What to expect at Wakarusa
June 1st, 2010 at 1:24 pm
It’s here. Or, almost here.
Less than 48 hours from now, the Wakarusa Festival begins at Mulberry Mountain, located on Arkansas 23 north of Ozark.
With it comes an expected group of more than 20,000 people, a total with includes more than 15,000 music fans and musicians, artists, volunteers, staff, security, vendors, members of the media and more.
And, perhaps, you.
We understand that four-day event passes sold out Monday (May 31) evening; but we believe that three-day passes and Saturday passes remain.
For those of you who did get a ticket and plan to visit the festival, we’ve compiled a few thoughts about what to bring, what to wear and what to wear while you’re out there. And, check back tomorrow to see our day-by-day, hour-by-hour recommendations for which bands to see.
Click on the ‘read the rest of this story’ link below to see some answers to frequently asked questions.
Where is the festival?
Wakarusa takes place on Mulberry Mountain, which is located on the Arkansas 23 (also known as the Pig Trail). It’s a 200-plus acre tract of land that slopes down a mountainside. To get there from Northwest Arkansas, you can take two routes: 1) Take Arkansas 16 east through Elkins until it meets Arkansas 23, then turn to the right (south). The festival is located about 8 miles to the south of that intersection. However, all traffic will enter the festival grounds from the south, meaning that you’ll be directed past the festival site, then rerouted to the north. So, the better path might be 2) which includes taking U.S. 540 south to its intersection with U.S. 40. Go east on U.S. 40 about 20 miles, then exit onto Arkansas 23. Take that road north about 15 miles to the festival site.
Here’s a link to a Google map if that’s more your speed.
What should I bring?
Weather conditions for Wakarusa are forecasted to be in the 90s
Water. Water. And more water. The National Weather Service is predicting temperatures in the the mid-90s. With all the sun you’re going to catch, that means you’ll need to stay hydrated. Some other things you’ll need are sunscreen, a hat, and, unless you want to buy food from the vendors for the whole time, you should also bring some food. Charcoal, gas, and propane grills are allowed, but open fires are not. So, bring a grill.
Glass isn’t allowed; so make sure to bring cans. Don’t bring kegs, those are prohibited.
Speaking of what comes inside kegs, you might want to bring some Tylenol. Late nights and early morning alone will give you the need.
Some other things we recommend not leaving home without: toilet paper, hand sanitizer, cash for merchandise and vendors (although ATMs are available on site) and campside games.
Inside the concert area, nonframe backpacks, lawn chairs and sealed water bottles are permitted.
You can also bring a audio recorder, but not a video camera.
Wakarusa has a list of items too, which explains their policies for a lot of things you probably never thought about. See that list here.
What else can I do beside watch music all day?
We have no idea why you wouldn’t want to fill your day with music. But, if it all gets to be too much and you need a break, there are plenty of options. There are fishing opportunities, places to hike, a disc golf course and a full carnival. We’re told the Ferris Wheel will provide panoramic views of the festival site, and that should be pretty cool.
Can I leave the festival grounds?
Yes, you can. But you’ve got to keep your ticket with you.
What’s the best way to keep informed of festival updates?
You’re in the right place. We’re going to provide daily thoughts about the shows we’ve seen, photos of both bands and fans and some videos from the festival grounds. We’ll be posting things here and via Twitter. (FYI: the most popular Twitter hash tag seems to be #wakarusa. We’ll be using it.) The festival is also on Twitter.
Or, as an alternate, if you text the word ‘waka’ to 724665, Wakarusa will send you updates.
But, really, we think everything here on TunedIn will be all you really need.
Which bands should I see?
Glad you asked. That’s ultimately up to you, and your personal tastes, but if you come back tomorrow, we’ll provide a guide.
#Wakarusa coverage also on my Twitter @dgold http://twitter.com/dgold and through my radio blog for Honest Tunes Radio Show.
Listen Tonite on Honest Tunes Radio, 8pm on KXUA 88.3 FM Fayetteville college radio station, the annual Wakarusa Preview Podcast program.
Last week on the show we debuted 3 new studio albums by bands from the Waka roster: Widespread Panic, advance listen of Tea Leaf Green, and Fayetteville’s own Tiffany Christopher.
You’re right that @WakarusaFest has a Twitter account but sadly they just feed it from Facebook and they have not been interacting on there.
See you at the festival. Let’s make some YouTubes for the people and try to share some material while the fest is still in progress this year if media can get internet access, so that everyone around the country wondering how it is going & those in the region considering a last minute road trip for weekender tickets can get an image of the setting this Thursday, Friday, at the start of Waka 2010.
See you guys there.
Dgold from Honest FM
Fayetteville ARK grassroots music media network