If you are a student at CU, and you have a mild interest in music, chances are that you have heard about (or maybe attended) Snowball Music Festival. The second annual festival is happening again March 2-4 in Vail Valley, CO. Its safe to say that most students who attended last year claim it was the best weekend of spring semester and or the best festival they have ever been to.
Thinking about going, but can’t bring yourself to commit? Let me enlighten you with some first-hand experiences/ hopefully convince anyone on the fence to go.
1. How much are tickets?
The Earlybird tickets have already been completely sold out. The only available tickets (besides VIP) are the $150 ones. Is it worth it? Completely. If you find a cheap place to stay, and carpool with friends, the price is not bad at all for a three-day festival.
2: Who is playing? How does Snowball work?
This year, headliners include: Bassnectar (who performed last year), Beats Antique, and Boombox. The full lineup is not even announced yet, but it is guaranteed to offer something for everyone. From moombah-style Brazilian Major Lazer, to the laid back sounds of the Head and the Heart. To see the full lineup, click here.
The way the festival is set up, there is a main stage, a tent and then a small hut. The main stage features the headliners, the tent has mostly house/techno/dubstep/etc. musicians, and the hut has local players. All the tents are close together- making it easy for visitors to listen to more than one musician per set time.
3: How cold is it going to be? What do I even wear?
Since this is a winter festival (one of the only ones in America) and it is in the mountains, it is chilly. Some people wear their ski gear, while others run to the tent in their skivies. In other words, if you schedule is up in the air, you should layer.
If you are going to spend most of your time at the main stage, I would wear a winter coat, heavy snow boots and some warm pants. The hut and tent are heated and can become quite warm (especially in the tent with people dancing everywhere.)
4: Where should I stay? What happens if I stay in Beaver Creek/Vail?
Many hotels and condos offer special deals for Snowball because they know it draws in tons of tourists. When looking for hotels, make sure the hotels are in Avon, CO, not Vail, CO. Even though the show takes place in Vail Valley, it is more specifically in Avon.
One hotel I recommend is the Christie Lodge. It is in walking distance, and they offer a great deal for Snowball visitors. Since the rooms can fit lots of people (bring sleeping bags…) the stay is cheap. Contact the hotel’s website or call for deals. The Snowball website will also offer links to hotel deals closer to the event.
If you stay in a neighboring town, never fear! Shuttles go to and from Avon specifically for Snowball. However, I highly recommend staying in Avon so it is within walking distance.
5: Can I sneak in? How tough is security?
Unfortunately, no, sneaking in is not an option. My friends have tried every which way, and please just trust me on this one: don’t do it because you will fail.
In terms of security, it is pretty relaxed. Backpacks are allowed, and the search of belongings security does is minimal.