Festivals: More Than Just Music

Anyone who has been to a music festival this summer knows that live music is only part of the festivities. Now that summer is more than halfway over, you might have already hit Coachella to check out the crowd of bikini-and-cutoff-clad concert-goers, or maybe you’re currently joining the hipster masses in Chicago for the Pitchfork Music Festival, a 3-day indie gathering where you can catch St. Vincent, Pavement, and Sleigh Bells all in the same day. Maybe you’re gearing up for Lollapalooza in early August, or perhaps you’re still recovering from Bonnaroo, the musical bacchanal in Tennessee, back in June.

The fashion, food, and art scenes are just as big as the music itself at these festivals. How to make the most of music fests? You can get dolled up in H&M’s hippie-chic festival line; the collection even includes sleeping bags and tents that are as cute as the clothes. You can learn all the best places to eat in Chicago here while waiting for Lady Gaga to get onstage at Lollapalooza, or you can make a pilgrimage to the West Coast for Bumbershoot, a Seattle festival that includes street art installations and alt-cartoonist retrospectives. So remember: there’s still time to get yourself to a festival, and make sure to fit in as much fun as you can!

By Molly O'Brien