Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear Survival Guide

[This blog entry has been updated]

The United States Department of the Interior's National Park Service says in its permit for the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear - a permit finally finalized and issued this week - that "The Daily Show and the Colbut Report [ooh snap!] " will be "co-hosting a political engagement/entertainment event."

According to the Park Service, they're expecting 60,000 people (though, don't worry, the Porta-pottie company says it's delivering enough loos for twice that crowd). The Park Service expects things to start to rev up around 10 a.m. and wind down at 5 p.m., though the official rally times are noon to 3.

The "activity," the permit says, "will include music, comedy and a 'rally'."

Buried deep in the 60-page-ish permit, on page 22, is the "SHOW RUNDOWN":

PRE-PRE SHOW -- 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Video montages/music will play on the Jumbotrons around the venue to entertain the crowd as they gather.

PRESHOW -- 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

12:00 - 12:40 -- THE ROOTS will play for the crowd.

12:40 - 12:57 -- Comedian (TBD) will warm-up the audience.

12:57 - 1:00 -- Video countdown & intros

SHOW -- 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

1:00 - 1:05 SINGING OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM -- Musical guest (TBD)

1:05 - 1:20 JON STEWART welcomes the crowd

1:20 - 1:30 STEPHEN COLBERT enters

1:30 - 1:35 BENEDICTION by actor Don Novello

1:35 - 1:40 POEM read by actor Sam Waterson [note: Park Service spelling, not WaPo TeamTV's]

1:40 - 1:50 JEFF TWEEDY & MAVIS STAPLES perform

1:50 - 2:15 JON & STEPHEN perform

2:15 - 2:20 SHERYL CROW performs

2:20 - 2:30 SPEAKERS Guests make brief statements, both LIVE and TAPE (TBD)

2:30 - 2:40 MUSICAL GUEST (TBD)

2:40 - 2:40 SANITY & FEAR awards - PRETAPED footage.

2:50 - 3:00 JON AND STEPHEN'S FINAL STATEMENTS

The permit ends at 5 p.m. on Halloween Sunday, Oct. 31, and the pick-up of the last of the controversial porta potties will be at 3 p.m. Sunday - long after most of the participants in the traditional Marine Corp Marathon, which happens that morning, will have run around town, including a visit to the Mall area.

No word whether Stewart and Colbert's boss, Comedy Central, will welcome marathoners to its porta potties - Marathon organizers made it very clear they did not want Stewart and Colbert fans using theirs.

Watching Rally on TV

If you are among those who cannot,, or will not attend, but want to watch the rally in the comfort of your home or local bar, here's where you can watch:

Comedy Central -- airing rally in its entirety

C-Span -- airing rally in its entirety

Fox News Channel -- coverage as news dictates

CNN -- may have reports during the rally, and will cover during its 2-6 p.m. "Ballot Bowl."

MSNBC -- will carry portions, but not wall-to-wall, with correspondent doing live reports

Earlier, Comedy Central answered some of the most-asked questions posed by those planning to attend:

The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear is free and open to the general public.

Public Entrances:

The primary public entrance will be on 7th Street NW between Constitution and Independence Avenues. Those attending the event are encouraged to use public transportation and arrive early.

Street Closures:

From 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 30 certain streets near the National Mall will be closed to vehicles. All vehicular road closures in Washington, D.C. are instituted by the Metropolitan Police Department.

The following streets will be closed:

· 3rd Street NW, 4th Street NW extending from 3rd and 4th Street closures to Constitution on the North and Independence on the South

· Maryland Avenue will be closed between 3rd and Independence

· Pennsylvania Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets NW

· More from Dr. Gridlock

Metro Access:

· Smithsonian, L'Enfant Plaza, Federal Center SW, Federal Triangle, Archives - Navy Memorial and Union Station are the recommended Metro stops for attendees

· Metro will be running their regular Saturday schedule

ADA Access:

· From 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., ADA shuttles will run approximately every 15 minutes from RFK Bus Lot 8 and the RFK Metro Station to the ADA rally entrance 4th Street NW and Madison Avenue. All ADA guests not riding shuttle are encouraged to enter the rally site at 4th Street NW and Madison Avenue

Family Reunification:

· There will be a Family Reunification Area located at 7th Street NW between Constitution and Independence Avenues.

Full coverage: The Stewart-Colbert rally

Also: Mobile tech tips for rally-goers this weekend