10 Lesser-Known Music Festivals You Should Know

It’s that time of the year again, folks—the beginning of festival season! For those unaware of the term, each year from around April to September, some of the biggest, loudest, and trendiest musical acts in the world descend upon polo fields, campgrounds, parks, and amphitheaters across the country, delivering to music lovers of all ages the weekend of their lives. For some, music festivals are an overpriced anxiety attack. For others, they’re viewed as the best bang for your buck when it comes to seeing your favorite bands all in one place over an unforgettable weekend.

Festival season is often kicked off with Coachella, the crown jewel fest of the West Coast held in Indio, Calif., every April, while other notable summer festivals include Washington’s Sasquatch over Memorial Day Weekend, Tennessee’s Bonnaroo, and Las Vegas’ Electric Daisy Carnivalin June, as well as Chicago’s Lollapalooza at the end of July. But what about the lesser-known festivals throughout the country? Here’s a list of 10 that you may want to check out if you’ve already been to (or aren’t interested in) the five mentioned above. Happy end of winter, and an even happier festival season to you all!

Location: Memphis, Tenn.

Date: May 1-3

Lineup: Ed Sheeran, Wilco, Pixies, the Flaming Lips, the Avett Brothers, Ryan Adams, St. Vincent

Price: $105

Taking place in the 25-acre riverfront Tom Lee Park, Memphis’ Beale Street Music Festival marks its 39th anniversary with yet another great lineup. Situated between its historic namesake and the mighty Mississippi River, this festival offers great music, breathtaking scenery, and memorable Memphis barbecue. With a lineup leaning more toward rock, blues, soul, and folk, the three-day festival’s $105 ticket is less than a third of most top-tier festival prices. And did I mention the Memphis barbecue? Because it bears repeating.

Location: Gulf Shores, Ala.

Date: May 15-17

Lineup: Foo Fighters, Sam Smith, Beck, Skrillex, My Morning Jacket, Spoon, TV on the Radio

Price: $280

We all know about the crystal-clear oceans in Hawaii. And California’s beaches are tough to beat. Even the Jersey Shore had its moment in the sun. But what about the Gulf Coast? Every May in Gulf Shores, the Hangout Music Festival puts the lush Alabama beachfront town on the map—2015 is no exception. In its sixth year, and first under a new joint venture with Coachella’s Goldenvoice, Hangout Fest boasts a lineup comparable to several major festivals. The three-day party features six stages of music and over 70 bands all on the beach! Barring any oil spills, Hangout looks to be one of the top American festivals of the season and future summers to come.

Location: Bradley, Calif.

Date: May 21-25

Lineup: Flume, SBTRKT, Odesza, RL Grime, Tycho, Panda Bear, AlunaGeorge

Price: $300

To many Coachella attendees, the notorious Do Lab stage/installation can either serve as a home base, a cool-down respite, or the loud dance area they never found time to investigate. Regardless of which category you might fit under, Lightning in a Bottle, the Do Lab’s five-day festival over Memorial Day Weekend, operates as the California camp-out dance party of all dance parties. With 2015 marking its 10th anniversary, and second year outside of Southern California at the San Antonio Recreation Area in Bradley, Calif., the festival’s impressive lineup is just the tip of the neon iceberg. LIB also features guest speakers, a plethora of art installations, and yoga/meditation classes.

Location: Kingston Downs, Ga.

Date: May 22-24

Lineup: Knife Party, Widespread Panic, the Roots, Dillon Francis, Zedd, Chet Faker

Price: $175

An hour northwest of Atlanta, you’ll find Kingston Downs, home to the Atlanta Steeplechase horse race for the past 20 years, and most recently home to the CounterPoint Music and Arts Festival. Spread across 5,000 acres of North Georgia hills and surrounded by flowing rivers with views of the Appalachian Mountains, CounterPoint’s fourth year looks to be another great one. The three-day festival celebrates music (dance, jam, and hip-hop) over three stages, as well as art, with various installations throughout the scenic venue. While Georgia has several different festivals to offer (Shaky Knees, TomorrowWorld, A3C), CounterPoint looks to be sticking around for the long haul.

Location: Napa Valley, Calif.

Date: May 29-31

Lineup: No Doubt, Robert Plant, the Avett Brothers, Foster the People, Passion Pit, Snoop Dogg, Public Enemy

Price: $300

During the end of May in Wine Country, you can catch one of the oddest music festival lineups of the year. Priding itself on a consistently broad-spanning collection of musical talent, BottleRock has become a lineup that’s always worth checking out. Last year’s roster featured a mix of classic rock acts (the Cure and Heart), ’90s nostalgia bands (Third Eye Blind, Smash Mouth, Sublime, and Blues Traveler), and hip-hop purist favorites (OutKast, De La Soul, and LL Cool J). While 2015’s lineup isn’t nearly as bizarre, it certainly features a strong group of artists for all ages, including No Doubt, Robert Plant, and Snoop Dogg. This year will also introduce BottleRock’s new fifth stage, dedicated solely to the chefs, sommeliers, and winemakers of the fest. Between the wine, weather, and music, Napa’s BottleRock offers a tempting alternative to the common festival formula.

Location: Columbia, Md.

Date: May 30-31

Lineup: Kendrick Lamar, Billy Idol, Calvin Harris, the Weeknd, Pixies, Phantogram

Price: $175

Northeastern health-fast-food chain Sweetgreen describes music as an “essential part” of their DNA. This led them to throw their first Sweetlife Festival in 2010 in the parking lot behind their Dupont Circle store location. Now boasting nearly 30 restaurant locations, the festival’s sixth rendition has grown from a 500-person gathering into a 23,000-attendee fest. Sweetlife offers over 25 artists within the prestigious Merriweather Post Pavilion, home to Sweetlife since 2011. In addition to the two headliners a day (2014 featured Lana Del Rey and Foster the People), various local artists will also perform. Finally, expect great food from Sweetgreen culinary partners including various food trucks, local restaurants, farmers, and renowned chefs.

Location: Ozark, Ark.

Date: June 4-7

Lineup: Major Lazer, the Roots, Thievery Corporation, STS9, Umphree’s McGee, Big Gigantic, Chance the Rapper

Price: $180

Derived from the Native American term for “ass-deep,” 2015 marks Wakarusa’s 12th year within the beautiful Ozark woods of Mulberry Mountain. This year’s lineup is one for ravers, hippies, and hip-hop heads alike. Spanning over four days, six stages, and upward of 150 acts, this festival experience is “created by music lovers, for music lovers.” Past headliners have included the Flaming Lips, Dispatch, and Primus, as Wakarusa prides itself to be “where music meets Mother Nature.” They have a point, too, unless you can name another festival that offers on-site waterfall hikes.

Location: Houston, Texas

Date: June 6-7

Lineup: Skrillex, R. Kelly, Weezer, Major Lazer, St. Vincent, Flume, Belle and Sebastian, Chance the Rapper, Tears for Fears

Ticket Price: $170

In its seventh year, Houston’s two-day Free Press Summer Festival features an impressively diverse lineup. In addition to the rock, dance, and hip-hop fare that have become status quo among summer festivals, FPSF 2015 has the distinct privilege of hosting festival wildcards R. Kelly and Tears for Fears. Another landmark 2015 performance to look forward to is the return of the “Welcome to Houston” set (2014’s hallmark performance) featuring Southern rap staples Bun B, Scarface, Devin the Dude, Z-Ro, Lil’ Flip, Slim Thug, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, and many more. Expect all of this and plenty more hometown love on the Buffalo Bayou in Eleanor Tinsley Park.

Location: Louisville, Ky.

Date: July 17-19

Lineup: Sam Smith, My Morning Jacket, Widespread Panic, Modest Mouse, Tweedy, the Tallest Man on Earth, First Aid Kit

Price: $185

Originating in 2002 as a small get-together of local musicians, artists, and activists, Louisville’s Forecastle Festival grew exponentially each year. In 2010, the festival moved to its latest home, the 85-acre Louisville Waterfront Park, where it now attracts around 75,000 music lovers a year. While it often receives spots on lists of the best festivals in the country, Forecastle still seems to go unnoticed by the mainstream each year within the pool of other big-name festivals. Last year’s headliners included OutKast, Jack White, and Beck, while this year you can expect predominantly rock-leaning acts. But let’s not forget Forecastle’s fourth headliner, the Bourbon Lodge—an air-conditioned rickhouse-meets-speakeasy where attendees can sample more than 20 Kentucky bourbons. What more could you ask for from a Kentucky music festival?

Location: Birmingham, Ala.

Date: July 18-19

Lineup: Modest Mouse, Band of Horses, Primus, Cage the Elephant, Young the Giant, Tyler the Creator, Purity Ring, St. Paul and the Broken Bones

Price: $105

In its inaugural year, Birmingham’s Sloss Music and Arts Festival will take place over two days at Sloss Furnaces—a pig iron-producing blast furnace site that operated from 1882-1971, now preserved and restored as a National Historic Landmark. The people behind such festivals as Bonnaroo and Beale Street Music Fest are offering a new, one-of-a-kind music festival experience. Featuring three stages with over 30 acts ranging across rock, Americana, folk, hip-hop, and electronica, Sloss presents an alternative festival environment compared to Gulf Shores, Alabama’s beachfront Hangout Fest. A selection of craft beer will be sold, as well as a food court curated by Jim N’ Nick’s BBQ. And look out for an additional headliner announcement in the coming weeks.