How to Camp at a Music Festival

by | Sep 20, 2017 | Music Festivals | 16 comments

Camping at Rhythm and Roots

I enjoy going to large multi-day music festivals.  Attending a music festival is a great way to get a large dose of the music that I like.  I like many types of music, but country, bluegrass, and roots music are my favorites.

Music festivals are held all over the country.  Some of the festivals I go to, like the Rhythm and Roots Festival, is nearby in Rhode Island.  But others like Country Jam (Colorado) and the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival (New York) require some travel.  Many festivals allow on-site camping so traveling to a music festival is another great way that use my RV.

Country Jam

The three-day Country Jam music festival is held each year near Grand Junction, CO.  The biggest country music stars perform here and it typically attracts over 50,000 people.  I attended in 2016.

When I camp at a music festival,  I don’t have to worry about driving or finding a place to stay that’s nearby.  Being on site allows me to enjoy the whole festival experience – getting to see 20-30 artists / bands perform, hear new music, and meeting and hanging out with other music fans.

A Different Type of Camping

But, camping at a music festival is different that typical camping.  There’s no assigned spaces and no hook-ups.  It’s usually shoulder to shoulder boondocking in a field of parking lot.

Grey Fox Campsite

Campsite in a hay field at the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival.  I always get a lot of compliments on my rig and setup.

This type of camping is not for everyone.  It’s crowded and sometimes it can be noisy.  Over several years of camping at music festivals, I’ve learned what to bring to make this type of camping experience more comfortable.

When I bring my RV to a music festival, I usually have people stopping by and asking me about my rig and setup. I get questions like – “How do those solar panel work?”  “Where did you get that shade drop?”,  “Does that solar shower bag really work?”  I welcome these encounters to share my knowledge and meet some new people.

While at a recent music festival, I had the idea that other people may be interested in camping at a music festival.  So, I decided to make the following video about how to camp at a music festival

There’s a couple of things that I didn’t cover in the video.  One is ear plugs.  Nearby music and neighbor noise doesn’t tend to bother me, but it does bother my wife.  She always brings ear plugs to create her quiet space.  If you’re a light sleeper, then ear plugs are something you might want to bring.

The other thing is a bike.  The camping areas at music festivals can be quite large housing thousands of people.  And sometimes they’re located away from the actual music performance stages.  I like to bring a bike with me to make it easier to go back and forth between my RV and the music.

It’s Lots of Fun

And that’s how I camp at a music festival.  Going to a music festival is a lot of fun.  Over the years, I’ve seen many great performances, heard an incredible amount of new music, and met many fine people.  I guess that’s why I keep going back each year.

Rhythm and Roots Festival

The Rhythm and Root Festival has a large focus on dancing and the music from Louisiana.

Please feel free to comment if you have a question about festival camping or a particular festival.

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16 Comments

  1. K Breihan
    K Breihan on September 20, 2017 at 9:49 am

    Loved this video. Very helpful!

    • J. Dawg
      J. Dawg on September 20, 2017 at 10:19 am

      Glad you like it.

  2. Devon
    Devon on September 20, 2017 at 2:58 pm

    You and I love the same kinds of music, especially 1950s country. Take care.

    • J. Dawg
      J. Dawg on September 20, 2017 at 3:11 pm

      I was never into old country music until about 7-8 years ago. I slowly got into Bluegrass music and gravitated to the original masters – Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin, Jim & Jesse, and Flatt & Scruggs. That got me into old country music with Patty Loveless, Patsy Cline, Marty Stuart, George Jones, and Hank Williams. I love the old stuff ’cause it all new to me.

  3. Voytek
    Voytek on September 20, 2017 at 4:43 pm

    Thank You

  4. Susan
    Susan on September 21, 2017 at 2:16 pm

    Hello Dawj,

    Awesome insights. Its always a lot of fun at these festivals.

    Thank You for sharing.

  5. Tim Klassen
    Tim Klassen on September 21, 2017 at 10:32 pm

    Hi J…
    Ok, where did you get that awesome shade tarp??
    Presently driving the Pacific coast Hwy with our 2015 View. (40th wedding anniversary tour)
    Learned a lot from your blog and thankyou for your interesting posts!!
    tim/Hilda
    Canada

    • J. Dawg
      J. Dawg on September 22, 2017 at 9:19 am

      Tim;
      I bought it on Amazon. Look for a 12ft x 6ft Greenhouse shade cloth with grommets. Some come with different UV blocking. I think mine is 70% block. I think I paid something close to $40. I bought the awning channel tabs and S hooks separately.
      Jim

  6. Matt
    Matt on September 22, 2017 at 10:32 am

    Hey Jdawg,
    What is the model number of those Duracell batteries you installed? So much info and recommendations I just want to go with what you installed. Thank you again!

    Matt 2011View

    • J. Dawg
      J. Dawg on September 22, 2017 at 1:45 pm

      Matt;
      I use the Duracell 12V Group 24 deep cycle marine / RV batteries. They’re model # 24DCC. About $80 each at Sam’s club.
      J. Dawg

  7. Matt
    Matt on September 22, 2017 at 11:08 am

    Hey Jdawg,
    Matt again……. one last question and sorry to be a pest. My first Deisel, I have the 180hp Turbo Deisel in my 2011 View Mercedes. What brand of DEF do you use that you haven’t had any problems with? Thanks again for your time and love your post 🇺🇸

    Matt 2011 View

    • J. Dawg
      J. Dawg on September 22, 2017 at 1:50 pm

      Matt;
      I just use the Peak BlueDEF you get at Walmart or auto parts stores. Comes in a 2.5 gal jug (the jug is in a box). It’s ISO22241 certified which is what MB requires. Walmart sells some other generic stuff in 1 gal jugs but it doesn’t have the ISO certification.
      J. Dawg

  8. Jack Morrison
    Jack Morrison on September 22, 2017 at 1:25 pm

    Always enjoy your posts. Thanks for taking the time to share your adventures!

    • J. Dawg
      J. Dawg on September 22, 2017 at 1:46 pm

      Thanks, Jack.

  9. Alice Robb
    Alice Robb on October 3, 2017 at 6:47 pm

    J Dawg,

    Please give me more detail on how you attached your shade drop “greenhouse” on your RV. Did you attach Velcro strips permanently to your roller and then roll them up into your awning each time after removing the screen and s hooks?

    I had just purchased my first motorhome in July, a 2015 Winnebago View and I also just returned from 35 days and 6,000 mile round trip from Oregon, California, Washington, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Idaho, Missouri and back home to Arkansas by myself. Magnificent Trip and thanks for all the pointers you have on your blog!

    • J. Dawg
      J. Dawg on October 3, 2017 at 6:54 pm

      Alice,
      The shade cloth hooks onto fabric awning holders. These little tabs slide into a channel that runs the length of the awning. I keep four tabs in the channel. When I take down the awning and S hooks the tabs just get rolled up with the awning.
      Glad to hear you had a nice trip.
      Jim