Gearing Up for Indie

The day before Indie is all about preparation so I want to give some thoughts on how to best enjoy the fest on Friday and Saturday.

First, these temps look amazing but prepare for it to be 60-65F when the sun goes down around 7:30pm. In my best grandma voice I urge you to "bring a sweatshirt with you!" Also, while the sun is up grab a hat or bring some sunscreen (look for sunscreens that include Bemotrizinol for the best coverage) - Friday night isn't an issue but the UV index will be at 7 on Saturday when we start at 2:30pm. It will feel just fine temperature-wise but no need to be glowing red by the end of the night.

Also, bring your lawn chair and claim a spot in front of the brewery or the stage. The

pavement, or what's left of it, is a bit rough there so be careful. You'll get some shade by 2pm the closer you get to the brewery. It is wild west rules out there, I know a lot of folks come by and stake their spot early and return later. That's fine to do. Really, this is a good vibes festival so you do you and just love each other and we'll all be good.

For those looking at VIP tickets we have some single day tickets left, email me (tim@carolinaindiefest.net) if you'd like individual day tickets combined into a lower priced two day pass. Happy to do it but won't be accepting orders after midnight tonight. There aren't many tickets remaining, though, so act now!

What else? Bringing your own food is always welcome, leave the beverages at home - you'll have lots of options to choose from. I'm excited we have fresh lemonade on hand both days to make radlers with, that's a 50-50 mix of light beer and lemonade (maybe slightly different proportions depending whom you ask) and that's a rare treat. There are other rare treats throughout the festival as well, like the Guatemalan Amber and Belgian Blonde we are releasing on Friday and Saturday thanks to our sponsors Common Defense and Raven Forge Games.

On this topic, I get the largest possible stage banner for Indie Fest so you'll see who is investing in this festival. As you're watching the bands perform take a look at the stage banner and all the sponsor names on there. This sort of music fest is typically either (a) funded entirely by a local government; or (b) has an admission fee. I don't know of many other festivals like this one that are just the community putting up the money for their own music festival. That is very cool and about as independent (oh, let's say "indie") as you get. Please thank your sponsors, speak well of them, refer them business, frequent their establishments, give them hugs ... anything to let them know you appreciate their community mindedness and generosity. This festival does not happen without them.