Finding Sasquatch

 

Today I want to talk to you about one of my favorite yearly traditions, Sasquatch! Music Festival.

 

 

If my friends are reading this, chances are they are rolling their eyes. I tend to make everything I love a yearly tradition, for what I think is an obvious reason, because I love having things to look forward to! That, and I have the most serious case of FOMO that I’ve ever encountered. Seriously, while I was in Paris my friends all went to see a movie together at the Cinebarre, and despite the fact that I was in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, I was still a little bummed that I missed the movie (seriously, what is wrong with me!?)

 

 

Anyways, I digress. I’m here to talk to you about Sasquatch.

 

 

There are about one thousand awesome things about this music festival, but I’ll start with the most basic, which is the location. Sasquatch is held at the Gorge Amphitheater, in the central part of Washington. For those unfamiliar with The Gorge, it’s a massive natural amphitheater located in the Columbia Gorge Canyon. Not only are you treated to whatever event you are there for, but you also get some AMAZING views of the Columbia River, the actual gorge, and the surrounding cliffs. They offer campsites on the property too, so you get to enjoy the view basically 24/7 if you choose to camp (which I always do!)

 

 

Since we are on the topic of camping, let’s talk about that! The thing about camping for events at The Gorge, is that you basically have to just accept that you are going to be a dusty, grimy mess, and living in cramped quarters for the duration of the event. Think big grassy field of a parking lot with tents in between the rows of cars. However, this ends up being one of the best parts about camping there. Sasquatch in particular is known for having an amazingly chill, friendly crowd. When you are camping in that close of proximity to your neighbors, and you all have something in common (you are there to see some great bands and “play music festival” for the weekend) you end up making friends with the people around you! I’ve formed friendships that have lasted for years with our campground neighbors. One of them even traveled all the way from Florida to attend my wedding (actually, he has traveled out here twice for weddings from our Sasquatch family. What a guy!). It’s kind of a communal vibe where everyone hangs out, plays lawn games, and gushes about their favorite acts. I absolutely love it. It should be noted, that if camping isn’t your thing, there are a few towns nearby with hotels that you can stay in!

 

 

Of course, we can’t talk about a music festival on a fashion blog without mentioning festival fashion. Festival fashion is one of my favorite things. As a lover of all excuses to dress up, this part of festival culture is definitely my jam. Apparently it is a ton of other people’s too, because there are some seriously fantastic outfits meandering around The Gorge. I’m not kidding when I say this is one of my favorite parts though. I shop for things to wear to Sasquatch all year. I’ve had this particular Free People dress in my closet, waiting to accompany me for the last two years (we didn’t go last year, so I had to save it)! I think by now it’s pretty obvious that I love boho style, and I feel like music festivals are the best place to go over the top, and show that off. When packing for Sasquatch, I usually end up bringing two outfits for each day that I am there. The reason for this is that 1) I have a huge problem with commitment, and it causes me to over pack, and 2) the difference in the weather during the day, and the weather at night is insane. Late May in Central Washington is usually anywhere from 75-100 degrees during the day, but at night temperatures can drop all the way down to freezing! Usually the day time look is the one that I have the most fun with. Night time is all about staying warm for me, so fashion comes second to practicality.

 

 

Ok, last but not least, the music! I mean, obviously that’s the core reason that everyone is there, because “music festival”. Sasquatch doesn’t tend to have the larger than life acts of larger festivals, this by no means implies that it has a lackluster lineup though. They tend to book lots of indie, electronic, and hip hop acts. There are definitely a few big acts, this year we had LCD Soundsystem (yaaaasss!), Chance the Rapper, Twenty-One Pilots, and The Shins (also yaaaasss!). Some of my favorite past headliners are The Postal Service, Modest Mouse, Vampire Weekend, Cage the Elephant, Macklemore, Outkast, and THE Robert Plant (seriously, what an honor!). Headliners aside, the real gems of the Sasquatch lineup always end up being in the undercard. People tend to buy tickets for the big name acts that they know, then come away having discovered a ton of great new bands that they had never heard of before. Every year I go, I end up discovering so much great new music. My favorite new music discovery was probably Portugal the Man in 2014, they quickly became one of my favorite bands!

 

 

Honestly, I could ramble on for pages and pages about all the reasons why I love this festival, so I should probably cut myself off here. Basically the gist of this post is this; if you are looking for a music festival in the Pacific Northwest (or at all really) you NEED to check out Sasquatch. The music is on point, you couldn’t ask for a better location, and the vibe is unbeatable. It’s my favorite thing that I do every year, and for good reason.

 

 

 

In this look:
Dress: Dress is Free People and sold out | Similar: one, two
Necklace: Necklace is an Enlightened Longhorn from the amazing Soulfully Adorned
Bralette: Bralette is  by Honeydew, sold out | Similar: one, two 
Shoes: Saltwater Sandals
Hat: My hat is the Brixton Wesley hat

Photo credit goes to my husband, Nick.
Photos of the Gorge (because for some reason I didn’t take a good one) are from gorgecamping.com

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And just as a bonus, here is my Sasquatch family this year!