PROVANITY 34..By Salt City Vans.......This event is one of the original few events we attended - or even knew about - back in those early times....When we first started attending Provanity it was held up on the side of a mountain (or at least a hill) and serviced by a dirt road which some times was a mud run....It was near Moravia....There was no electricity or water but the National Guard had the equipment we needed...............
In later years the event moved to the Cayuga County Fairgrounds in Weedsport and remained there until the sale of the grounds forced the club to relocate to the Riverforest Park campgrounds just a few miles up the road .....It's a different venue for us but there are some good aspects to it as well....For instance, besides a fair amount of water and electricity at the sites , there is a restaurant and bar on the grounds and some decent showers..
Flashing back---In those so-called halcyon days when everyone seems to remember only the good days , remember if you will what the shower/toilet scene was like in the old days...Showers were often plywood cubicles with a nice cold garden hose draped over the top , and the toilets were the same but with a shallow hole instead of a hose. They looked like S#*+, and smelled like it as well.....
So the grounds may be not perfect but we pretty much liked them... The RV folks seemed to like the vans (this is a van only event) and rode by often on their golf carts, took in the bands and shows and a good time was had by all.
One unfortunate happening was that the food vendor failed to show up. The restaurant on the grounds became a little more important...
The weather was nice and sunny as I remember it , and we spent some time just hanging out in our campsite with Lucy and I, Jeff, and Pokey from Ottawa. Lew and Agnes from Florida were next door and a good time was had by all ........Our vantage point gave us access to the goings on, and actually the metal building for the band sounded a bit better a little way away from the metal-sided building...These types of structures have never been the first choice for acoustics....Both bands were very good and the band leader spent a few times cozying up to Lucy....all that red in her face was not just sunburn ! During the day we watched many sky-divers from our site while we were enjoying a few refreshing beverages and during the light show 8 or 9 floating lights (Chinese lanterns ?) provided some entertainment...
A few weeks ago my friend Jeff Johnston sent me an addition to the "Hall of Memorabilia" in the form of one of his staff shirts from the early 80's when he worked at Truckin' magazine...You will remember his "Van Scan East' columns in that magazine...And just a big brag from me here - one months column was my article on "Thoughts that Come In the Knight' that I composed coming back from Joe Madonia's "Van In-Vasion in 1988. In honor of my friend I wore the shirt Saturday evening and it will now become a part of my little van collection...
Salt City Vans has always been a dynamic club and when they are not at or attending an event they are usually doing something together...The club is famous for their
expertise as game hosts and for how to run a party...While other clubs may be losing a few members now and then, Salt City is growing and is up several members from last year..
They tried to throw us off track a few years ago by saying the 30th would be their last event....Scott Croft also tried this trick by saying he was building NO more vans.....Yeah ! Right! I am pretty sure that there will be many more events coming from Salt City Vans , and of course Scott has already built "Paranormal"........
There are stories that the Cayuga Fairgrounds is being extensively remodeled by the new owners and Provanity might go back home next year...We'll be there - wherever.......TIETIS