QBAC Travel 101
Where Are We Going?
Traveling with the band is a fun and rewarding experience, and we want everyone to feel the joy and camaraderie that happens when we play together out of town. The band will play in four parades outside of NYC in the 2024 Pride Season:
- New Hope Pride in Lambertville, NJ/New Hope, PA on May 18
- Capital Pride in Washington, DC on June 8
- Rhode Island Pride in Providence, RI on June 15
- Montclair 4th of July in Montclair, NJ on July 4
How Do I Get There?
New Hope Pride on May 18
The band has chartered a bus that will leave NYC in the morning and return to NYC after the parade. The cost of the bus will be $20 per person round-trip. We’ll send information about how to claim a seat as we get closer to the date. Partial scholarships will be available.
Washington DC and Providence RI
We’ve made a change this year. The band will not be hiring a bus for trips to DC and Providence, and that means band members will need to arrange their own travel. What does that mean? Well, ask around to see if anyone with a car has room! Or get together with friends and travel on Amtrak or one of the many buses that run from the city to both DC and PVD. And be sure to check for fare sales – it may be cheaper than you think! See the Hotel section below for travel dates.
Montclair on July 4th
The band will charter passenger vans to drive members from NYC to and from Montclair, with a stop at Casa Del Begley for a July 4 BBQ. The cost of the van will be $15 per person round-trip. We’ll send information about how to claim a seat as we get closer to the date. Partial scholarships will be available.
Partial Scholarships
We will never exclude anyone from participating with the band for financial reasons. If you want to travel to our out-of-town gigs but cannot afford the transit fares, please go see the FAQs below to learn about partial scholarships.
Hotels
In Washington, DC we have a block of rooms for the band’s use at the Washington Plaza Hotel, 10 Thomas Circle NW, Washington, DC 20005.
In Providence, we have rooms at the Hilton Providence, 21 Atwells Avenue, Providence, RI 02903
Hotel Pricing
Washington Plaza
June 7 – 9, 2024 (book one or two nights)
- Single queen: $203 per night ($175 + tax)
- Double queen, 2 people: $231 ($199 + tax)
- Double queen, 3 people: $242 ($209 +tax)
- Overnight parking: $51, unlimited in/out
- The parade is in the afternoon on Saturday but many people arrive on Friday to spend time by the pool
Hilton Providence
June 14- 16, 2024 (book one or two nights)
- $225 per night regardless of room type or number of occupants ($195 + tax)
- Overnight parking: $29 per night, unlimited in/out
- The parade is in the evening on Saturday
FAQ
1. I want to travel, but I just can’t afford it right now. Does the band offer scholarships?
For New Hope and Montclair, we will offer partial scholarships for the bus/van. We’ll send information soon about how to request these.
For Washington, DC and Providence, we will offer partial scholarships for hotel rooms, and can offer two types of assistance with transportation:
Book now, pay later: If you know you are going but can’t pay for your train or bus ticket now, we’ll buy it for you and you can pay us back. This option gives you more flexibility. Email Jason Cannon for more information.
Partial Scholarship: We reserved a limited number of round trip train tickets that you can request for a small fee. We will send information soon about how to request these.
2. How do I get a seat on the bus to New Hope? Or a seat in the van to Montclair?
An email will go out as we get closer to the gigs with payment and pricing information. Keep an eye out for that!
3. How do the hotels work?
Here’s what will happen:
- Click the buttons above to be linked to the reservation page for our room blocks. An email will also go out with links to book rooms at the hotels, but…
- …before that happens, ask your section mates or others you’ve befriended in the band about room-sharing, and then book your room!
- If you don’t know anyone well enough to share but want to split the cost of the room with someone, fear not! Our PS Team will be working to match people who need a room share with those who have a room to share.