When does a clustertruck become news? Just putting together several trucks–even a dozen–is no longer newsworthy. Charities work with clustertrucks all the time because it solves two birds with one stone: It's an existing event, which eases the logistics problems, and it brings in people who might not otherwise bother with a function featuring only the charity.
Sometimes, though, the events are big enough or noteworthy enough, and thus it is with due pomp and circumstance that we make the following announcement:
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There will be a 20-vendor clustertruck at Central Park West, the will-it-ever-be-built community at the corner of Michelson and Teller in Irvine, on April 14 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. It is sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association as a way to get the word out and start the sign-up process for the 2011 walk season.
Admission is $5 for general tickets and $25 for VIP (sigh). According to the organizers, that extra $20 gets you free valet parking, $5 in Cluster Bucks (we assume that's scrip for the trucks) and a bag o' stuff. No mention of whether it gets you priority admission to any of the trucks.
A stern note to the organizers: Charity or no charity, you are going to alienate people if you don't limit the admissions. People get pissed off when they pay $5 (or $25) to wait two hours in line for a hot dog, and your name is going to be plastered all over the place.
Also, a small hint to the Pacific Coast chapter of the National MS Society, whose annual 100-mile bike ride to San Diego I participate in: 6 a.m. in a sleepy corporate park in Irvine? Sounds like a job for the Buttermilk Truck, Manila Machine and Tapa Boy. Just sayin'.