Firefly Music Festival fans frustrated by will-call line on opening day

Firefly Music Festival fans started rolling into Dover on Wednesday morning, but the official festival didn't start until Thursday afternoon. And for fans who opted to pick up their tickets – actually, wristbands – at will call instead of having them mailed, Firefly might have started even later.

The will-call area set up at Dover Mall had lines of hot and anxious Fireflygoers Thursday afternoon, some of them having been there for hours.

At about 4:45 p.m., Katie Feeley was close to the front of the line. She had been waiting for about two-and-a-half hours, Feeley said.

"It’s been hot, stressful and very frustrating.”

Nick Weaver, who was ready for his first Firefly to start, said, “I had no idea getting in would be like this.”

This is the first year that will call has been at Dover Mall, having moved there from Delaware Technical Community College's Dover campus.

One Fireflygoer on Facebook commented that the lines were nonexistent at will call for those who went Wednesday. 

The advice from someone on Facebook who works at the will-call area? Get there as early as possible.

The problem of lines was nonexistent at 8:45 Friday morning, as a handful of fans queued up to get their wristbands. Traffic on U.S. 13 north of the festival was also running smoothly with no backups in sight Friday morning. 

Will call, which is in the lot of the Sears Auto Center at Dover Mall, is open until 10 p.m. Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

While some were still waiting for their wristband Thursday, the festival officially kicked off at 5 p.m. when the gates opened.

Fans were still trickling onto the grounds when the lone Delaware act – Dover's Amillion The Poet – played the Backyard Stage at 5:45 p.m.

Amillion, who was born Lucas Amillion Mayfield in Washington, D.C., is a poet, motivational speaker and rapper who's been hustling in his hometown of Dover for years. 

He's toured nationally and internationally and is no stranger to large-scale festivals. He played New Orleans' Essence Festival.

But Firefly was a goal, and he reached it when he took the stage Thursday afternoon.

He's performed around the world, but it took him years to play the biggest festival in his hometown, he told the crowd.

FIREFLY MUSIC FESTIVAL 2018:

Eminem pop-up restaurant Mom's Spaghetti among new offerings at Firefly

Firefly works with festivalgoers to organize soccer games in the spirit of the World Cup

The struggle continues: Firefly has had only one female headliner out of 26