Buckle up because Chilifest ain’t that far away and it’s time to prepare for a wild weekend.
Chilifest is a two-day country and rock music festival in Snook, Texas where people from all over Texas come enjoy some chili and live music. This year’s festival is from March 31 to April 1. For anyone whose ever attended the festival, they know Chilifest is known for their eccentric atmosphere full of wild college students and even crazier parties.
Fraternities from Aggieland construct themed out Builds, which are individual structures each frat puts together, and people with wristbands/tickets have access to free drinks and food. Friday and Saturday consist of two full days of dressing up, getting dirty, drinking, and having a good time.
Chilifest can be overwhelming to anyone who hasn’t been to the festival before and I’m here to share some tips on how to survive and navigate Chilifest.
What to wear
When it comes to choosing an outfit for this music festival, it’s better to wear pieces of clothing and shoes you don’t mind getting dirty with mud, which is common in the Builds.
Usually on the first day, people wear the provided shirts from whichever fraternity they bought their tickets from. The standard fit to pair the t-shirt with are jean shorts, boots, a fanny pack, and sunglasses. Most people cut up their shirts and redesign them into more fashionable clothings, or for some people, less coverage.
Day two is theme day. This day consists of dressing the theme of your fraternity’s Build. Examples of this can be toga outfits, Hawaiian shirts, bikinis, glittery makeup, ski mask, grass skirts, coconut bra, etc.
what to bring
Chilifest can be messy and hot. Don’t forget to wear sunscreen before heading to the grounds. Fanny packs are a holy grail to keeping all your things in one place. Just make sure to keep it on you at all times because losing anything at Chilifest will be almost impossible to find.
There aren’t any cute, fancy restrooms available except porta potties so sanitizer and mini tissue packs are essential. Cheap sunglasses and bandanas you don’t mind losing along with a koozie are good items to bring as well. If you’re someone with long hair, hair clips and hair ties are your saviors to beat the heat.
additional advice
- If you’re going to Chilifest with a group, mark a point where y’all can meet if you get lost.
- Take advantage of the free transportation available from your Build because traffic is a nightmare at the end of the night.
- Eat before going or buy food at the food stands.
- Take a plastic flask in your boot.
- Stay hydrated throughout the day, sometimes free water is offered all day long at certain tents.
- Have an emergency contact number located on you.
- Charge your phone before going, or bring a portable charger.
- Chug pedialyte or liquid IV when you get home.
- Take a picture of your ID in case yours gets lost.
Chilifest can be unpredictable, but the key to enjoying the festival is not to do anything stupid like get arrested. Though it’s a place known for letting loose, make sure to do it responsibly.