It was 5 am on Thursday, August 5th. Three of my closest festival-going buddies and myself packed up. I don’t think any of us have been up THAT early since…well I don’t know when. It was like we were seven years old again and going to Disney World. We were going to Disney World. The Disney World of country music fans, that is. We Fest.
Four dreadful hours and one cramped car ride later, we found ourselves in Detroit Lakes, MN. By the way, I had somehow gotten the honor of driving while the other three snoozed away. Like most “festival” towns, Detroit Lakes, is a small town nestled in northwestern Minnesota. One thing about Detroit Lakes that isn’t so small though is We Fest. The reason we had made the journey. It was my first time.
Nothing about We Fest is small. This place has ten campgrounds. TEN. The venue itself has four gates that 40,000 avid country music fans walk through daily. No, not over the entire weekend. Daily.
And there’s a reason the fans come in herds. The line-up was A+. Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, and Kid Rock were all on the bill amongst a slew of other country music superstars. People come from miles around to see these guys. The camping is plentiful. With a wide range of prices and locations, fans can find the option that fits both their budget and location preference. And last but not least, the experience itself is…well there aren’t words to describe it.
We Fest has an established fan base that wouldn’t miss the festival for the world; the ultimate dream of every festival promoter. In fact, being the social media guru I am, I checked the Facebook page when I arrived home on that Sunday. Fans were already voicing their excitement and enthusiasm for next year’s event. By the way, Sugarland, Brad Paisley, and Rascal Flatts have all been announced as a part of next year’s entertainment. So buy your tickets now.
I missed a couple of the concerts throughout the weekend, but I must say my favorite show was Keith Urban. That’s a given though. Mr. Urban never ceases to amaze. My other pick is Dierks Bentley.
One complaint I have, however, is the distance from the campgrounds to the venue. Yes, the shuttle service offered is nice, however it isn’t always convenient. Especially when there are thousands of others waiting not-so-patiently to get to the same destination.
Did I mention our air mattress deflated on night numero uno? Chalk that up as complaint number two.
As I sit back and think about the 40,000 number I threw around earlier though, it truly reflects on the fact that we, the fans, are the ones who put the “we” in We Fest.
