.

**1KielsonDrive** · September-06-10, 11:30 PM

Unfortunately, the shuttle was one of the few things that was screwed up for the Labor Day Festival. And it was really screwed up. It was supposed to make certain stops at certain places and intervals. I didn't see it once the entire weekend. Not near my place of business nor anywhere else on the streets. I directed people to use it and they ended up walking. Too bad. It was the same shuttle company that provided service for the MT Hamtramck Blow Out. The same problems occurred during the Blow Out. Saw the shuttle once or twice in three days. I don't know what would be so difficult about having volunteers ride along to monitor it's effectiveness, announce stops and enter businesses to announce its arrival and departure.

**1KielsonDrive** · September-06-10, 11:32 PM

I must add that the Hamtramck Labor Day Festival was one of the best in recent memory. Kudos and thanks to Kathleen, Rachel, their committee, all volunteers and individuals giving of their time and energy. WOW!

**jefferson78** · September-07-10, 07:48 AM

Went on Saturday and had a great time.
Polka Floyd was fantastic. Does anyone know if they have a CD?
BTW, I never saw any shuttle busses.

**1KielsonDrive** · September-07-10, 01:37 PM

[quote=jefferson78;179312]Went on Saturday and had a great time.
Polka Floyd was fantastic. Does anyone know if they have a CD?
BTW, I never saw any shuttle busses.[/quote]
Nor did any of my friends and customers.

Bearinabox · September-07-10, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by 1KielsonDrive

Originally Posted by jefferson78

Went on Saturday and had a great time.
Polka Floyd was fantastic. Does anyone know if they have a CD?
BTW, I never saw any shuttle busses.

Nor did any of my friends and customers.

I only went to the festival on Sunday. I happened to be walking down the street by WSU and saw it parked there, so I rode up to the festival instead of driving. It travelled directly between the two stops I mentioned, and I was the only passenger. I saw it stopped in Hamtramck a few hours later as I was leaving the festival, but didn't ride it again because I was going straight to the Jazzfest with some friends.

**Russix** · September-07-10, 02:54 PM

[quote=1KielsonDrive;179450]

Originally Posted by jefferson78

Went on Saturday and had a great time.
Polka Floyd was fantastic. Does anyone know if they have a CD?
BTW, I never saw any shuttle busses.[/quote]
Nor did any of my friends and customers.

One here: http://www.staticrecords.com/main.htm
down alittle bit on the page
They usually have cds for sale at their shows.

**Melody** · September-07-10, 03:07 PM

I also thought the festival was great this year. Some things were better, some were better before, but as a resident that lives very close by I thought it was well-executed. The cops were good about shooing away people drinking out of paper bags [[for the most part) and the vendors seemed a little fresher than in previous years. Still, garbage was a problem.

Small's paid to be part of the bar crawl and as far as I could tell not one of our customers came in as part of the bar crawl. I saw the bus drive by several times on Saturday night, and it was always empty. It never stopped to see if anyone standing outside wanted a ride to another bar. The festival was good for business this weekend, but it wasn't because of the bar crawl. I was willing to try it, but I don't think it was needed.

**Hamtragedy** · September-07-10, 11:40 PM

There was a pub crawl? M, I got these flyers on my door last week telling us of the festival, [[as if we forgot that this weekend would be hard to park) but that was all that it said. There were no details otherwise. Seemed odd.

**jefferson78** · September-08-10, 12:46 PM

[quote=Russix;179476]

Originally Posted by 1KielsonDrive

One here: http://www.staticrecords.com/main.htm
down alittle bit on the page
They usually have cds for sale at their shows.

Found it and ordered one.
Thank you very much!

DetroitPole · September-08-10, 03:06 PM

I always enjoy the Hamtramck Festival and this year was no exception. I guess my login name kind of lends itself to that. However, I do question, with all the ethnic groups in Hamtramck, how come the festival doesn't have a more multi-ethnic flair to it? There is essentially just Polish food and then carnival food. Some of the Polish food is excellent - some of it is really terrible. Srodek's was good, of course.

The festival is definitely a great, blue collar celebration but it seems like with the diversity in Hamtramck we could do a little more than the polka bands, hard rocker impersonators, and elephant ears. Maybe in the coming years.

Had lots of fun bar hopping and loved the Wawel dancers too.

**Hamtragedy** · September-09-10, 11:28 PM

Could it be that it was still Ramadan? Now that you mention it DP, there was an absence at this year's festival, both in the vendors and the partons.

DetroitPole · September-10-10, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by Hamtragedy

Could it be that it was still Ramadan? Now that you mention it DP, there was an absence at this year's festival, both in the vendors and the partons.

That is a keen observation. Especially since many of the other big groups in Hamtramck - the Bangladeshi, the Arabs, the Albanians, the Bosnians, are almost all Muslim. I suppose there is nothing that could be done about that this year, since the festival is the Labor Day festival.

Next year, however, the two holidays do not coincide. I hope next year the organizers bring out as many cultures as possible. The two volunteers this year seem like smart young women[[cute too), maybe they will do it again next year and learn from the experience this year.