Sandpoint, ID

The Festival at Sandpoint is an annual event of summer music fun. Each year the line up is released in mid to late May and the mad dash for tickets begins. The festival is for eight days in August with a different act each night. There is usually a country night, rock night, a family night, which is a great way to get the kids to the festival and each year ends with the Spokane symphony. The festival gets some pretty amazing acts. In past years I have seen Peter Frampton, literally live, Jonny Lang, Los Lonely Boys, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies and this year my boyfriend and I went with a group of friends to see Ziggy Marley. The lineups may change each year but the music is always great!

The festival is so popular now that there are a few things to know before you go. Probably one of the most amazing things about the festival is that you can bring in your own cooler, filled with whatever you like. So that means you can bring in your own alcohol, water or soda and avoid paying for the overpriced concert beverages. There are also food booths located near the entrance offering food from local restaurants. Most food can be found for under $15. There is a beer garden as well, but like I said, no need to pay for it if you can bring it in with you!

Another key thing about the festival is getting there early and we’re not talking 15 minutes here. The festival has general admission seating so it is first come first serve. The line for the concert we went to formed the night before just after that night’s concert had ended. If you would like to see what it feels like to be in a cattle stampede try being in the front of the line at a popular concert when the gates are opened! Once the line is allowed to enter people will run with a blanket or chairs in hand to a spot they want and claim their space. With waiting all night, our group still was not in the front row, however we were pretty close to the stage and got a good view of Ziggy Marley and his band.

A nice part about the festival is that it is held at Memorial Field. Memorial Field has plenty of bathrooms with running water, an added bonus since most music concerts I have been to you are stuck using port-a-potties and nothing to wash your hands with. Memorial Field is mostly used for high school football games so there are bleacher seats are all around, even covered ones if it’s a rainy night that you can use during the festival. You can bring your own chair to sit in as long as it is lower to the ground or you can rent a height approved chair for $2. You also have a nice view of the lake and you can watch the moon rise as some concerts end around 10pm.

If you would like to go to the Festival at Sandpoint check out the lineup each year found at http://www.festivalatsandpoint.com/ . Ticket prices range by act but you can save a lot of money by buying a season pass early, which was $159 this year. To get to the Festival at Sandpoint they are located at 855 Ontario Street. The easiest way to get to Memorial Field is to take Highway 2 heading west and turn left on to Ontario just after the Federal Building. Parking can be found along the side streets and they ask that you do not park in the boat launch parking lot next to Memorial field.