I know this is about 2 weeks overdue. I still have great memories from that 10 day long music festival. I was there 9 out of the 10. The amount of music easily lived up to the name. I found it impossible to see every band on my list for more than a half hour.
Basically, every day I arrived, I walked through the north side. Taking pictures and stopping by various musicians / bands. The main focus was on capturing as much of the event as possible. Trying my best to place you there vs. just watching it. I decided to save the fireworks for this article. I want to tell you what I still remember. Give you the downsides. Oh, and you may want to start planning a trip to the Lehigh Valley in August of next year. Musikfest is something worth experiencing at least one time in your life. One of the events already on my calendar for 2014, even though there is not a set date yet.
Starting with the memories...
This one may sound really strange, but the part I remember above everything is talking to a Bethlehem Police Officer. I was walking to the south side on opening night. I saw an officer blocking off Lehigh St. The conversation? "Ready for 10 days of complete chaos?" Officer: "I thought I was supposed to be telling you that!" We both laughed. :) I don't know why, but this this short conversation is something I will remember for the next several years.
Again, the Bethlehem Police Department was involved in this one. Watching the wall of mounted police clearing Main St. for the first time. It just looked beautiful and wild. Horses walking up the street, shoulder to shoulder. Oh, in case you are curious, I did not hear about or observe any major incidents. I spoke to an officer half-way through the festival and he confirmed this.
More memories: The lead singer from tribute band, Idol Kings, getting out into the crowd during the show. The place? Levitt Pavilion. Being in the ocean of people Friday and Saturday nights on the north side. Just talking to people and finding out why they come to Musikfest. Answers included: "It's a tradition. To see one band. The music. Something to do." The volunteers and staff who are the people making the entire festival happen. I asked one of the staff parking attendants about why he did it. He informed me the volunteers really deserve the credit. They were not getting paid for helping out. The Texas Tourism exhibit: great interactivity with the passport side. I loved it! The blacksmith demonstrations: Literally taking you back to pre-modern technology / machine made society. Nature provided the perfect memory. After the fireworks were finished. Musikfest still had about 30 minutes left. A hard down pour let people know it was over for 2013. The timing on it was just perfect and added that special touch. Yes, I did get caught in it.
Specific performances I still remember? The Idol Kings: crowd interaction. Holly Williams: her voice was amazing! Dear Anna at Matchplatz: again, crowd interaction the most. The Mummy's: crowd interaction and stage show. They approached the stage through the crowd. These are just the top of my list!
A Very Special and Huge Thank You to Chris Andrew and the crew from WXLV (LCCC online radio station). Charging my phone under the tent saved my ass on more than one occasion. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of the WXLV experience also!
The downsides:
Ok, most of the food was expensive. On the flip side, you didn't spend more than restaurant prices. The places I stopped by gave you a good value for the money. Examples include: Bethlehem Dairy for the Apple Dumpling / Ice Cream; it overfilled a Styrofoam burger container and had a full apple inside. Musikfest Cafe, even the Barvarian Pretzel rods were easily worth the $3.00. I saw the size of their $9.00 chessesteak. You had better be seriously hungry for that one! Drink prices included: $3.00 for water / soda to $5.00 - $7.00 range for alcohol depending on if you purchased a mug.
Restrooms: On the north side, they could have had a few more spread out. I was informed by someone the reason they are not is actually for security. At the end of each night, it's easier to patrol and check the 3 locations vs. having to stop by several. Makes sense to me, but it is still a minor downside.
Overall, I know this one may sound very minor at first. Tech friendly is always a serious point with me. Other than ArtsQuest on the south side, I did not detect any wifi available. North side had 2 charging stations provided by vendors / sponsors. South side had ArtsQuest.
I realize this is, primarily, a music festival. There was a section for arts / artists. A little more attention could have been placed on this aspect. After the festival was over, a friend told me they walked past it several times without even taking notice. They were completely sober. Even in the program / booklet, the arts has only 2 pages and only a slight emphasis.
Before I forget about the most important thing I learned from Musikfest. The festival is not only about Bethlehem showing everyone what the city has. The entire Lehigh Valley does the same. In addition to Musikfest, especially on the weekends, there was so much happening in the entire area.
Overall experience / recommendation:
Next year, A Valley and Beyond will be covering the event from the first day of setup to tear down. I loved every moment I was there! Several bands from other states and areas did great shows. Even though I was figuring out how to cover it on the fly; I learned for next year.
If you have a chance, seriously, head to Musikfest in 2014. The vendors / music / arts / food / beverages are worth the trip. The experience of crowd and interactive displays add the extra edge. Starting in January, check the website for dates. Place it on your calendar. Make reservations. Head to the Bethlehem / Allentown / Easton / Lehigh Valley, Pa area. While you are at Musikfest, take a break for a few hours and explore everything else in the area. You may find other, unique, experiences you will never forget.
Last Musikfest 2013 tip. Make reservations early. Almost every hotel within a 20 mile radius will be booked solid if you wait to the last minute. I am very serious.
Interested? Check the photos / video clips here to really get a feeling of being there!
Basically, every day I arrived, I walked through the north side. Taking pictures and stopping by various musicians / bands. The main focus was on capturing as much of the event as possible. Trying my best to place you there vs. just watching it. I decided to save the fireworks for this article. I want to tell you what I still remember. Give you the downsides. Oh, and you may want to start planning a trip to the Lehigh Valley in August of next year. Musikfest is something worth experiencing at least one time in your life. One of the events already on my calendar for 2014, even though there is not a set date yet.
Starting with the memories...
This one may sound really strange, but the part I remember above everything is talking to a Bethlehem Police Officer. I was walking to the south side on opening night. I saw an officer blocking off Lehigh St. The conversation? "Ready for 10 days of complete chaos?" Officer: "I thought I was supposed to be telling you that!" We both laughed. :) I don't know why, but this this short conversation is something I will remember for the next several years.
Again, the Bethlehem Police Department was involved in this one. Watching the wall of mounted police clearing Main St. for the first time. It just looked beautiful and wild. Horses walking up the street, shoulder to shoulder. Oh, in case you are curious, I did not hear about or observe any major incidents. I spoke to an officer half-way through the festival and he confirmed this.
More memories: The lead singer from tribute band, Idol Kings, getting out into the crowd during the show. The place? Levitt Pavilion. Being in the ocean of people Friday and Saturday nights on the north side. Just talking to people and finding out why they come to Musikfest. Answers included: "It's a tradition. To see one band. The music. Something to do." The volunteers and staff who are the people making the entire festival happen. I asked one of the staff parking attendants about why he did it. He informed me the volunteers really deserve the credit. They were not getting paid for helping out. The Texas Tourism exhibit: great interactivity with the passport side. I loved it! The blacksmith demonstrations: Literally taking you back to pre-modern technology / machine made society. Nature provided the perfect memory. After the fireworks were finished. Musikfest still had about 30 minutes left. A hard down pour let people know it was over for 2013. The timing on it was just perfect and added that special touch. Yes, I did get caught in it.
Specific performances I still remember? The Idol Kings: crowd interaction. Holly Williams: her voice was amazing! Dear Anna at Matchplatz: again, crowd interaction the most. The Mummy's: crowd interaction and stage show. They approached the stage through the crowd. These are just the top of my list!
A Very Special and Huge Thank You to Chris Andrew and the crew from WXLV (LCCC online radio station). Charging my phone under the tent saved my ass on more than one occasion. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of the WXLV experience also!
The downsides:
Ok, most of the food was expensive. On the flip side, you didn't spend more than restaurant prices. The places I stopped by gave you a good value for the money. Examples include: Bethlehem Dairy for the Apple Dumpling / Ice Cream; it overfilled a Styrofoam burger container and had a full apple inside. Musikfest Cafe, even the Barvarian Pretzel rods were easily worth the $3.00. I saw the size of their $9.00 chessesteak. You had better be seriously hungry for that one! Drink prices included: $3.00 for water / soda to $5.00 - $7.00 range for alcohol depending on if you purchased a mug.
Restrooms: On the north side, they could have had a few more spread out. I was informed by someone the reason they are not is actually for security. At the end of each night, it's easier to patrol and check the 3 locations vs. having to stop by several. Makes sense to me, but it is still a minor downside.
Overall, I know this one may sound very minor at first. Tech friendly is always a serious point with me. Other than ArtsQuest on the south side, I did not detect any wifi available. North side had 2 charging stations provided by vendors / sponsors. South side had ArtsQuest.
I realize this is, primarily, a music festival. There was a section for arts / artists. A little more attention could have been placed on this aspect. After the festival was over, a friend told me they walked past it several times without even taking notice. They were completely sober. Even in the program / booklet, the arts has only 2 pages and only a slight emphasis.
Before I forget about the most important thing I learned from Musikfest. The festival is not only about Bethlehem showing everyone what the city has. The entire Lehigh Valley does the same. In addition to Musikfest, especially on the weekends, there was so much happening in the entire area.
Overall experience / recommendation:
Next year, A Valley and Beyond will be covering the event from the first day of setup to tear down. I loved every moment I was there! Several bands from other states and areas did great shows. Even though I was figuring out how to cover it on the fly; I learned for next year.
If you have a chance, seriously, head to Musikfest in 2014. The vendors / music / arts / food / beverages are worth the trip. The experience of crowd and interactive displays add the extra edge. Starting in January, check the website for dates. Place it on your calendar. Make reservations. Head to the Bethlehem / Allentown / Easton / Lehigh Valley, Pa area. While you are at Musikfest, take a break for a few hours and explore everything else in the area. You may find other, unique, experiences you will never forget.
Last Musikfest 2013 tip. Make reservations early. Almost every hotel within a 20 mile radius will be booked solid if you wait to the last minute. I am very serious.
Interested? Check the photos / video clips here to really get a feeling of being there!
