Beer Train Friday!!! Part: Doh!

What Woodstock was to the Flower Power generation of the Sixties, Beer Train Friday was, in its heyday, to the commuters of the Danbury – Norwalk train line.  In fact, Woodstock and Beer Train Friday are remarkably similar.  Both events, born from humble beginnings, happened at the right place at the right time and grew to become iconic, cultural milestones.

While Woodstock was billed as 3 days of peace and music, Beer Train Friday was advertised as 30 minutes of beer and music.  Woodstock featured legendary performances from the likes of Santana, the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and Jimmy Hendrix.  Likewise, Beer Train Friday featured memorable performances from such iconic commuters as That Guy with the Shaved Head and Goatee, The Big Kahuna, The Girl with the Long, Curly Hair and a guy named Dave.  Another uncanny similarity is the fact that Bethel, New York was the site of the famed music festival while Bethel, Connecticut is the hometown of Beer Train Friday’s core fan base. 

Ironically, a striking difference between the two events, besides occuring more than 40 years apart and the lack of mud on the train, is that while the peace sign was flashed at Woodstock, commuters flashed the devil horns aboard Beer Train Friday.

So, what is Beer Train Friday and how did it start?  Most accounts credit a mysterious man, known only as the Beer Conductor, as the mastermind behind the phenomena once dubbed, “the most fun you can legally have on a train.”  In a moment of inspiration surpassed only by man’s invention of the wheel, he dreamed of a place where commuters could come together, imbibe and kick back - regardless of race, religion or job title.  Since no bar car existed on the small Danbury – Norwalk Line, then by God, he’d make one to celebrate the working class commuter.  And make one he did. 

On a Friday evening before Christmas a few years back, the Beer Conductor, along with a few friends, armed themselves with a six-pack, an old CD player and a string of Christmas lights and formed a makeshift party in the last car of the 5:18 train out of Stamford.  As you can imagine, it sort of caught on.  Like wildfire.  What began as occasional celebrations on the way home from work among a handful of people eventually evolved into a highly coordinated weekly "bar on wheels" that took up the entire last car of the train. 

At its height, commuters were able to choose from an impressive array of ice cold beer, red and white wine and a variety of mixers and cordials, but the focus wasn’t just on alcoholic spirits.  The spirits of the commuters themselves mattered and each and every Friday they were lifted, whether by the ambiance of the chili pepper lights, the festive balloons, the friendly faces and peels of laughter or the endearing inflatable cactus.  Each Friday saw more and more commuters loosen their ties, kick off their heels and join in the Beer Train Friday fun. 

Beer Train Friday became so famous and well-known that it made the New York Times, however, it was two epic celebrations that truly propelled it into the history books.  The unforgettable Jimmy Buffett Train Party saw some of its founding members donned in Hawaiian shirts mixing up an enormous vat of margaritas in a large yellow cooler.  Dozens of work-weary commuters toasted the Beer Conductor as the familiar strains of “Margaritaville” played in the background.  During an equally notorious Cinco de Mayo Party, someone plugged in a blender into one of the many outlets the MTA conveniently thought to install.  Delicious frozen concoctions were passed around in plastic glasses as revelers snacked on chips and salsa and tried to roll their R’s, often arm and arm with the inflatable cactus.

So, if it was so much fun, why isn’t it still going on today?  And where is that inflatable cactus?   In a single instant, a cataclysmic recession struck the economy like a gigantic asteroid, completely destroying Beer Train Friday along with any remaining dinosaurs.  Adding insult to injury, rumors swirled that someone from the neighboring “Library Car”, where coughing is prohibited, complained to the MTA about the weekly ruckus, contributing to its ultimate demise.

So, today we pay homage to a brave group of pioneers from Stamford who just wanted to have a good time.  Without them, many commuters would have never known how much fun their commute home could be, which reminds me - if anyone has seen a short, green inflatable cactus about 4’5”, last seen wearing a sombrero and a mischievous grin, please be careful.  He’s considered severely deflated.

If you want to join the movement to bring back Beer Train Friday – Part Deux, write to:  Bring back Beer Train Friday! PO. Box 834, Bethel, CT  06801, or just email its Interim President using the contact form at www.taraladore.com. For a look back at the original Beer Train Friday, visit their website at www.beertrainfriday.com.  Don’t forget to drop a line to the Beer Conductor!