By: Reginald Tiangha
Spotlight’s back and this time with a new venue!
Need a place to escape from the hot sun, rainy weather, or pesky mosquitoes? Need a place to rest your achy feet and kill some time in-between events? Need a place to sit and relax or play some video games while you wait for your friends to make their way to the Park? Need a free place to check your e-mail, Facebook, or Twitter? Then the Bell Getaway located on the second floor of the Big Four building is just the place for you!
New this year, the Bell Getaway is a place where one can escape the chaos of the midway and either relax or sample some of the latest in technology. It consists of a lounge, digital showcase, a free Internet café, and the Rocktagon.
The lounge area has many couches, chairs, and chair-like objects that you can sit and relax in. There’s a refreshment bar where you can purchase things to enjoy while you’re resting, and the Getaway contains, in my opinion, one of the best kept secrets at this year’s Stampede: a Fiasco Gelato kiosk.
The digital showcase has the latest in various technologies on display. From HD to the latest models of cell phones, there are many demonstration units that you can interact with. There are also free Wii and Nintendo DS stations that you can play with, which make a nice distraction when you’re trying to kill some time.
Free Internet kiosks are provided that you can use to keep up with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or through e-mail. As an aside, I’m one of those weird people who’s been trying very hard to avoid getting an iPhone or BlackBerry, so the free Internet kiosks are very useful for me in checking and returning e-mails to friends and co-workers while I’m on Park.
Finally, there’s the Rocktagon, with shows every 30 minutes and featuring performances by the 2009 Winners of NBC’s Superstars of Dance, the Groovaloos at certain times every day.
Also, there are a couple of interesting vendors located in the Bell Getaway: The Rocket peddling their trendy custom fashions, and HiTechTattoos where you can get various devices like cell phones and MP3 players laser etched with cool designs.
Oh, and did I mention the Fiasco Gelato kiosk?
The Bell Getaway offers something a little different than the typical midway fare, and sometimes different is just the kind of “get away” you need.
The Bell Getaway is an awesome place to visit! I was intrigued right from the start because it was something I’ve never seen at the Stampede before. It is a very relaxing place to be, and the vibe and layout of the facility made it easy to relax and unwind from the hustle and bustle of the Stampede. It felt like a totally different world in there. Like the author says, its a great place to go for a unique experience. Furthermore, its a cool place in there, especially the Rocktagon and the awesome performances by the Groovealoos.
I am planning to go back on Saturday and see everything in the Bell Getaway that I didn’t experience the first time.
Great article! We need more of these so that people are aware of the activities on the Stampede grounds.
Brian
The Bell Getaway is very cool. I went to see the Groovaloos but I was really taken back by the power of the Rocktagon. Even more cool, was that Bell offered the chance to pick which songs would be played next. All I had to do was send a text message to vote for the song of my choice. Amazing!
Great article thank you. Bell Getaway is is definitely on my list of must go places!
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