Berkeley Parents Network: Music Festivals

Berkeley Parents Network

Music Festivals

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Places to Go > Music Festivals

High Sierra Music Festival - Good for little kids?
Taking a child to the Strawberry Music Festival
See also: Burning Man with Kids

High Sierra Music Festival- Good for little kids?

April 2006

We have a pass to the High Sierra Music Festival happening in Quincy this June and would love to hear about anyone's experience. We are two adults, a seven and a three y.o. Was it a good experience for the kids? Too crowded? Too smokey? Too loud? Too too?! Is there good swimming on the grounds? Enough showers? Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance. Not with the band

My husband and I attended High Sierra Music Festival twice before kids and loved it; we went last year, and will wait another year or so before going again when the kids are a little older--but I think your kids at their ages (and you parents) would have a blast. It felt very ''child-friendly''; dedicated kid-music stage all day, activities and play area for the kids; lots of families. We had no interest in camping on site (seemed a shame with such beautiful wilderness all around to camp in a parking lot), so we opted to drive in each day from a campground near Buck's Lake http://www.plumascounty.org/Camping/BucksLake.htm We had a great time camping there-it was beautiful and only about a 20-30 minute pleasant drive into the festival. Our problem was that both kids still needed naps during the day, so it was logistically not very easy to coordinate that with coming and going to the festival. Hope that helps! Lynn

My husband and I went with our daughter the last two years (3 months and 15 months). It's a great place and you can totally create your own experience. Some of the stages are loud, so we just stayed in the very back where my daughter could play and dance. But there are 4 stages so you are guarunteed to find a kind of music/volume that you like. I saw lots of kids there having a blast. There is a pool right outside the gates and we went there every day for a couple hours to get out of the heat. Showers exist, but there are lines. I showered at the pool cause it didn't take as long, or if you are up early with kids the lines aren't that bad. It's a fun way for me and my husband to hear music, see our friends and spend time with our daughter. Go for it . sirena

I'm not with the band, either, but I've been going to High Sierra for 9 years. In fact, up until this year, my husband and I have worked or volunteered for the festival because we love it so much. We even spent our honeymoon there! That said, we only started taking our daughter last year when she was 2 1/2. We decided to wait because she was a bad napper and a very ''spirited'' baby and toddler. We were afraid that the noise at night would freak her out or that she would wake everyone else at 5AM. Here's my experience of HSMF with a child:

Get a car pass or else you'll have to cart the kids and all of your stuff on a bus from the lot to the festival. Camp in the Shady Grove family area furthest from the main stage: it's shady and quieter at night. Bring a wagon (or bikes)for transporting stuff all over the festival. If you can, bring an extra adult so that you and your spouse can have some alone time for the night shows. There's a kids' area with programs (and clowns)all day long, as well as a parade. The pool is right next to the fairgrounds (near Shady Grove), but it gets crowded, so be prepared for standing in line. Kids have a great time, and festival folks LOVE kids. Some considerations, though...The late- night shows can go until 4AM sometimes, and the woodmill next door goes all night, so it's not a silent night. Also, you should be comfortable having your kids around partying people...because they're everywhere! HSMF is not as family- friendly as Strawberry, but if your kids like music, they'll have a good time. Unfortunately for me, my daughter loved everything EXCEPT the music last year! See ya there! Dawn

Taking a child to the Strawberry Music Festival

March 2005

We are planning to go to the Strawberry Music Festival over Labor Day weekend this year. We have never been before and are taking our 7-year old son along. I understand that the festival is very spread out, with lots of different camping areas and activity areas. I would like to find out which areas are the best for camping with a child. Is there such thing as a ''quiet'' area? Also, what advice do you have for what to bring? Do most people cook or buy food there? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Yvonne

Strawberry is MADE FOR KIDS! There are plenty of camping areas that are fairly quiet. Just look for an area that has lots of families and it will be pretty quiet. We always try to stay near hidden meadow loop. During the day the lake area is filled with kids activities and the music is nearly always enchanting to the kids while it's on at the main stage. This is my six and a half year olds 5th festival upcoming and he looks forward to it all year long. I hope you're planning on going with a couple of other families as this makes it even more enjoyable, you can share child care etc... THis is by far the best kid friendly multi day music festival experience that I've attended in the country. Enjoy? love strawberry!

Strawberry is a great place for kids. There are kid activities for all ages, including lots of art and make-it-yourself activities for the 7 year old, storytime, songtime, a beach, and a lake. However there is really no such thing as a ''quiet zone'', except by agreement of a few people camping together. It is considered pretty much OK to have music jams late into the night. These are never obnoxious in the wild party sense... but the better the music the more likely it is to keep going. Food is readily available for purchase, pretty good, and not so painfully expensive. Many many people visit Strawberry every year, camp with the same group in the same traditional spot, and cook great food. Bryce

We've been taking our Daughter to Strawberry since she was an infant. When you go in, veer to the left toward the store and camp in the area behind the store. It's near a playground and not too far from the lake. This area is more quiet than the areas closer to the stage, but you can never be guaranteed a quiet camping spot. Part of the charm of Strawberry is people getting together and jamming on acoustical instruments late into the night. Think of it as live lullabies. The food for sale there is fine. To make things easy, we usually just bring lunch and snack food and buy the rest. As for what to bring: DO prepare to rain!! It doesn't always happen, but if it does, you'll be MUCH happier if you came prepared. mmann

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