With the completion of the annual Gasparilla Pirate Fest in Tampa, Florida, it is officially (according to me) the start of the Spring 2014 Festival season. Every year the United States is home to some of the largest festivals in the world ranging from music festivals to garlic festivals to anything in between. While many of the festivals like Lollapalooza and Burning Man are held out of state and cost several hundreds to thousands of dollars to attend, there is hope. There are many festivals that are held in Florida, which students are able to get to, with prices that can range from $15 to $400.
- The Florida Strawberry Festival
Located in Plant City, Florida, the festival lasts from February 27th to March 9th . Not only is there live entertainment every day of the festival, the Strawberry Festival also includes many old school attractions. These acts include dog shows, pig races, and the annual beauty pageant that ends in the crowning of the Florida Strawberry Festival Queen. The Music headliners include Rascal Flatts, The Band Perry, Boys II Men, Kellie Pickler, and STYX with ticket prices ranging from $15 to $40. The complete lineup can be found at http://www.flstrawberryfestival.com/.
- Ultra Music Festival
The center of EDM music and culture, the Ultra Music Festival will be one of the biggest EDM events of the year. Phase one will be held on March 28th, 29th, and 30th in downtown Miami. Currently the festival has only released its Phase 1 headliners, which include popular acts like Afrojack, Avicii, David Guetta, Kaskade, Krewella, Zed, MGMT, M.I.A., and many other DJs and performers. The VIP 3 day combo for Phase 1 has sold out but for general admission 3 day passes are on sale for $399.95. More information about the festival and its lineup can be found at http://www.ultramusicfestival.com/home.
- Wanee Festival
Probably one of the festivals located closest to FSU (only a little over an hour away), the Wanee Festival is celebrating its 10 year anniversary from April 10th-12th in Live Oak, Florida. Headliners for this year include The Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Currently, regular admission tickets are on sale for $195. More information including the entire line up can be found at http://www.waneefestival.com/.
- SunFest
One of the highlights of the Palm Beach festival scene is the SunFest Music Festival. Taking over the downtown West Palm Beach area, this festival is held from April 30th to May 4th right next to the Intracoastal. While SunFest has yet to release the 2014 lineup, the 2013 lineup included acts like Phillip Phillips, Yellowcard, Ed Sheeran, and even held a Life in Color show. Tickets are available online ranging from $30 to $71 depending on how many days you want to go. Find out more information at http://www.sunfest.com/.
- Big Guava Music Festival
Closing out the Spring Festival is the Big Guava Music Festival located in Tampa, Florida. The festival will last from May 2nd to the 4th and its headliners include Outkast, Vampire Weekend, Foster the People, Slightly Stoopid, Tegan and Sara, and many more. General admission three day passes are currently $165 and the Super Guava passes are $499. Find all the acts and more information at www.bigguavafest.com.