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This week, we wrote about Lake La Quinta Inn in California’s expansive Coachella Valley. Naturally, we found ourselves a little disappointed, as we were too late to attend the area’s renowned outdoor music festival (aptly named the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival).
Good thing it’s still April, because that means we have a whole summer’s worth of festivals to take advantage of, the world over. So, on that note, here are a few events we think are worth checking out.
Photos courtesy of Lollapalooza, Glastonbury, NXNE and Life Is Good
Newport Jazz and Newport Folk Festivals: Technically these are two festivals, but for two glorious weekends every summer The Fort Adams State Park in beautiful coastal Rhode Island turns into an internationally renowned celebration of some of this country’s oldest genres. This year’s folk fest features giants like Feist, The Avett Brothers and the Lumineers, while the Jazz lineup later in the summer presents Grammy winners Chick Corea and Esperanza Spaulding.
Lollapalooza: As one of the United States’ biggest and most anticipated festivals each year, the Chicago-based Lollapalooza is a welcome destination for those trying to avoid the standard campout festivals. So head to Chicago this year, check out an eclectic lineup (spanning from Mumford & Sons to The Cure to Queens of the Stone Age) and grab yourself a hotel room to spend a little non-festival time exploring the rest of the Windy City.
Glastonbury: Boasting about 150,000 attendees per day (that’s right, per day), this epic England fixture turns plenty of heads each year. This time around, headliners include Arctic Monkeys, The Rolling Stones, Public Enemy and Phoenix (among many, many others). Talk about an excuse for a trip to Europe.
NXNE: The Canadian counterpart to Austin’s SXSW music and film fest, this northern display of entertainment requires very little explanation to attract droves of international film, music and art lovers alike. Sure, there are your standard music headliners (this year: Social Distortion, Big Boi, and the National) but the city-wide event also debuts indie films and modern art exhibitions.
Life is Good Festival: While it may not garner the armies of attendees like some of the others, this festival proves its worth in a much different way. Organized by the lifestyle brand of the same name, this festival puts all of its proceeds (yes, 100% of its profit) toward the Life is Good Playmakers charity to help kids in need. While they haven’t announced the lineup this year, with past acts including Dave Matthews Band, Sara Bareilles and Ben Harper & Relentless 7, this is definitely a can’t-miss opportunity to give a little back to the community.
