Okay, so, check it out – I was totally in a music festival mood lately. I mean, who isn’t, right? Summer’s here, the sun’s out, and tunes are calling! So, I decided, like, “I’m gonna find the best outdoor music festivals the US has to offer!” And I documented the whole shebang.
First things first, I started with the basics. I hit up Google, typed in “best outdoor music festivals US,” and just started digging. I opened, like, a million tabs – Rolling Stone, Billboard, all those music blogs you see floating around. I wasn’t just looking for names; I wanted the vibe, the location, the general feel of each fest.
Next up: Narrowing it down. This was the tough part. There were so many! I decided on some criteria. First, it had to be outdoors, obviously. Second, it had to be somewhat unique – not just your run-of-the-mill concert. Third, location, location, location! I wanted something scenic, something that felt like a mini-vacation.
- I started making a list. Bonnaroo, Coachella, Lollapalooza… the usual suspects. But then I started digging deeper.
- I stumbled on some smaller fests – stuff like Pickathon in Oregon, which has this amazing laid-back vibe and focuses on indie and folk.
- Then there was Electric Forest in Michigan, which is like, a total immersive experience with art installations and electronic music.
Then I actually got onto different forums and Reddit threads. This is where things got real! People were sharing their experiences – the good, the bad, and the downright muddy. I learned which festivals were overcrowded, which ones had the best food vendors, and which ones were total Instagram traps.
I created a spreadsheet, because who doesn’t love a good spreadsheet? I listed each festival, their location, the genre of music, the vibe, the price range, and any personal notes from the forums. It was a beast!
The biggest thing was figuring out the logistics. Like, how far was it? What were the travel options? What was the accommodation like? Some festivals are all about camping, which is cool, but not always my thing. Others have hotels nearby, which are pricier but comfier.
Eventually, after days of research, I landed on a few top contenders. I considered everything: the music lineup (of course!), the overall experience, and the dreaded budget.
So, yeah, that’s basically how I went about discovering some seriously awesome outdoor music festivals in the US. It took some time, a lot of tab-closing, and a serious spreadsheet, but totally worth it! Now I just need to actually book my ticket!
