17 Under The Radar Music Festivals Happening This Summer

Not everyone can score passes to Coachella or Bonnaroo. The Glastonbury Music Festival is a reach, and tickets to Lollapalooza sold out before you had the chance to snag some. None of these are reasons to not attend an awesome music festival this summer. Your favorite artists fill their schedules with performances at the less popular festivals as well. You can camp out in the woods of the Northwest or hop from stage to stage at one of the many festivals going down on Randall's Island this summer and not miss a single minute of the summer music festival experience.

Whether you're skipping out on the megafests this year to stay closer to home or to save yourself the hassle of buying tickets at inflated prices, this list of 17 Under the Radar Music Festivals Happening This Summer gives you some awesome alternatives. Plan accordingly.

When: May 15-19
Where: Gulf Shores, AL
Tickets & Info: hangoutmusicfest.com

A music festival on the beach should be on anyone's summertime fto-do list. The first music festival to be held on the beach in Alabama, the Hangout Festival draws in crowds in the tens of thousands each year and it's obvious why. Imagine lying in a hammock while you take a nap just to be awakened by the sounds of The Roots, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Public Enemy, or The Black Crowes. How could it get any better? After 3 years of rocking the shores of Alabama, the Hangout Festival will no doubt be the most hype event to bless the Southeast in 2013.

When: May 24-27
Where: Quincy, WA
Tickets & Info: sasquatchfestival.com

There is a Sasquatch, Bigfoot, El Chupacabra, Yeti, and Cthulhu stage. How can a festival with stages named after creatures from folklore not be awesome? When you find out who performing on these stages, it just gets better. Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul will hit the Sasquatch stage. Attendees focused on the Bigfoot stage will see Odd Future's Earl Sweatshirt. The El Chupacabra stage will hear a set from Baauer. Killer Mike will bring a little bit of the Southeast to the Northwest when he performs on the Yeti stage, and Northwest hometown boys Knowmads will take the Cthulhu stage. Not to mention Mumford & Sons will be there as well. So, now you have something to do on Memorial Day Weekend.

When: May 25-27
Where: Detroit, MI
Tickets & Info: movement.us

Electronic music fans in the Midwest, get ready for Movement Electronic Music Festival which comes to Hart Plaza in Detroit on Memorial Day Weekend. Join the over 100,000 people who ventured to Detroit last year to see the art displays, get their hands on the latest tech gadgets in the interactive technology center, and turned up at all of the after parties across the city. The 2013 Movement Electronic Music Festival will bring in Detroit dance music OG Al Ester, beat-maker Gramatik, and a DJ set by none other than Moby.

When: June 1 & 2
Where: Houston, TX
Tickets & Info: fpsf.com

Texas does it big and kicks off the month of June with Free Press Summer Fest V. If you don't attend for the interactive art experiences or the fireworks display, then go to see Houston legends Geto Boys, or go to see 2Chainz kill the stage, or jam with The Postal Service, or Passion Pit, or any of the other 80+ bands. Acts are constantly being added to the festival lineup, but as is, the lineup is well worth the ticket price.

When: June 7-9
Where: Randall's Island, NYC
Tickets & Info: governorsballmusicfestival.com

So the 3-day tickets have already sold out for this NYC music festival, but shelling out the money to purchase 3 single day tickets may actually be well worth it. Just in its third year, Governor's Ball has nearly perfected the multi-genre music festival for New York City. Major acts from all over descend upon Randall's Island to rock the crowd of eager NYC festival goers. What started as a one day event that expended to two full days is now a three day festival with a 2013 lineup including Kanye West, Kings of Leon, Yeasayer, Kendrick Lamar and too many more to list here. We suggest you get on those tickets before the rest are gone.

When: June 8 & 9
Where: Detroit, MI
Tickets & Info: orionmusicandmore.com

The Midwest better prepare for the storm that the Orion Music + More Festival will bring when it comes to Detroit this June. Metallica and the Red Hot Chili Peppers will headline the event and Deftones and Bassnectar will perform as well. Not to mention more bands are being added to the lineup that already includes about 30 performances. The "More" part of the festival brings you a custom car and bike show, the Van's Damage Inc. Stage + Vert Ramp, and a Metallica museum showcasing 30+ years of the band's memorabilia. What more could you possibly want?

When: June 10-16
Where: Toronto, CA
Tickets & Info: nxne.com

SXSW has some competition with our neighbors up north. Toronto's 19 year old NXNE event is 7 days of multimedia heaven that features an almost countless number of bands, 30 film screenings, art installations, comedy shows, and more. New York natives Joey Bada$$ and Mickey Factz will be there along with the other 950 or so musicians hailing from all over the world. Looks like it's time for you to get your passports ready, eh?

When: June 21-23
Where: Dover, DE
Tickets & Info: fireflyfestival.com

Delaware is offering you a "premier music experience" this June as the Firefly Music Festival hits Dover. Feel free to rent an RV and camp out on the 87 acres of festival grounds during the 3-day festival. Along with a vast selection of dining options, you can satiate your appetite for incredible music when you witness the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Azealia Banks, Ellie Goulding, Alabama Shakes and plenty more of music's finest perform. And if that wasn't enough, you can kill your down time playing vintage arcade games in The Arcade area of the festival. There's no losing at Firefly.

When: July 4-7
Where: Quincy, CA
Tickets & Info: highsierramusic.com

Independence Day Weekend is going to be amazing for those who venture out to Quincy, CA for the High Sierra Music Festival this summer. The locally organized and grassroots centered event will feature over 50 different artists performing on 4 daytime stages and at 4 late night venues. This seems like a pretty stellar way to celebrate the 4th of July; there will never be a dull moment. It's quite customary to create imaginative customs to rock during the festivals, so make sure you join in on the dress-up fun if that's your thing.

When: July 28 & 29
Where: Seattle, WA
Tickets & Info: capitolhillblockparty.com

The state of Washington is in for something special with The Capitol Hill Block Party being held in Seattle this July. Three days and 6 stages of the most talented musicians and DJs in the nation, this event aims to cultivate "independent music and culture" by raising money for various Northwest charities and organizations. Danny Brown, El P + Killer Mike, and The Flaming Lips all came out last year and festival goers are excited to see who The Capitol Hill Block Party will bring out this summer.

When: July 28 & 29
Where: Randall's Island, NYC
Tickets & Info: catalpanyc.com

Randall's Island will welcome back the Catalpa Music Festival for a second year this summer and it is set to be another great time for the city's music lovers. With musicians representing all genres, this two day festival joins the ranks of performance events to rock Randall's Island in 2013. Not only will The Black Keys and A$AP Rocky be there, but Snoop Dogg—yes, Dogg—will perform the Doggystyle album. That's worth the 2-day ticket price alone. In addition to a reggae stage curated by High Times, Catalpa is one of those festivals you shouldn't miss out on this summer.

When: August 3
Where: Washington, DC
Tickets & Info: dctobc.com

The good people over at DC to BC ruled the East coast summer festival circuit when they brought the first Trillectro festival to the nation's capital last year. If you can't get enough hip hop, and electronic music gets you hype, this festival is sure to please you as it's the perfect amalgamation of the two genres. While we're anxiously waiting for this year's lineup to be announced, we can reminiscence about the 2012 event when D.C. native Tabi Booney touched the mic and LA's Schoolboy Q hit the stage.

When: August 9-11
Where: San Francisco, CA
Tickets & Info: sfoutsidelands.com

Folks must have been waiting with bated breath for tickets to go on sale for this year's Outside Lands Festival because pre-sale tickets and the special 3-day passes have already sold out. No worries, though, once the official lineup is announced, advance 3-day tickets will be available. Not only will the San Francisco festival include food, wine, and beer for you enjoy, but the music performances during the past five years haven't been too bad either. Last year Santigold rocked the stage and Metallica, Jack White, and Reggie Watts performed as well. That's a hard roster to top, but we're sure Outside Lands can do it.

When: August 24 & 25
Where: Brooklyn, NYC
Tickets & Info: afropunkfest.com

Started in 2005 by the Afro-Punk Movement, the 9th annual Afro-Punk Festival is set to take place in Brooklyn's Commodore Barry Park this August. A two day event attended by all the cool kids whose identities span cultures, aesthetics, and musical genres, if the past years' events were any indication of what to expect in 2013, you're in for a good time. The 2012 roster included acts such as Alice Smith, Gym Class Heroes, TV on the Radio, Das Racist, and Erykah Badu. Although you won't have to shell out any money to attend the shows, you do have to RSVP for access, so hit up their website to get on the list.

When: August 30-September 1
Where: Chicago, IL
Tickets & Info: northcoastfestival.com

Though we're still patiently waiting for the 2013 lineup to drop, the Windy City is all ready for its 4th North Coast Music Festival. Last year, Big Boi, Umphrey McGee's, Thundercat, and Knife Party rolled through, so we're pretty confident NCMF will bring the same type of heat this summer. Not only is NCMF a chance for the community to unite and vibe together, another primary focus of this festival is to give back to the community. This year NCMF is partnering with the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago to help implement programs that empower and educate Chicago youth.

When: August 31-September 2
Where: Seattle, WA
Tickets & Info: bumbershoot.org

Seattle welcomes the 42nd annual Bumbershoot Music + Arts Festival this year. During Labor Day weekend, artists of all mediums flock to the Seattle Center to share their work with over 100,000 festival goers. Whether you're into film, live poetry, dance, or the visual arts, there is definitely something for you to experience along with the amazing musicians who show up to rock the crowd. This year's lineup will be announced soon, but a festival that featured Big Sean, Skrillex, and Yelawolf last year is sure to come through with great talent in 2013.

When: August 30-September 1
Where: Randall's Island, NYC
Tickets & Info: madeevent.com

This year's New York Electronic Music Festival, Electric Zoo, is coming through Randall's Island Labor Day Weekend. The 24 acre green space will feature some of the world's greatest electronic music acts on two main stages with additional performances taking place on three additional stages. Five years in the festival game, five stages to celebrate. It's only right. David Guetta, Steve Aoki, Bassnectar, Benny Banassi, plus many more will grace the stages at Electric Zoo this year. You should be there to witness this.