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General Information Weather. The first Saturday of May at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains is usually a day of strong sunshine. By Virginia standards, early May humidity is usually mild and is further softened by a light breeze slipping through the foothills. It is usually a few degrees cooler at The Plains than in Arlington, but race day weather does vary from year to year and even throughout the day, and we advise you to be prepared for temperature swings, wind, rain, and sun with intense UV. Attire. Dress sharply and dress in layers. VGCA provides the following advisory about this topic: "Afternoon dress is suggested for this event. Women guests on Members Hill customarily wear summer/spring dresses and hats. Flat heels are suggested. Men wear lightweight sport coats and ties. Shorts are not appropriate for Members Hill. Attire on the rails is marginally more relaxed; we recommend a sportswear look for women and khakis for men. Jeans are rarely seen at Gold Cup." That pretty much covers it. Bathrooms. All of our chartered buses have bathrooms. For use during the day at University Row we have contracted for the best flushing lavatories and attendant service available from Don's Johns (the only bathroom vendor choice allowed by the Virginia Gold Cup Association). Bathrooms at University Row are for the exclusive use of our guests. Public restrooms are also available throughout Great Meadow and just outside the fences of University Row. Course Layout. The race course is divided into several areas: North Rail, South Rail, and Members Hill. Chalet tents are located along the rail itself, with the best views of the action; private tailgates are located in four bands behind the tents. South Rail is generally more of a family area, with lots of company tents. Members Hill, located near Winners Circle, separates South Rail from North Rail and is mainly comprised of corporate sponsor hospitality tents. North Rail is home to University Row and has been the liveliest area of the course since the Races moved to Great Meadow in 1985. University Row Layout. Tent assignments may change during April; please refer to an official University Row map or ask an AEA staff member for locations. We suggest that you visit every University Row tent, each buffet and food area, and be aware of the full bars, the wine and other specialty bars. The better you know what is available, the happier your day will be. University Row Security. As in years past, we have retained both uniformed and plain clothes off-duty law enforcement personnel to help us monitor our area. Additionally, we have hired private security to assist University Row staff in identifying and removing any crashers. Programs. Official VGCA programs are available at regular points around the course. They are essential if you wish to follow the races and the map is very helpful if you plan to explore.
Information Booths.
VGCA runs a number of information booths. If you get lost or
need assistance, look for one of the question mark signs
fixed on raised poles.
Laws and Rules Incorporated by Reference. All applicable local, federal, and state laws—including all relevant ABC regulations—are incorporated herein by reference, and are to be observed. Additionally, all rules set by the Virginia Gold Cup Association and the Meadow Outdoors Foundation are in force and guests agree to abide by them. No Crashing. Everyone wants to get into University Row, but once we are sold out, that's it, and ticket sales are not allowed anywhere on the the grounds of Great Meadow, so we can't even sell the spaces left by any no-shows. Crashing is trespassing and theft wrapped into one; Trespassing is a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia (§18.2-120 and §18.2-23) and theft is universally illegal. Crashers are essentially stealing from the organizers and diminishing the rightful supply due to paid guests. Do not assist crashers. Our policy is to expel anyone who assists crashers, including paid guests. Not-For-Profit. University Row is managed by the Alumni Events Alliance and participating Anchor and Tent Partner groups. The AEA is a non-profit, non-stock Virginia corporation run solely by volunteers without financial compensation, and any revenue collected by Anchors in excess of costs will inure to the benefit of their non-profit alumni missions. Profiteering from the University Row effort is forbidden by compact. It is illegal in the Commonwealth of Virginia for any for-profit organization to receive the required special ABC banquet licenses; furthermore, any for-profit promoter or other entity that uses the non-profit status of another organization as a conduit to garner profit is acting in violation of this law. All participating University Row organizations are in compliance with these regulations. General Statement of Costs. Due to group buying power and the unpaid efforts of dozens of dedicated volunteers, we are able to keep costs and ticket prices low. But we occasionally get questions about where ticket revenue goes, so here is a general breakdown of our expenses from 2002 through 2006: For every dollar of ticket revenue, almost 39 cents went to the catering bill, which covers service staff, rentals, food, and open bar service for six (6) hours. Next, 30 cents was spent to procure tent spaces and basic facilities, and a little over 21 cents went toward motorcoach transportation. About 4½ cents paid for registration and nearly 3 cents went to security. That left about 2½ cents for the remaining Not Elsewhere Classified (NEC) category. NEC items vary from year to year and include everything from FedEx bills to printing to miscellaneous filing fees—and, occasionally, when we are lucky, the NEC category also includes excess revenue for our non-profit member organizations. Ticket Scalping Prohibited. Tickets purchased without consent of the AEA will be electronically voided and both buyers and sellers will be banned from attending University Row. Tickets may not be transferred without consent of the AEA, and anyone attempting to do so will forfeit admission and will not receive compensation. It is unethical to profit from the work of volunteers and non-profit organizations and the AEA will do everything in its power to eliminate such unsavory practices. Furthermore, it is illegal in the Commonwealth of Virginia to resell tickets which include alcoholic beverages. Thus, resellers risk arrest, fines, and imprisonment. Schedule. An event schedule will be finalized and posted on this Website (http://www.universityrow.org) not later than two days prior to race day and will supersede all other versions previously posted on this site or appearing in any other medium. A preliminary schedule for University Row is posted now and is denoted as "tentative". It is unlikely to change dramatically, but guests are advised to consult it again on May 1st. Additional schedule information may also be posted elsewhere as a courtesy, but these data become outdated and should not be considered authoritative. Event Day Updates. Subscribers to the University Row Event Day Update (UR-EDU) list will receive courtesy notices of important race day happenings via text messaging. Delivery is subject to network availability at Ballston and Great Meadow, which varies by carrier. Every purchaser that provides a valid e-mail address will receive an invitation to join this list. Pricing. University Row Anchors cooperate to provide security, transportation, logistics, staff, volunteers, and food and beverage service. Admission purchased from any Anchor comes with the same entitlements and par value as any other. However, each Anchor has unique costs and revenue, and budget objectives also vary. Thus, each Anchor sets their own pricing and deadlines, as well as policies concerning refunds, member discounts, and problem resolution. Scope of "Tent + Bus" Tickets. Tent + Bus tickets provide access to University Row from approximately 11:45am until closing and include round-trip bus transportation from Ballston. Actual arrival time at University Row is subject to traffic and other variables. Scope of Tent-Only Tickets. Tent-Only tickets provide access to University Row, but these tickets do not include admission to Great Meadow. You will need to buy a North Rail Car Pass or other vehicle pass to enter Great Meadow before you may proceed to University Row. Tent-Only guests may not enter University Row until our onsite check-in begins at noon. Scope of Members Hill Badges. Members Hill badges allow you to enter Members Hill. They do not gain you access to Great Meadow or to University Row. Purchased Members Hill badges are usually distributed at the onsite check-in, but the method and timing of receipt is left to the discretion of the Anchor selling the item, so please contact the Anchor that you purchased from to confirm how they are handling this aspect. Scope of North Rail Car Passes. North Rail Car Passes purchased from any University Row Anchor must be received in advance of race day and must be available for display as you enter Great Meadow. VGCA will not allow anyone on to the grounds without a vehicle pass and we are not able to meet guests at the gate to provide the Car Passes that buyers neglected to take delivery of, or did not receive, from the Anchor that sold the item. Car Passes are also available directly from VGCA, along with passes for limousines, buses, and other vehicles, but possession of any type of vehicle pass alone does not grant access to University Row. Guests opting to handle their own transportation to Great Meadow must also buy one Tent-Only ticket to University Row for each vehicle passenger. Neither vehicle passes or Tent-Only tickets to University Row are available for sale at the gate. Onsite Check-In. The onsite check-in table will be located at the entrance of University Row and will open at 12:00pm to process Tent-Only guests and to issue Members Hill badges not already received. There is no guarantee as to how late the onsite check-in table shall remain open; guests are encouraged to proceed to the onsite check-in table as soon as possible. Passing Drinks. Do not pass drinks across fences. Do not pass drinks to crashers. Do not pass drinks to anyone known or believed to be underage. Gentility. Show courtesy to fellow guests and service personnel and alert a University Row staff member if you have any issues or concerns with another guest, a crasher, a vendor employee, or with another staff member.
Cancellation.
The Virginia Gold Cup is held rain or shine, and so is
University Row. Bus-Related Policies Authority. The bus driver is responsible for the safety of the motorcoach and its passengers. The bus captain is the University Row representative on each bus and is empowered to admit or dismiss passengers. Guests must comply the instructions of these individuals. Punctuality. Instead of requiring guests to be present at an exact time, our unique bus pool allows guests the flexibility of leaving within a window of time. But guests are still responsible for being in the right place within the given window of time. No matter the circumstances, we will not wait for stragglers who miss the entire morning registration and boarding period, or for passengers who miss even the very latest bus in the afternoon. Bus Availability. There are no reserved buses. Each bus may have a completely different group of guests on the return trip as it did on the way out. If a bus is accidentally overfilled, the last people to board must deboard and go to another bus before the bus will embark. Seat Availability. There are also no reserved bus seats. Seats are available to all passengers on a first-come, first-served basis. Boarding. In the past we have directed guests to board the buses at the front of the line in the morning. This year this will be an enforced policy in the morning and—now that we have reserved parking at Great Meadow for our buses—it will be the policy in the afternoon as well. Only the buses at the front of the queue of University Row buses will be open for boarding. Authorized Passengers. Only University Row guests who have purchased tickets that include bus transportation may ride our buses. Each passenger is required to show his or her wristband to the bus captain (and other staff members, if requested). Prompt compliance will help us get the bus in motion. Litter. Please help pick up after yourself. Cleaning charges we receive from our charter provider this year will force us to budget for them in the future and will ultimately result in higher ticket prices. Damage. If you or your guests cause damage to a bus which results in a cleaning charge or repair bill, these costs will be passed along to you. Dedicated Parking Area at Great Meadow. We are pleased to announce that there will be reserved parking for all University Row buses again this year. Last year the afternoon boarding process was much easier for all involved. Guides. This year, University Row volunteers will be available in front of the buses at our dedicated parking area at Great Meadow to answer any questions or address concerns. Tips. For several years University Row Anchors have budgeted for and paid tips to bus drivers directly. There is no need to pay bus drivers any additional tips. Route. Buses will go directly to The Plains and will return without detour to Rock Bottom at Ballston Common Mall, except as emergency situations may require. Interference. Buses are chartered by time and distance. Passengers causing buses to delay departure may be subject to financial penalty. Traffic. We cannot control traffic or travel times and are not liable for delays or inconveniences experienced by one or more buses. We have made every effort to time things based on experience and current conditions, but road construction, accidents, weather, and excessive vehicle volume are unpredictable factors. Neither full or partial refunds or any compensation will be offered for circumstances like these, which are beyond our control. It is our hope that the later start time for opening ceremonies first used in 2007 will make timely arrival easier again in 2008.
Mechanical Failure.
We have chartered first-class luxury motorcoaches from
the
Martz Group, an industry leader, but mechanical breakdowns, although rare,
can
still occur. In the
unlikely event of a malfunction before bus arrival or during transit, we will
make every effort to resume the planned schedule. Mechanical
failures are beyond our control and bus charter industry
standards do not accept contracts entitling clients to
compensation for inconvenience or delay; thus, in such a
case, University Row Anchors will not have access to any
sort of partial or full refunds to pass along to affected
passengers.
Last updated on
Monday, April 28, 2008 at
22:29:54 US Eastern Time.
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