The Firefly Festival Camping Experience - Living The Fest Life Camp Carneros is a camping event for the Bottle Rock music festival.
The most fun I had at the festival was on the culinary stage.
This was my first Bottlerock and while I can concede to some of the points from other posters, I had an amazing three days.
It was one of the best weekends we have ever had in the valley and I hope that the event returns next year.
Is there a way to take the shuttle from S. Bay?I am either going to drive from Los Gatos or take the shuttle from San Jose.Any thoughts and opinions are welcome.Thanks!
You have to come early to find parking.You can expect to pay about $60 for a parking spot close to the entrance on 3rd street.
They advertised on the app that they would have vegetarian paella, but they didn't have it.
We probably wouldn't have been to Bottle Rock had we not won GA Friday tickets.It's worth it if you can afford it.It was nice to find parking for less than $50.We were able to get through security quickly because we didn't bring bags.They did a good job on Friday and it rained on Sunday.There was always an artist playing who we wanted to watch on Friday.If you wanted to fill up with water, you could bring in an empty bottle, but bai gave out those for free.The food was pricey, but not as many vegetarian options as I would have liked.The places where they put down turf have to be the places they keep live animals because it was RANK smelling for awhile in the restrooms they brought in, which was very nice.I would definitely go back if that's the case.Won tickets or 2.Someone else bought me the tickets.
I was not sure what to expect except music, a lot of people and less money in my bank by the end of the weekend, which was my first Bottlerock experience.That sums it up.The nightmare of parking and traffic that I knew would be the case for the small town of Napa led us to take the festival supported shuttle for all 3 days.If I did the festival again, I would probably do the bus again because of the value in the shuttle.Probably.We never got into the festival before the gates opened at 11:30.We didn't get to Sonoma until almost 2 after the driver got lost.How do you find bus drivers that know where they are going?The music was great.We explored some new talent and were able to shake a tail feather throughout the weekend.Billy Idol, Earth Wind & Fire, Silverado Pickups, Lake Street View, Moonalice, and Bruno Mars are not in order.The festival didn't disappoint and we wanted to see all three days.We didn't spend a lot of time at the Culinary stage because it was crowded and located in the main thoroughfare between the two main stages.A lot of people are also there because it's where most of the food is.Most of the time someone interesting to me was on this stage, it was also a cool musical act.Music won.I would have liked to see the world's largest gin and juice.The festival was not going to be cheap and since we couldn't bring our own food or drinks we were at the mercy of what was available.I enjoyed Blackbird Wines all weekend, but some pours of other wines and bubbles got up to $21/glass.That's crazy.I liked everything we ate and The Chairman was so delicious I need it again.All the trash was the biggest complaint.There were too many people there with their own agendas.Everyone should be proud of the fact that I cleaned up after myself.I would like the festival to educate concert goers more.They had enough cans to support the crowds.It's fun.It won't be cheap, wear sunscreen, clean up after yourself, and dance.
When I first went to see Maroon 5, I fell in love with Bottle Rock.I was very excited to go.I probably could've saved money if I'd bought a 3 day pass instead of buying tickets for Saturday and Sunday.Saturday was the best day for me because it wasn't crowded.The lines were manageable and there were more places to hang out.Sunday with Bruno Mars and Halsey was out of control.It was too crowded.Bottle Rock oversold tickets for that day because they wanted to make money.Stop selling tickets if it sells out.The lines for food were crazy and the food booths were sold out too early.I don't think I'm going back next year because it took almost an hour to get into Bottle Rock.It was too much for me this time.Their pizza has cheese curds on it.I'm going to go to their restaurant and they have an excellent selection of beer.
Go-ers and Observations are part of the festival.Full disclosure.I won two GA passes in a local contest.I wouldn't have spent $300+ for individual event passes.The first thing that anyone unfamiliar with this annual mega- event must know is that it's not for the thrifty or budget-minded patron.In addition to the pricey tickets, you've got $80-$100 daily parking, basic lodging at around $400/night, and jacked-up festival food prices.This fest could easily cost you thousands of dollars.Speaking to the financials was not trying to scare people away from the event.It's a pretty cool fest to do at least 1 time in your life and the vibe is right.Several of the people we met came a long way to attend the fest.The weather didn't cooperate this year, but it's an international and local festival.Santana, an act I've always wanted to see, was not included in Sunday's nice lineup.We didn't feel up to challenge the overflow crowds, traffic or chancing illness in the rain, mud, wind and generally yucky weather that day.Friday was perfect, but it was definitely not your typical start to Summer weather.Re-usable water bottles are required for the festival.Is that earplugs?There is a jacket for the very cool night-time temperatures.The lawn chairs, tents, canopies, flags, camcorders and professional cameras are restricted from the venue so leave them at home.The main stage acts are free for cheapskates, tight-wads and those sold out of the show.It runs next to the venue.The fest usually packs around 40,000 people a day within the venue.There are bad pre and post event traffic conditions.At least once in your lifetime, to be tried and experienced.
The Bay Area has one of the best music festivals.It's worth every penny, so seriously consider splurging on it.The Revivalists and Bruno Mars were both going to see me at my 40th birthday party.We've been to Outside Lands before, but this was our first time at Bottle Rock.It took about an hour and 30 minutes to drive up from Oakland.If you buy parking when you get your tickets, you won't have to wait until the last minute when they run out of parking.There may be time restrictions on how many hours you can park so don't get towed or ticketed if you park downtown and walk.We walked through a cute neighborhood to the festival grounds.Our tickets were purchased through the ticket exchange and we picked them up next to the main entrance.You should be prepared to stand in line for security checks.Before packing up for the day, make sure you read up on all the banned items, including outside food.You can save money on water by getting free refill at the water stations if you have an empty water bottle.This helps the environment by cutting down on waste from plastic water bottles.It won't take you long to get from one stage to another at the festival.There is a huge selection of food and alcohol.Don't try to lose weight while you're there.Off the Grid at Fort Mason has food vendors and food trucks.We were stuffed with food and sweets at the end of the day.If you are like me and porta-potties, you should save up for the extra money to get in.The porta-potties come with a flusher and the toilets remind me of airplane toilets.The men and women are separated by individual stalls.I was thankful that I didn't want to drag my pants through piss when I needed to pee.I was happy we weren't sharing the same stalls because the ladies are neater than the guys.We never waited long to use the bathroom.When the lines got long, it was just a matter of queueing up to stay orderly, but there were plenty of open stalls all day long.I waited for 5 minutes at the end of Bruno Mar's performance.We sat on the ground to be closer to the performance because there was a shaded deck but it was way from the main stage.There was a lot of seating to choose from when we got there.Bruno Mars was closing out the show at the end of the night and it was not crowded.People were a little older and more conscious of others in the VIP section.The taller men in the group decided to stand behind us so as to not block me from seeing Bruno Mars.He's cool because I'm short.The vibe was chill and laid back.When we left our blanket, no one moved it or took over our spot.The bathroom went dark at some point in the day, I think they were having issues with the power generator, but everything was back and running within an hour.If you forgot to bring anything, blankets, sun umbrellas, and sun block were available for sale.If you like the musicians for that year's lineup, I would recommend this festival to anyone.If you can afford it, I highly recommend you get VIP because you won't be slumming it in the general admissions section.Can't wait to go again next year.
I go to Bottle Rock every year.I live 8 blocks away from where I used to live.I like to have in and out privileges when I buy a 3-day pass.They seem to try to please everyone with some small acts thrown in.wineries have a shady tent with comfy furniture and I'm always entertained.It's good to chill.The Lagunitas stages are shady.The 'tweener stage is shady.The spa is not nice.If you like food, you can find a place to chill.I don't find the food expensive at all for the quality and convenience to the restaurants.
They hate you on everything that costs money.Do they need to charge more for a beer or wine?A double costs more than a bottle.Also.
It was my first visit to Bottle Rock.Had wanted to do 3 days, but only had time for 1 and was thrilled that they offered 1 day passes.The GA pass is for one day.They only have one authorized resellr for their tickets.After purchasing my ticket from StubHub, I found out that it wasn't an "authorized" reseller.I was able to get my ticket cheaper than it was originally sold for.The Silent Disco was my favorite of the bands.They have an area marked off with a DJ where you can get lost in the music if you don't know where to look.It looks like a bunch of people dancing silently without the headphones on.Food: Excellent options.There were some higher end items.The highlight was the fish taco and fried pickles.I had a great day of sun, wine, music and eats at Bottle Rock, but the lines were a bit long at times.
I attended this festival twice and I think I can review it.In 2016 and this year.I got stuck in the main stage for the first time in this festival.I was a newcomer, or whatever you want to call it.The Red Hot Chili Peppers are my favorite rock band and I had a good view of them.When I got there early, I didn't know what to expect.
The BottleRock experience seems to be very subjective.I had a great time in my first year, but I have nothing to compare it to.You will have to deal with things that aren't in your control, but that's life.Roll with it and plan accordingly.As with all things, there is room for improvement, but I thought it was excellent, particularly when you consider the enormous crowd they have to manage.The bad: - water.I can't get enough of this.They have free refill stations to keep everyone hydrated and healthy.You would have to pay for a bottle of water at most places.It helps you take better care of yourself and it helps them by reducing the number of people needing first aid for heat related issues.I can't imagine not having it in the future, my friends said it was a huge improvement from last year.It gave you a place to put a blanket and it's cleaner.You didn't hear a lot of overlap from bands because the stages were spread out.All you had to do was move closer to one or the other and it was fine.If you're not up close, you can see the huge screens throughout the venue.Not once.It was crowded on Saturday.They did a great job of keeping them clean.There were plenty of places to throw away garbage or recycle everywhere and although they were a little bit full at certain points on Saturday, they did a good job keeping up on them.It's pricey but consider if you were at a sports event.It's the same thing.There are vegan options for everyone.It is well thought out that there are different booths throughout the venue.I didn't find the lines to be long and if you look around you can find good deals.It's just a short walk to find outside dining options if you find it too expensive or you just want a break from everything.There are many places to get a drink.Beer is the best way to travel here.I love wine and I had a few glasses but even the least expensive options were tiny and overpriced while for $12 you could get a decent sized beer from a great craft brewery.If you prefer something like a Coors Light, they have that as well.Beer was more refreshing on a hot day.We were almost always able to find a place at a picnic table to sit down when I took a sip of my friends Moscow Mule.It was easy to use and I appreciated the fact that it was an official approved source.I picked up my wristband on the first day after buying my ticket online.There are a lot of employees walking around with "Ask Me" signs to help answer questions.Everyone was nice.If you get away from the crowds and call one, you can get a quick ride.Surge pricing can be an issue.Sound on the main stage seemed to be an issue.Light the portapottys better at night.I had to use my phone flashlight in my teeth to see when it was pitch black.While we were waiting to get bag checked on Sunday, I saw several people with GA wristbands step out of line and go through the VIP line which was a lot shorter.They didn't seem to be checking wristbands.The wristbands should be good for all three days.Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see the need for another check in area just to show your ID every day.I'm not sure if this is a legal issue, but the culinary stage was really loud and heavy on the product pushing.I know I get it, but I still get extra perks.I would go back.It was definitely more enjoyable for me.