Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival - Music Festival Tips

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Going to the Bonnaroo music and arts festival or any other festivals?

Bonnaroo!!!! As of June 2013, I have been to the Roo 7 times. Yes, 7 times! I consider myself and my "Roo Crew" veterans at this point, so I decided to create a page on how we pack for the event every year.

UPDATE: Including All Good Festival 2011, Firefly Music Festival 2014 & 2015, I've got 10 music festivals under my belt. 10!!

Below you'll find information on the products we use to stay organized as well as THE packing list. Enjoy!

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Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival: The Storage Products

After a few years of attending the Bonnaroo fest, we implemented a plastic drawer system that was so convenient and utilized ever since. We found that the camp site was getting so messy with utensils and sunscreen and bug spray and random items all over the ground, and the only surface we had was a small folding table.

The plastic drawer set (a Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival must) that I bought is like the one below, and I didn't put on the wheels. Each drawer holds different types of items. For example, the top drawer holds bug spray, sunscreens, aloe vera, lip balms and other personal items. The second drawer holds batteries, flashlights and so on. The third drawer holds cooking utensils, plastic silverware and other items related to eating. The fourth drawer has everything else like spray fans, the shower bag, rain ponchos, etc.

The drawer system stays packed all year, lives in a closet in my house and is one of my best camping tricks. When Bonnaroo or any other music festivals or camping opportunities come up, the whole drawer set gets moved from the closet to the car. It cuts down on packing time, keeps the camp site clean and just plain rocks!

Look how clean and organized our camp site is!

You can also use large, clear plastic bins with lids to store your gear, and these are especially useful for larger items. This way all of your paper products, tools, trash bags, etc. are together and can be easily transported from the basement or garage to the car. You can also see inside the bin to take a quick inventory of what's missing.

Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival: The List

Learn as you go. Every time we attend the Bonnaroo music and arts festival, we think of something that could have made the experience better and add it to our list.

Create a running list of things that need to be remembered to enhance your outside fun. Take it with you for those moments of realization to easily jot down the item. Keep the list in a sheet protector, so you can wipe it off when greasy hands get a hold of it.

Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival: The Supplies

FIRST

Entrance ticket or wristband

HANGING OUT

canopy (We bring 2 to put next to each other. One is for the "living room" with chairs around a folding table and the other is space for cooking, etc.)
screens or tarps for canopy sides (We zip tie tarps to the sides of the canopies for extra shade, but don't attach the bottom of the tarps. As the sun moves, we can roll up different sides for air flow.)
folding chairs/beach chairs (Bonnaroo only allows chairs into the concerts that are less than 1 foot off the ground. Hence, the beach chairs.)
zip ties
music/radio/iPod/iPod car charger
lantern
folding table with adjustable legs (coffee table)
drawer sets
state flags (for decoration)
water-resistant outdoor blanket
more ideas on my Pinterest Camping & Music Festivals board here!

**And that's just the "hanging out" part of the packing list! Sign up below for 3 unusual but MUST-HAVE items you should pack for a music festival and The Ultimate Music Festival Packing List.**