Entitlement. Some think that they deserve to go to the Firestone Walker Invitational Festival. Each year, I hope that this year, on sale day will not end up with someone on social media whingeing about not getting tickets and within hours, that is stomped on like Paso Robles grapes at harvest time.
The reason that this festival succeeds like it does is due to the amount of tickets sold. More tickets sold would make hotels more costly, lines longer, tapped kegs more frequent and create a heat vortex that would rival the Sahara in summer.
The beer certainly helps create buzz but as FW notes in their post above, there are a great many great festivals out there, many cheaper and closer to wherever YOU are.
This is not to discourage people from going. Far from it. If there was a way to rotate tickets to first timers that would work without being hacked, I would recommend it. I would highly suggest visiting Paso Robles anytime in the year and even on THE weekend if you don’t have tickets. There is plenty of beer and fun to be had at Silva Brewing alone.
I include myself when I say that no one deserves to go, they are LUCKY to go. And if you think that you deserve it and you find yourself there, I would also highly suggest recalibrating and at least pretend to be lucky because then, the FWIBF truly becomes wonderful.