With #ACLfest less than a week away, I wanted to pass along my tips learned over the past 9 years. Enjoy!
BEFORE & PACKING
1. Pick your must-see bands and map each day before arriving at the festival. This gives you the full experience of ACL as "musical breaks" naturally occur. For us, we pick no more than 5 each day. Any other band we hear or decide to watch is bonus.
2. Pick at least 1 act unknown to you. It keeps it fun!
3. Chairs or no chairs? Depends on how your bands map out. I'm a no-chair person because we find them annoying to lug around (although many set them up and leave them there). We are blanket people. Either way - plan this as part of your festival luggage.
4. If you have camelbacks, bring them (empty, of course). There are free filling stations and you'll need to stay hydrated.
5. Flashlights, glow-in-the-dark necklaces, or something to help you find your way from the toilets back to your spot. Once it gets dark and the crowd forms its very easy to lose your way.
6. Although ACL is going cashless this year, I'd still bring cash.
7. Plan on dressing for the weather, and wear good shoes. One year I lost a flip flop in dillo dirt (ewww) because rain turned the field to a stenchy muck. I would go with Tevas or sneakers. Bring a light coat at night as it can turn chilly. It can double as a way to expand your blanket or use as a pillow.
8. If you have a good sun-blocking hat, bring/wear that. If not - don't worry - the ARTS area sells tons of great hats.
9. Sunblock is a must, 2 1-liter bottles of water (still sealed) allowed per person, extra batteries for your phone (if you have them), hand sanitizer, and TOILET PAPER. Bring a roll. Trust me on this one!!
10. Backpacks are allowed, and I found them the easiest for mobility.
GETTING TO & FROM THE FESTIVAL
1. The city of Austin and C3Events have this nailed. If you live downtown/are parking downtown, go to Republic Park and hop a bus. You are always moving and I've never seen logistics so smooth. You can get back to the park this way, too. And its FREE (well, included in the price of everything else).
2. Pedicabs can be fun. We've only done this once, but it was totally worth it.
3. I hear Uber is offering 1 free ride. Not sure of the conditions, but also an option. So are regular taxi cabs.
4. Since we live in Round Rock, we always get a hotel downtown and stay the whole weekend. I've never driven and parked, but it always looks like hell. :-)
5. If you want to avoid crowds and your band picks allow it, arrive and leave at odd times. For example, we typically head over mid-afternoon and always leave before the end of the final act of the night. Some say we miss out, but we avoid 100K+ people leaving the festival and find a good place to have a sit down dinner before the drunken crowds take over the city.
AT THE FESTIVAL
1. The food is AMAZING! Expect long lines at some of the favorites, and expect an upscale twist. Healthy is an option, too!
2. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate some more. For every alcoholic beverage you drink, have at least 2 glasses of water. Trust me - people go down from heat exhaustion.
3. Watch your consumption during the day because when the sun goes down and you start to cool off...you'll realize that you may be more tipsy than you intended. Refer to #2.
4. Make time to check out the ARTS section. It's a great collection of artists and cool garb. Worth the time. And it has a make-shift pharmacy for band-aids, pepto, ibuprofen, sunscreen, etc.
5. Make quick friends with those sitting around you at every show, and join chairs/blankets. People find paths and if you isolate, you'll be walked around, over, and through. Nobody is with bad intentions - heck, I'm good at blazing a trail myself. But people will avoid large groups of impenetrable people...
6. ...until it's night. Then there can be some pushing, bumping, and overall bitchiness from everywhere. we tend to stay at the back since we don't care to be in the middle of crowds. We want a good place where we can see the screens, hear the music, and be comfortable.
7. The beer garden was new last year, and served as a great place to get some shade. Include it on your festival travels.
8. Paying $1 for ice for your water/camel back is totally worth it. So is Maine Root. We buy a festival camelback water bottle to carry around (with ice) as well.
9. Put on your sunscreen and reapply during the festival. No more needs to be said.
10. HAVE FUN! It's a great experience!
-Heather
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