Bluesfest's designated lawn chair section folds
Last Updated: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 | 11:25 AM ET
CBC News
You can now stand up and shake it to the music almost anywhere at Ottawa's annual summer Bluesfest — including areas formerly set aside for people lounging in lawn chairs.
"You can bring chairs, but if people want to get up and dance, we will not be telling people to sit down," confirmed festival spokesman Joe Reilly on Wednesday.
"There is no longer a designated chair area in the park."
When Bluesfest kicked off at Lebreton Flats on July 4, organizers allocated space for people who brought their own chairs and wanted to stay seated.
But on Sunday, during the White Stripes performance, the area was flooded with boogying fans, and organizers realized police would be needed to keep the area lawn-chairs-only throughout the festival, which runs until July 15.
"We can't enforce this kind of a policy," Reilly said, "so the decision has been taken to strike that area and common courtesy is what should prevail."
He said two sections with designated seating as well as a wheelchair area are still available for those who want or need to sit without having their view blocked by people standing and dancing.
But aside from that, he said, "there's no guarantee of a sightline anywhere."
