Illuminations Tour tickets now on sale

[ron_newman]

McIntyre & Moore is now selling tickets for the Somerville Arts Council's Illuminations Trolley Tour, which will take place on Saturday, December 15. This event always sells out, so get your tickets soon.

Some members of this LJ community are leading a few of the tours; if you're one of them, please step forward. I'll be one of the greeters at City Hall from 6 to 8 pm.

Comments

[ifotismeni]

thanks for the heads-up ron! a house on herbert already has its holiday lights up, it has made me very eager to see what other houses around town are doing!

"here"

[cthulhia]

mah trolleys are 7A and 8:15A

Re: "here"

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

umm, do you mean 7p.m. and 8:15p.m.??

Re: "here"

[ron_newman]

At each time, there are three trolleys, labelled 'A', 'B', and 'C'. When you buy a ticket, it has both a time and a letter on it. If you want to ride with cthulhia, buy a ticket for the 'A' trolley at 7:00 or 8:15.

Re: "here"

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

ahh...okay. We've been on the tour the past two years but I never really noticed the ins and outs of the ticketing system since we always wound up getting them at City Hall at the last minute.

Re: "here"

[ron_newman]

And if you do that, you have to deal with me and a whole bunch of other harried volunteers who try to maintain a waiting list and count the number of no-shows who can be replaced on each trolley. Much better to buy the tix in advance if you can.

Re: "here"

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Believe me, Ron, irritating or inconveniencing volunteers is not at all on my holiday to-do list. I don't want to get all ranty on you, but suffice it to say, this has been a huge source of stress for me -- my son so enjoys the Illuminations event and I would feel really guilty if I didn't take him, but getting the tickets has been a nightmare now three years running. I understand that the Arts Council is constrained by the number of trolleys and drivers that they can get, but seriously, I shouldn't have to camp out overnight like a freaking Red Sox game. If an event like this is consistently sold out the very first day that tickets go on sale, that should clue someone in that something needs to be done. Add more trolleys, add a second day, or something.

I'll go by M&M tonight after work, which is the earliest I can possibly get there. But if it's already sold out by then, then yeah, I'm going to be once again showing up at City Hall the day of the event, begging and pleading with whoever will listen to find us a ticket or squeeze us on somehow. I won't be rude about it. I won't be acting entitled. I won't be interfering with anyone's ability to do their actual volunteering job. And yes, I'll have explained to my son in advance that we might not be able to get a ticket and if we don't get a ticket we won't be able to ride the trolley. If he has to learn a lesson in disappointment, then so be it. But I'm going to do everything in my power to not let that happen.

Re: "here"

[ron_newman]

The event sells out before the weekend it happens, but I don't think it ever sells out the first day. If you go to the store tonight, you should be fine.

On the day of the event, we do everything we can to accommodate walk-ins. I don't think we've ever sent anyone away completely disappointed, though we've had to make people wait a while.

If you'd like to make suggestions o the folks at the Arts Council, please write to the people on this page. I like the idea of a second day, but I don't know how well the Arts Council can handle it. Adding more trolleys on the same day probably would not work well, as the City Hall parking lot may not have room for four at one time, and the last trolley needs to go out before people start turning off their lights.

Re: "here"

[m-b-w.livejournal.com]

I just went to M & M for my tickets (thanks to Joan's posting on the Somerville Mom list that they were actually on sale today - as of YESTERDAY, the Arts Council web site said they were going on sale on 11/28). I was trying to get 3 tickets for the 5:00, which they didn't have, but I was able to get 3 tickets for the 5:45 (and was also offered 4:30).

Re: "here"

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

I actually talked to someone at the Arts Council last year about adding more trolleys. If I recall correctly they said that the main issue was not being able to hire enough drivers.

And no, we have not been sent away disappointed -- the first year, a very kind volunteer whose name I never got gave us her tickets, and I would thank her again repeatedly if I knew who she was. The second year, we ran up to a trolley just as it was starting to leave, and they let us on because there were plenty of empty seats. So I'm not too worried that we'll manage to get on somehow. I just find it frustrating that the whole thing is such a "production."

Re: "here"

[ron_newman]

The other issue with a second day is whether the residential neighborhoods would consider it an imposition. The tour brings noise and traffic to their streets, from 4 pm to around 10 pm. It also requires "no parking" zones on some small streets, so that the trolleys can make the necessary tight turns.

Re: "here"

[ron_newman]

As it turns out, a fourth 'D' trolley was added at the last minute for the 5:00 and 7:00 runs. I hope you were able to get a ticket and enjoy the event yesterday. Did you?

[mamabunny72.livejournal.com]

RE: the issue of adding a second day and/or more trolleys: as much as there is high demand, the bottom line basically comes down to logistics, cost and limited people resources. (I used to be on the Arts Council board.)

Last year, I bought my tickets about a week before the tour; there were still some tickets left, just not much of a selection.

And if I remember correctly, there will be maps for sale at City Hall on the tour night ($2?) for self-guided tours, tho' I have to admit, riding the trolley is fun.

[ron_newman]

Yep, we always sell plenty of maps to people who don't have tickets or just prefer to drive around on their own. I think they cost $3. After the tour night is over, we deliver the remaining maps to McIntyre & Moore, so people can buy them there.

In some previous years I've heard about a bicycling group that does its own "Tour de Tacky" based on these maps, a few days after the trolley tour. I don't know much more about it, having never done it myself. The folks at SCUL may know more.

(p.m. is implied)

[cthulhia]

All the trolley times are pm. There are 3 Trolleys -- A, B, and C --
the "A" indicates which Trolley I will be on.

This ends up being a big mess for people who don't realize that just because they all have tickets for the same time doesn't mean they're on the same trolley.

Re: (p.m. is implied)

[xartofnothingx.livejournal.com]

i believe jess got our tickets already so we'll be riding with you! you're stuck with us again... muhahah

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Yikes, thanks for the heads-up. The website had previously been claiming that tickets went on sale this Wednesday. I guess that has changed? I better stop by there tonight.

[ron_newman]

I haven't actually visited the store to check. I'm just going by what the website says.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

The Somerville Journal article about it from a couple of weeks ago said that the tickets would go on sale the 26th (today) although the Arts Council website as of last week still said the 28th. This has caused much confusion over on the SomervilleMoms yahoogroup....

[opn.livejournal.com]

According to everything I read and according to the nice lady I talked to (at the Som. Arts Council? City Hall?) a few weeks ago, the official start of Illuminations ticket sales was this morning at 10am...except that, when I bought my tickets at Mac&Moore this morning, the counterperson told me that some tickets had already been sold over the weekend (not by her).

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I'll be guiding Trolley B at 7:30 and 8:45!

[ron_newman]

I asked Lauren Leeman about reserving a ticket for me on your second trip. She told me that someone had bought out the entire trip! You know anything about this?

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Wacky! No, I have no idea, but now I'm very curious. Did you get any more details?

I have to guess that it was just a coincidence as I can't imagine who'd have done that and requested me specifically without my knowing about it.

[ron_newman]

Lauren just said "We had someone buy out one entire 8:45 trolley". Not very likely that they know or care who is leading it. I just bought the first 7:30B ticket a few minutes ago, so there are plenty left.

[obie119.livejournal.com]

How does one get to be a guide? I've always wanted to do it (and have been told by many friends that I'm made for it). Thanks!

[ron_newman]

You call or write to Greg or Lauren or Rachel at the Arts Council.

You're almost certainly too late for this year, but talk to them anyway so that they'll remember you for next year. In the meantime, I'm sure they'd be glad for your help at City Hall this December 15.

[ron_newman]

I just saw Lauren this morning, and she informed me that she still needs guides for three more trolley trips. Please call or e-mail her tomorrow. I'll also point her at this post. Your e-mail address is missing from your profile page, so she doesn't have any way to reach you.

[ron_newman]

I assume you are the person that Lauren introduced me to last night, saying that you read about the need for guides on LiveJournal. If so, thanks for helping out last night! Lots of folks appreciate it.

it's SO MUCH FUN

[winterhill.livejournal.com]

I took a bunch of friends and their kids last year and we had a blast. The refreshments and such at City Hall afterwards were lame -- there were a few frosted cookies and some dreggs of cider, IIRC -- but the trolley ride and the extravaganza is worth the ticket price.

I too was surprised at how quickly tickets sold out. I agree with the mom upthread ... it really can be quite an ordeal if you don't have a lot of flexibility.

I have to do the self-drive tour this year which wont be as much fun, but will allow for more candid commentary. :-)

Re: it's SO MUCH FUN

[ron_newman]

More candid than cthulhia? Hmmmmm.

Yeah, the refreshments can get pretty sparse by the end. Better to enjoy the City Hall atmosphere before the tour instead. There's usually a choir singing.

[obie119.livejournal.com]

Oh that is great - I'll try to call her first thing, but also, I can be reached at oberon119 at my hotmail account. Thanks!