By Jeff Zbar
Time was when this music festival-going parent saw a weekend retreat to a music festival as an escape from the demands of family obligations. I mean, I was an involved dad and all. When they were squirts, I was the lone daddy who took our kids to “Mommy and Me.” As they grew, I shepherded them to dance competitions and travel hockey tournaments.
But what could be more escapish than critter-free times with a group of friends unleashed into our favorite music and camping scene, with a few libations and whatnot thrown in – especially with the kids in their mother’s able (maybe more able than my own) hands?
Then our kids turned legal. They began doing things I did as an adult their age, like enjoying music, libations, and… whatnot. And we all were cool with each other.
So, as long as they don’t get wigged out in my company (“Daaaad!”), why not bring them along to my music fests? So launched our our occasional family festival adventures.
Truth be told, my kids – Zoe and Zack – had done a few fests. Zoe did Sunfest with me, Zack did Outside Lands, both both did Ultra in downtown Miami. Our other daughter isn’t much of a festival goer. But that’s cool, too. We’ve taken Zack and Zoe non-fest camping – to Fisheating Creek in Central Florida and Red Coconut on Fort Myers beach.
On the fest scene, Zoe and I did the last Wanee Music Festival (RIP). We did Hulaween 2018 and 2019’s coming up. It’s been a hoot.
Music Festivals – Father’s Day-Style
This Father’s Day, countless dads roadtripped with their families. Whether to a campground, boondocking somewhere, or taking in a music festival, they’re deeply enveloped in the warm embrace of serious family time. Adding a live soundtrack to the adventure adds a whole new dimension – and some damn fun mojo.
This is that story.
In the interest of full disclosure, a few honest revelations.
First, this is mostly one man’s observation. RoadtripMojo compatriot Barry and his wife, Jen, brought their sons and daughter to several festivals when the kinder were younger teens (two are high-schoolers, the lass is in her 20s).
Barry even invited his parents to join RoadtripMojo at last year’s Soulshine Farm Music Fest. One night of bluegrass and jam was enough for them, but they slept well in Bertha, the RV glamper, and left after breakfast the next morning with smiles on their faces.
Mission Accomplished.
People today call us the “sandwich generation.” Millennials and baby boomers tight with – and sometimes caring for – their kids and senior parents. When talking festivalling, it can be a whole new level of fun.
Another caveat… By the time my wife, Robbie, and I took to camping and festivals, two of ours were already in their 20s. So we know diddly about festivaling with offspring too young to let loose on their own to the mayhem of the festival grounds. Hell, more often than not, they could be tucking us in and heading out.
That’s why we’re serving up our own best-guess guidance about what you should do with young’uns, and sprinkle in some knowhow from seasoned festival goers and veteran vendors who’ve brought kids since they were squirts.
The overarching tip to all this: In the interest of not encouraging some first-timer who thinks it’ll be groovy to take their younger kid(s) to a festival, only to have them blindsided by a hazy contraband fog or a hoard of friendly but raucous hippies, ask about the kid friendliness before booking any fest. It could be an eye-opener, for better or worse, depending on how you roll. Some festivals, like Lockn’, discourage young children attending. But they make accommodations by way of Family Camping, Contact Info on children’s wristbands, and a list of some should-bring accessories. More on that in a bit…
Creating a Kid-Friendly Event
Along a sloping hill in a meadow atop North Carolina’s Green Mountain, a soapy slide’n’glide gathers foam and fans. Slick with suds from Dr. Bronner’s: Organic Pure-Castile Soap, Organic Body & Hair Care soap and lined with hay bales in an occasionally successful effort to keep sliders from straying, the foam-slicked blue tarps were luring festival goers from across the Soulshine Farm Music Festival.
They first get sprayed with a jet stream of Dr. Bronner’s, then they get a running start – and hit the tarps.
Unlike typical music fest denizens, these kids were – quite literally – kids. From toddlers to teens, they were slathered in soap, some with parents in tow.
In time they were joined by kids-at-heart festival goers from up on the Pine Ridge camping area. Primitive campers came ready to wash away the layers a couple days of festing brings – and restore a fresh minty aroma to their outer selves by unleashing that inner child.
The slide’n’glide was at a fest run by Christopher and Randi Glover, who also own the Indo apparel crafts shop in Asheville. When not manning their shop or running their fest, the two take their hats, jewelry, body oils, incense, sarongs, tapestries, hammocks, and flags on the road to festivals from spring through fall.
They also bring their kids.
Some of the shows they’ve attended bring a positive family vibe. Those include Watermelon Park Fest, Springfest, Magfest, Wanee, Del Fest, French Broad River. Philly Folk Fest, Clifftop, and their own Soulshine Farm Music Fest.
At the recent Suwannee Spring Reunion at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Like Oak, Florida, their son was One Wheeling around the festival grounds while Chris and Randi worked the family’s merch stand.
The park has ample adventures. Down at the end of River Road is the historic Suwannee River itself. Kayaks and canoes are available. Swimming’s easy in the slow moving waters running along the beach.
Traveling in the family Class C RV, they take their travels pretty seriously. They also create the same vibe at Soulshine. They promote family time with a kids area with various activities, and create and enforce family camping with quiet times apart from the more raucous primitive scene.
What do they do to create a family vibe – even before tickets go on sale? They offer discount or free kids passes. “Nothing burns me like having to spend $75 or more for my 5-year-old,” says Chris. “I mean, really?”
In that regard, the Glovers know their customer base and make sure the festival goers jibe with the band selection. When they have band contests or workshops, they’re keen to spot acts that tend to attract an older crowd, maybe with kids, maybe not.
“But they’re definitely open to having kids around and not making people with kids wish they didn’t bring them,” he says.
They also create kid-friendly physical activities and areas. Like swimming or biking or playgrounds with that Dr. Bronner’s foam slide, “easy places parents can relax and watch their kids have fun makes it easy.”
As festival producers, they curate great tunes and create age-appropriate programming throughout, with limited or late-night only acts with curse words. They also limit the bands they book that promote drug use or have a following of fans that are particularly know to use drugs promote drug use. Their festival, their rules, even as they try to not seem or be critical or prejudice.
“Hard to do,” Chris says, “but not really.”
Generally speaking, if a festival producer books certain acts and sets and enforces certain rules, the vibe is set early and people come to know what to expect in the future.
“If you fill a fest with jam bands playing ‘til 5am every night, you might not have a lot of kids,” he says. “A midnight curfew or noise ordinance is great for keeping the families coming back.”
Some festival goers see the police as a pox on the scene. At Soulshine, they decided from day one the police are invited on site. “It dictated some of the people that would not attend our show,” Chris says.
Some others’ perspectives…
Heather Schucter is the owner of Buenos Nachos food truck. She’s is a veteran jam band music festival vendor. She brings her two boys along for the ride. There’s Asher, 4, whose first festival came shortly after he was potty trained.
“He refused to use the port-a-john and we had to buy him a camping potty,” she recalls.
The kid’s obviously wise beyond his years.
Son Anikins, 11, can be found hustling merch other vendors can’t unload and “usually comes home with more money than the family,” she says.
“He once sold sunglasses in the middle of the night and made a killing,” she says. “Who can say no to a kid?”
Seems family-tight festival goers can’t either. Said veteran festival goer Jean Marie Kennedy, “I couldn’t wait to bring my kids to a festival. Waited until my baby turned 21, and her gift was her Lockn’ ticket. We have so much fun together, bonding over great music, away from the day to day.”
Some tips from the pros:
Before buying tix or booking campsites, hit their websites and social media. Do they discourage the bringing of children? That’s a pretty clear sign not to. If unclear, look at pictures of the crowd from the year before. Any kids to be seen?
Look at the line-up and time schedule. Many acts have reputations for a certain following; you may know them as being tame enough to bring your kids, or too raucous for you to even want to attend.
On the website, look for a map. Kids’ sites, areas, villages, or venues should be obvious. Also, scan the vendor row to make sure there’s stuff your kid will eat; if not, provision accordingly. But srsly, what’s any fest without a pizza or mac’n’cheese or grilled cheese sammich stand?
If all seems cool so far, then write, message, email or call the festival producer to ask where you should camp with kids. They might have a family camping area set up. If they hesitate or don’t have one, maybe you were mistaken and that fest’s not for you. Or maybe that’s your vibe and you’re totally down.
Remember the distractions. Bikes (and helmets), scooters, balls, Frisbees, and other cool stuff. Remember the bubble guns. Big kids abso love little kids with bubble makers. Bring an iPad with movies – and maybe a projector. Make your own kid village, if there isn’t one.
Remember the Baby Tylenol, bug spray, lots of baby wipes (good for adult hygiene, too), and several outfits for each day. And the ear plugs or hearing protection, for both the music venues – and noisy campsites at night. In fact, we never travel without ear plugs on hand. We’ve lost enough hearing already.
And for kids of any age, discuss in advance a Family Plan with an easy-to-find or iconic meeting place should people get separated. Don’t rely on cell service to call, text, or IM. At rural fests, it’s general lousy.
Not thinking of taking your kids to a music festival this season? Maybe your bring your parents along. Or both. Done well and at the right event, fests can be fun for the whole family – kids, parents, and grandparents alike.
Now there’s a sammich any generation can sink their teeth into.