Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
My little dude got in free and they gave him a cool wristband. Kiddie Limits is an entire designated area for families and kids activities. My son got in on a drum circle and they had all kinds of interactive exhibits for kids his age. Glastonbury actually has an entire circus area and children’s stage. Camp Bestival is on my radar too. It’s a fest designed completely for kids. There are some cool family events out there. We might not be in the Sahara with him anytime soon but it’s nice to get out of the house with the family at a cool event.
Last Edit: Oct 15, 2018 21:22:25 GMT -5 by Deleted - Back to Top
I took my toddler this year and we literally had the best weekend. I didn’t do it for anyone else fwiw. I want my child to have as many experiences as possible.
Edit: we are doing Glasto and potentially Woodstock together. I didn’t mind the smoke and whatnot because I knew what we were getting into, plus we found a nice pitch of grass removed from the shows where he could play/dance/whatever. I will say for that singular dirty look I got the from someone in the crowd, the rest was 99 percent positive for our being there. Gotta keep living life though. I would have been all about those experiences with my parents had they been so inclined.
Im definitely more on Pablo's side, and I personally try very hard not to smoke/act a fool in front of kids, more because they're impressionable than health, so I get pretty peaved when I get dirty looks for smoking cigs/J's, cursing, whatever. Like I'll do my part but you have to know what you're getting into and not be upset with people unnecessarily.
The infant thing bothers me more than toddlers for sure, zoos are hot as fuck and loud too for instance, less drugs, but probably some drugs.
I did hear a mom behind us talk to her preteen son about how all these people were cutting the line to get in and who did they think they are blah blah...they ended up way in front of us and eventually we lost track of them because they had cut so many people. That's parenting.
Also there were football kids at father john Misty in '15 that ran a slant right into me. Just enough with the football, it'll give you CTE and they're already fighting tinnitus going to fests so young
Some background: I was dating a girl in 2014. I met her through Maddog and his girlfriend. The two women went to college together. We went to Roo that year, my first and her only time. Really awesome time. Some of the best days of my life thus far. She was a really great girl and everything, but we didn't see eye-to-eye on certain things.
Later that year, she went to ACL and I stayed home. While she was at ACL, she sent me a snap of a couple with a kid or two in tow at ACL. She captioned it saying something like "One day. So much this." These kids were like four at the oldest. Really young.
Things had been going on for long enough (maybe eight months) that it should have been getting serious, I guess, but we were still pretty casual. Anyway, I thought about not saying anything, but I felt like I should be honest about my feelings on this. I texted her saying, essentially, "yeah, I don't really think that's cool. I think that's all about the parents' vanity and I think an environment like a music festival isn't really good for a kid." At best, imo, it's just boring for the kid. At worst, there's a bunch of people drinking, smoking, getting high on whatever. It's usually really hot, there are loud noises, and just, yeah, it's not fun for them. I don't care how fucking cool you think your toddler is, he doesn't care about David Byrne or whatever.
So this year, I started coming around on that. I was thinking "hey, you know, it's just a day in the park. Family time. Whatever. Who cares?"
Until Phoenix.
First of all, I accidentally blew smoke right in the direction of this kid in front of us. Obviously not cool, and I should have been paying more attention. After that, we moved up to an area where everyone was a reasonable age, except that about twenty or thirty feet in front of us there were these two kids, about six or seven, playing football with some guys. In the middle of the fucking crowd.
Basically, these guys were throwing this football up in the air and the boys were fielding it like a punt, with zero regard for the other people around them trying to, you know, enjoy a fucking concert. These kids were like wrestling each other for the ball and rolling around on the ground. A good bit of space was cleared out around them, but one guy and a couple girls who seemed to be together were just trying to ignore them. Finally, at the end of 1901, basically the end of the show, one of the older guys (late twenties/early thirties) kinda bumps into the guy who is just trying to ignore them and the victim says something. Whatever it was, it looked like "hey man, you all have just been bumping into us relentlessly for the past fifteen minutes. This is ridiculous. We're trying to enjoy the show." The other guy does namaste prayer hands, apologizes a bunch, and says bye to the kids. These weren't even his kids. Kids go back to their parents or whomever they're actually there with.
Point being, don't take your prepubescent kids to a fucking music festival and have them play football with strange men. Stay home, or hire a sitter, and try to spend actual time playing catch with your kids or something that they will actually enjoy. Like, am I crazy? I think that's bad parenting.
I've got a 2.5 year old and one on the way, and I get your points. My kids wouldn't get free reign over the festival grounds until they are teenagers. I'd be at the very least lurking in the background until they are old enough. But I surely wouldn't let them annoy people who are enjoying the shows. Consideration is a big deal to me inside and outside of a festival.
Selfishly though, I will bring them to many music festivals just so that I can get my yearly fix. But I'm sure they will enjoy a lot of it too!
Post by Jake Jortles on Oct 16, 2018 7:49:05 GMT -5
I'm always pretty jealous of people playing catch with a football or frisbee at festivals. Of course, I've always seen people playing in wide open space that is not close to a crowd. Just seems like something fun to do if you have a free hour. Or even if there is a set you don't really care much about but wouldn't mind listening to from far away.
Post by piggy pablo on Oct 16, 2018 11:44:07 GMT -5
ACL is so crammed with people I can't really see how you can do it without running into someone eventually. At Roo there's a bit more open space so I think it's doable.
EVERYTHING changes when you actually are a parent, vs. imagining what it is like. Nothing can prepare you for how different life will be, especially those first few years. But at the same time, you don't have to (and I strongly recommend against) changing everything. Life still happens.
Do you expect to stay home all the time? Is that good for your child's development? Or is it better to be out experiencing life, learning how to explore and interact and survive and thrive in the world?
I took my 2 year old to ACL 2009 (the only other year I went). He had a great time, I love when the Facebook memories pop up every October of him dancing around to Michael Franti and Bassnectar and Phoenix. My cousins band was playing that year, my first time seeing them play a major festival (later saw them at Firefly and main stage Coachella). Austin Kiddie Limits is one of the better kids areas overall too. I was solo this year, but still spent some time in there (cool stage, drum circle, hip hop freestyle area, and activities).
I took my kids to Richmond Folk Festival again this past weekend, all 3 days. My son just turned 11, and it was his TENTH. I first took him when he was just 3 weeks old, and the only year we missed was the weekend my daughter was being born. They have a great time. Aren't nearly as into the music as me, but we still dance for shows. Throw a football. Make bubbles. Eat fun foods. Play with other kids around. Chase each other through woods. Explore the various vendor offerings (hats and artwork and sunglasses). Read books and make artwork. The keys are keeping them entertained, shade, and hearing protection (I am religious myself about earplugs too).
My ex was a stay at home mom for 7 years. All the other stay at home moms were always like "my kids would never do well at a music festival, how do you handle it?" Well, that is because you don't take them to things like that and they never learned how. Mine napped restfully at these things (earplugs and shade), the parents who are slaves to only letting their kids sleep at home (like my brother) are making a mistake imo. Some won't take their kids camping, I think that is key life experience (away from creature comforts and tech).
Then as they age you just teach them to be responsible and aware for each additional step, just like you have to be for yourself. Throwing a football in the middle of a crowd is RIDICULOUS! But in the back or off to the side if there is space and not too much traffic, awesome! People smoking all around you, move to where they aren't.
The whole thing is just a different experience. You can't do all the same stuff. Can't be up in the crowd, hang in the back and to the sides (which I personnally tend to do anyways since I like to dance and breathe). Can't stage hop as much (takes longer to move around). Plan differently on food and bathrooms. Sunscreen aplenty, and ice for bandannas on necks to keep them cool.
Only outdoor shows until they are older. I tried their first indoor show a couple years ago (Pink Floyd 3D lazer show), and there simply wasn't enough to keep them entertained. The bigger camping festivals are too much, can't pull them around and carry them all day when it is hard enough taking care of yourself. It will be something like 14 before I bring them to Bonnaroo. But Floydfest (like 10K people), is an outstanding camping music festival in the mountains and another favorite family tradition.
You don't have kids to give up and life and stay home, I wanted them to enhance my life. And they do. Daddy loves live music, why wouldn't they too?
And instead of saying all of your goodbyes - let them know you realize that life goes fast - It's hard to make the good things last-you realize the sun doesn't go down - It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round
