TIME FOR FESTIVALS!
If you couldn't tell, festivals make me EXTREMELY happy. I love the entire experience & environment of being at a festival. From Coachella & Bonnaroo, to the Vans Warped Tour & British Summer Time 2013, there are so many great festivals to attend! Countless opportunities can stem from going to festivals, too. For the past three years, I have been able to volunteer at the Vans Warped Tour & have met some incredible people along the way. Honestly, if you love going to Warped Tour & enjoy volunteering, it is definitely something to look into!
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If you've never attended a festival, I've decided to put together some DO's & DON'Ts of festivals! Even if you have attended a festival, maybe these can help you refresh your memory.
DO's:
- CLOTHES ARE GOOD. KEEP THEM ON.
- Yes, we all know it CAN & most likely WILL get hot. That is no excuse to just wear a bikini, or wear a bra & underwear. (PS. I HATE THE WORD PANTIES. SERIOUSLY. NOT SURE WHY, BUT I DO.) I've seen way too many people dressed in little clothing at festivals & I promise you, people will be making fun of you (as harsh as that sounds). No one wants to see it, so do everyone a favor & keep clothed!
- KNOW THE MUSIC & MUSICIANS.
- When attending a festival (or any concert for that matter) PLEASE know at least 5 or more artists performing. I promise you will have more fun this way! Even if you only know a few, you will still have fun seeing an artist you like perform. Not saying you can't discover new artists at festivals, because that's the best place for that, but if you know some it will be an overall more rewarding experience. Also, a big tip.. DON'T ACT LIKE YOU KNOW ABOUT SOMETHING YOU DON'T, PEOPLE CAN TELL & IT PROBABLY WILL NOT BE FUN FOR YOU! (I've witnessed this, not pretty!!)
- PACK APPROPRIATELY.
- Be prepared for any situation. Mother Nature is one crazy lady, it can be sunny one minute & rainy the next. If you're going for more than one day, make sure you have enough clothes for the entire stay, but DON'T pack too much.
- HAVE A TRAVEL PAL.
- Festivals are always more fun with a friend! Plus it will be safer & you can always have someone to keep watch when you use the restroom!
- HELP OUT OTHER PEOPLE.
- If you see someone who is alone, be nice & make a friend! I always go with my one friend to concerts & festivals & by the end of the night there's always more people with us than when the night began. The more the merrier, right?
- PREPARE FOR TRAFFIC.
- There's going to be hundreds of people, that means hundreds of cars, which means TRAFFIC. No point in being in a hurry to get out of there, take the time to relax & enjoy the last minutes of the night. But if you ARE in a hurry, you're going to want to leave a little early to beat the traffic. (This is for entering, as well as exiting.)
- USE SUNBLOCK. A LOT OF IT.
- You're going to be spending all day out in the sun & if you're pale like me (they did try to white balance cameras off of me in school) you're going to want to apply sunscreen every few hours. I use SPF 100, as sad as it sounds.
- HAVE FUN & TAKE PICTURES!
- Enjoy yourself, you're there to have fun! Meet new people, make new memories. Take pictures so you can remember what happened later. You'll definitely want to upload pictures to Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook & even Twitter so you can make your other friends who turned you down jealous!
DON'Ts:
- THE WORLD IS YOUR RUNWAY.
- Don't be afraid to take some fashion risks. Go ahead & wear neon with animal print. You rock that flower crown & fannypack, girl. I can guarantee you will not be the only one, so wear it proud. Just as long as you remember my #1 & DO wear clothes. ;)
- KEEP THE LARGE BAGS AT HOME.
- If you're only going for one day, only take the necessities. You're not going to want to carry a huge bag around all day. It's likely going to get annoying.
- LEAVE THE PROFESSIONAL CAMERA AT HOME.
- I know you're proud of your $1,000 camera, but when it's broken you're just going to be sad. Take a disposable, cheap digital camera, or just use your phone. It's safer & you'll be happy just losing or breaking that disposable camera instead of your expensive one.
- OVERLOAD YOUR MAKEUP.
- SAY IT WITH ME, "Raccoons are animals, not girls." Please, pLEASE, pLeAsE, PLEASE, I am begging, wear minimal makeup. I cannot tell you how many girls I have seen that have applied WAY too much make up for an all day, outdoor festival when it is 90 degrees out. By 2pm, those girls are looking like crazies! Do yourself the favor of applying minimal makeup because there is little upkeep & you'll be happy for that!
- BE "THAT GIRL", THE GROUPIE.
- Yes, it is exciting when we meet our favorite band/musician, but they DO have other things to do while at festivals. They're most likely going to be very busy. I'm not saying you can't say 'hi' or even ask for a picture, but don't embarrass yourself by following them or hanging around them all day. (Unless they invite you to, in which case, THIS IS WHERE HAVING A PAL COMES IN HANDY. PLEASE TAKE YOUR FRIEND WITH YOU.)
- SAY "I'M POOR".
- You paid how much to get in? You're obviously not poor. I constantly catch myself saying, "But, I'm a poor college student." It's extremely annoying, & people are just going to tell you to move on.
- DRINK TOO MUCH.
- I can't tell you to not drink at all since I'm not your mother, but it would honestly be wise to limit your alcohol intake. ALCOHOL + HEAT = NOT A GOOD TIME. Trust me, I know. You'll thank me later when you see people passing out or making complete idiots of themselves.
- FORGET TO KEEP HYDRATED.
- There is a reason water is 50-75% of our bodies. WATER IS YOUR FRIEND. Drink water at any chance you can get. I know your thinking, "But if I drink so much water, I'm going to have to constantly use the restroom." This isn't true! I thought the same thing my first time at a festival, but then soon realized it is SO hot out, you will be excessively sweating. Trust me, you'll be fine!
So, that's my list of festival DO's & DON'Ts! I hope it helps even just one person when preparing for a festival. Remember, this is only my opinion, it's not the Bible. :) If you have anything to add, or have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!
Live a little, Love a lot.
XO, LindsKat
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