Every year we talk about how great Pickathon is, and every year some commenter complains about the price. (At least it seems that way.) The sheer wrongheadedness of those complaints aside—Pickathon ordinarily costs $145 for three days of music, including camping, which breaks down to less than $50 per day, which is less than just about any vacation I can think of—there's a blazing hot deal available for Pickathon tickets right now over on MercPerks. It just went live at 5 pm today, and only a limited number are available, so jump on this right quick.

Weekend passes (including parking) are a mere $100. Since parking is $40, that's nearly half off if you're planning on driving. (It's still a good deal for carpoolers and public transit riders, too.) AND single-day passes are available for this year's fest for the first time anywhere: Saturday passes are $55, while Sunday is going for $45.

I hate to sound like a shill, but this is an excellent deal. If you were at all toying with the idea of checking out this year's Pickathon—acts include Bill Callahan, Mavis Staples, Califone, Black Mountain, and many, many others—this is a bargain. So, go buy.

Okay. Sales pitch mode off. Let's not hear any more complaining about ticket prices, all right?

Pickathon takes place August 5-7 at Pendarvis Farm, Happy Valley. Regular tickets are $145 for the full weekend.