Maplewoodstock 2018 Canopy and Space Policy

For those of you coming out to enjoy the 2018 Maplewoodstock Music & Arts Festival this summer, please read our 2018 Canopy and Space Policy.

The short version is:

  1. Pursuant to Maplewood Municipal Ordinance §193-23 Memorial Park opens at 5:00am. Therefore, no one is permitted to enter the park before that time unless permission is granted by an appropriate Township Official. DO NOT ENTER THE PARK PRIOR TO 5:00AM!
  2. Canopies, chairs, blankets, and other personal items are permitted in Memorial park only after 5:00am each day of the event.  Any personal items that are placed prior to that time will be removed by the Maplewood Police Department.  All personal items must be removed at the end of each night. Exceptions are items from paid vendors and approved event staff. These items will be clearly marked.
  3. Canopy Policy:
    1. After 5:00am on each event day canopies, chairs, blankets, and other personal items may be placed on a first-come first-served basis. DO NOT ENTER THE PARK PRIOR TO 5:00AM!
    2. Only one canopy is allowed per family. Canopies must be 10’ X 10’ or smaller and placed only in designated pre-marked locations. 
    3. Canopies with side panels, tents with side panels, umbrellas or other items that block the view of others are prohibited.
  4. Unoccupied Spaces:
    1. No person is permitted to “save a space.”  If a canopy, chair, blanket. or other personal item is left unattended for more than 2 hours after the start of the event, then those personal items are subject to removal by the police. 
    2. Alternatively, if festival attendees know that they will not be utilizing their space for an extended period of time, they are free to invite others to utilize such space. If unsuccessful, then they should remove their items or be subject to removal according to the above policy.
  5. WHATEVER YOU BRING IN TO THE PARK, YOU MUST TAKE IT WITH YOU WHEN YOU LEAVE – BOTH NIGHTS.  Unless otherwise approved, no personal item is permitted to remain in the park overnight.  This includes canopies, chairs, blankets, and any other personal items.  If left overnight they will be removed by the Maplewood Police Department.

The full policy is at http://maplewoodstock.com/dam/docs/2018/maplewoodstock-canopy-and-space-policy.pdf

Will will have marked-out "lanes" on the grass for canopies and "no go past" signs.  This will be enforced.

As always, follow us at http://maplewoodstock.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/maplewoodstock and https://twitter.com/maplewoodstock


We want to make sure people see this.  The town will be enforcing Ordinance 193-23 this year.


I find it interesting that we aren't allowed to park on the streets of Maplewood before 6 a.m. but the park opens at 5 a.m.

Is everyone going to carry their canopies upon their weary shoulders and walk to the park at 5 a.m.?  I think not!


yahooyahoo said:
I find it interesting that we aren't allowed to park on the streets of Maplewood before 6 a.m. but the park opens at 5 a.m.
Is everyone going to carry their canopies upon their weary shoulders and walk to the park at 5 a.m.?  I think not!

 Parking at the park is parking at the train station, which should be OK.


https://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2018/06/new_jersey_summer_festivals_2018_nj.html#incart_m-rpt-2

Maplewoodstock was listed here, so it might be advisable to have some enforcement of the policy on-site, as people may be coming from other towns and perhaps even other states.


nan said:


yahooyahoo said:
I find it interesting that we aren't allowed to park on the streets of Maplewood before 6 a.m. but the park opens at 5 a.m.
Is everyone going to carry their canopies upon their weary shoulders and walk to the park at 5 a.m.?  I think not!
 Parking at the park is parking at the train station, which should be OK.

 Still not allowed before 6 a.m. (technically), even in NJ Transit parking lots/spaces.


Park is open at 5 am for everyone - joggers, dog walkers, commuters walking to the train.  Time the park is open is not being adjusted just for Maplewoodstock land grab participants.


joan_crystal said:
Park is open at 5 am for everyone - joggers, dog walkers, commuters walking to the train.  Time the park is open is not being adjusted just for Maplewoodstock land grab participants.

 My comment is really more focused on the fact the Town has conflicting hours between parking and the park.


Two different issues.  The town has set 5 am parking for some permit parking spaces closest to the train station in recognition of the fact that there are trains departing Maplewood Station before 6 am.  Not sure if the 5 am spaces policy would apply on a holiday when permit parking is not in effect and  the earliest train departs later in the morning.


ebr95 said:
https://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2018/06/new_jersey_summer_festivals_2018_nj.html#incart_m-rpt-2
Maplewoodstock was listed here, so it might be advisable to have some enforcement of the policy on-site, as people may be coming from other towns and perhaps even other states.

The town of Maplewood has told our nine-person volunteer group who organize this annual free two-day festival multiple times that they will have police officers on site at/before 5 AM to enforce this town ordinance.  So, we are passing along this information.  This is a town ordinance.  The town has given us volunteers all indications (multiple times) that they will be enforcing this town ordinance in 2018.

The only exceptions are the structures (stage, tents, etc.) that are part of the festival logistics and paid vendors/sponsors.

Please note that, we will shift more of the Arts Vendors "downhill" towards the library to open up more "top of hill" space for attendees.  The festival grounds will be clearly marked with signs, aisles, and grass-friendly spray paint.  This means that we will actually have MORE space for attendees for 2018.

We are working on an informative map, but (a) we've had some challenges finding a volunteer to help us with that and (b) honestly, once you get to our hillside location, it is pretty easy to get oriented, so given all the other logistics, it's not the biggest priority.


We are also intending to clearly mark out 3-4 rows of 10' deep "canopy/tent" lines.  We will use grass-friendly spray paint and some signage.  This is an attempt to make sure that attendees will arrange into 3-4 rows 30'-40' downhill.

The image attached illustrates the concept; it is neither to scale nor represents any official number of rows or markings.

We have a few new community volunteers this year to help us with these logistics.

And, of course, we will continue to have the two main aisles from the top of the hill to the stage marked out by the Maplewood Department of Public Works to facilitate the circulation of attendees.

Also, once the festival grounds are deemed to be "at capacity" (the last few years, around 6 PM or so), those arriving with lawn chairs and blankets expecting to find a spot on the hill might be directed to adjacent fields.  Above all, we want to partner with Maplewood public safety officers to ensure everyone's safety during this event.

Please spread this info; we want people coming to our festival in 2018 to be fully aware of these policies.  We nine volunteers continue to try to provide the best and safe two-day free music festival of and for the community.


Maplewoodstock 2018 is 12 days from now!

We're adding a comment to this thread to get it to pop to the top of the discussion board, so that people are aware of the 2018 Canopy and Tent policy -- including the town's stated intent to enforce the town ordinance that prohibits tents in the park overnight and use of the park before 5 AM every day.

(The only exceptions allowed will be the structures that are part of the festival logistics -- e.g., stage, sound, arts/food/kids vendors, merch tent, Beer Garden, etc. -- which will all be clearly marked and/or communicated by the nine-member Maplewoodstock volunteer committee to the town.)

We have shifted Arts Vendors downhill towards the library to open up more top-of-the-hill space for attendees.  But, please be aware:  if you arrive at "peak hours" (e.g., 5-6 PM) with blankets and lawn chairs expecting to find space on the hill, you will probably find the hill at capacity, and you will probably be directed to find space in adjacent fields so that we don't have an unsafe, over-crowded situation.

Thanks, all!  We look forward to offering you all our 15th annual festival!


Thank you for all of your hard work!!!


Prior to receiving "Soma Living" {Michael E. Goldberg, publisher) in the mail today, I knew nothing about this year's event. The issue cleared up a lot.

One question still remains: Now that we found love what are we gonna do with it? 



@dickf3 -- How long have you lived in town?  (Just curious.)



Are shirts being sold this year online? I haven't been able to get into town and ordered online the last couple of years, but don't see that option this year.


We will not be selling shirts online this year.  We will be in front of Bank of America this Saturday and should have a good selection Maplewoodstock weekend.


Can you post pictures of this years shirts? Thanks.


jamie said:
We will not be selling shirts online this year.  We will be in front of Bank of America this Saturday and should have a good selection Maplewoodstock weekend.

 Sorry - my bad - we were on Springfield Avenue today in front of Lotus Petals.


Dang it, Jamie, I walked into town to buy a shirt and you were actually, like, four blocks from my house.


map is not exactly to scale..


Will any disabled parking be available downhill (Oakview, Valley, even Baker or behind Town Hall, though the latter two require walking a distance)?  Some of the disabled may have trouble going down the steep hill from the disabled parking area to the seating area, especially with the canopy area occupying the entire top of the hill.  Major advantage of placing the Senior Tent at the bottom of the hill by the Oakview entrance was that disabled Seniors would not have to cope with the hill to attend the event.  Note:  Some persons with handicapped plates/hang tags do drive themselves so a drop off zone at Oakview, while helpful for some, would not fully resolve this potential problem.


I'm new to the tent/canopy world...so something like this is not allowed because it has sides, correct?



Not allowed - 

 - Canopies with side panels, tents with side panels, umbrellas or other items that block the view of others are prohibited.

The person behind you should have a clear view if needed.


jamie said:
Not allowed - 


 - Canopies with side panels, tents with side panels, umbrellas or other items that block the view of others are prohibited.
The person behind you should have a clear view if needed.

 That's what I thought...thank you!!


@jamie: Still waiting for an answer to my question posted on July 9 re: the proposed location for handicapped parking.  I walked the area this afternoon.  To get from the handicapped parking area to the senior tent will require ambulatory-challenged individual to negotiate the hill.  The rationale given for placing the senior tent at the bottom of the hill was to avoid having seniors negotiate the hill to access the event.  Is it possible to have some handicapped parking or at least a drop off point on Oakview near the bridge so as to avoid this problem?  


Unfortunately at this time, we cannot handle additional traffic onto Oakview - only vehicles with permit parking for this area are allowed.  Oakview will be blocked off and may not be manned at all times.  People with permits will need to at times, get out of their car and move the blockades to gain entry.  


jamie said:
Unfortunately at this time, we cannot handle additional traffic onto Oakview - only vehicles with permit parking for this area are allowed.  Oakview will be blocked off and may not be manned at all times.  People with permits will need to at times, get out of their car and move the blockades to gain entry.  

@jamie  Thank you for your email.  I sent you a reply.


Can't wait to see what the canopy crazies do this year.


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