Festival season is finally upon us! Goodbye garbage winter, and good riddance. Festivals are huge productions and, fittingly, many take place off the beaten path to allow ample room for what is essentially a temporary city.
So, if your destination is somewhat remote, make the journey extra worth your while: Think of your excursion as an excuse to make some extra stops along the way, even an entire road trip if you’re the ambitious type.
Go ahead, put on your sunglasses and get out there.
1. Hangout Fest
When: May 15th-17th
Where: Gulf Shores, Alabama
The festival:
Hangout can be considered a vacation in and of itself -- the festivities take place on Alabama’s white-sand-frosted coastline. Play beach volleyball between sets, dig your toes in and get some sun, opt to exit the enclosed grounds to swim in the Gulf or, if you’re VIP, take a dip in one of the on-site pools, several of which serve as a great vantage point for band-watching. The lineup is varied -- enjoy six stages with over 70 acts, which this year range from Sam Smith to Skrillex to Spoon ... and more.
Extracurriculars:
As your festival itinerary will likely be jam-packed, you might consider building in some extra time to fully experience the oasis that is the Gulf Coast. Book a dolphin-watching boat ride, consider ziplining for an aerial view or try your hand at ocean kayaking.
If you decide to go all out, work Mobile and/or Pensacola into your trip -- both are about an hour's drive from the town of Gulf Shores (and, if you’re flying to get to the festival, you’ll likely come through either portal). In colorful Mobile, be charmed by the picture-perfect, coastal South: live oaks and river deltas and culture galore. Cross state lines to Pensacola on the Florida panhandle -- another gorgeous Gulf beach town with a lively downtown scene.
2. Sasquatch!
When: May 22nd-25th
Where: George, Washington
The festival:
Now this one’s a stunner. Sasquatch! Festival takes place in and around The Gorge amphitheater, the main stage of which is perched on the precipice of a cliff. Let sweeping views of the Columbia River be the backdrop for the lineup, which in 2015, skews indie -- Modest Mouse, Sleater-Kinney, Jenny Lewis, The Decemberists, Tame Impala and more will be gracing the stage.
Extracurriculars:
Sasquatch! is relatively remote; the town of George sits midway between Seattle and the Cascade Mountains. Get your fill of nature by exploring the Columbia River, the largest river in the Pacific Northwest. It's a great spot for fishing, boating and water skiing. Or, opt to travel to a more urban locale -- the festival is about three hours from Spokane and around the same from Seattle.
If you decide on Seattle, there’s tons to do (in fact, here’s a handy city guide to consult). Festival-goers may particularly enjoy exploring the city’s vibrant music scene. 1939-established The Showbox at the Market, across the street from Pike Place, has played host to acts from Nat King Cole to The Police. The Crocodile (formerly The Crocodile Cafe) is another notable venue in Seattle’s music history; The Croc was a launch-pad of sorts for local bands like Death Cab for Cutie and Nirvana.
3. The CounterPoint Music & Arts Festival
A photo posted by @cntrpntmusic on Mar 7, 2015 at 9:31am PST
When: May 22nd-24th
Where: Kingston Downs, Georgia
The festival:
If your idea festival is of the electro variety, this is a good bet for you. Zedd, Widespread Panic, The Roots and Kygo are headlining. Art installations, optional camping, neon galore and all kinds of workshops round out the three-day event.
Extracurriculars:
CounterPoint is about an hour from Gainesville, Florida and Atlanta, so take advantage of your proximity. If you didn’t get your fill of bright colors and frivolity at CounterPoint, the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainsville is also home to a "butterfly rainforest" ... need we say more? And, Gainesville just so happens to have generated some musical greats: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Stephen Stills, Don Felder and Bernie Leadon of The Eagles, Against Me! and Less Than Jake, to call out a few.
4. Bonnaroo
When: June 11-14th
Where: Manchester, Tennessee
The festival:
Bonnaroo takes place on a 700-acre farm within the town of Manchester, Tennessee, which balloons into the state’s seventh largest city during the events. Patrons will spend their nights camping and days checking out legendary acts like Billy Joel, Tears for Fears and Slayer, indie greats like Belle & Sebastian plus today’s big names such as DeadMau5, Kendrick Lamar, Hozier and soon-to-be big names, like Danish singer/songwriter MØ. And the list goes on. If the whole checking out a ton of amazing bands thing gets old, there are plenty of activities beyond performances: a silent disco, an indie film cinema, yoga classes, the "Roo Run" 5k -- there’s even a comedy theater on-site.
Extracurriculars:
Manchester is proximate to both Nashville and Chattanooga, so build in some time to visit these metropolises. If you can’t get enough music, check out a show or two or five in Nashville. Scope out some local, smaller names than those on the Bonnaroo lineup with the help of show-going app, Bandsintown. Get your country fix at the iconic Grand Ole Opry or the Bluebird Cafe, or consider visiting the Johnny Cash Museum -- the list of activities is pretty limitless, particularly for audiophiles.
Chattanooga offers a dynamic mix of historical, outdoor and cultural activities -- hiking, biking, museums, Civil War battlefields and more.
If you're looking to mix it up a bit, consider driving about 30 minutes to Lynchburg, home of the Jack Daniel's distillery. The oldest registered distillery in the U.S. is, ironically, situated in a dry county.
5. Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival
When: July 17th-18th
Where: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
The festival:
Brand spankin’ new to the festival market is Eaux Claires, a two-day event that will take place on 20-acre Foster Farm. There are some major names behind this newcomer: Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon (the band formed in Eau Claire) and the National's Aaron Dessner are the founders. In addition to these cornerstone acts, you’ll find more biggies, like Sufjan Stevens and Spoon, and a smattering of emerging artists -- Melt-Banana, Retribution Gospel Choir to name a few. Add three stages, locally-sourced food and drink plus film and visual art, and you have an indie oasis in Wisconsin’s Chippewa River Valley.
Extracurriculars: