BottleRock Napa Valley returns to take over downtown Napa on Memorial Day weekend, May 23-25, for its 12th edition. The festival will take place at the Napa Valley Expo and will spill into nearby downtown Napa for BottleRock AfterDark parties and experiences.
The star-studded festival brings together concertgoers of all ages, who will have a chance to discover the up-and-coming acts that adorn the lineup while getting yet another chance to welcome old favorites.
Whether you’re an old festival pro or attending your very first music festival, Inside Napa Valley wanted to highlight a few precautions that will help you prepare to have the best festival experience.
BREAKFAST
BottleRock does not allow outside food or beverages, so make sure you are prepared.
Downtown Napa has a plethora of breakfast eateries to satisfy your food urges. Be warned; many of the most popular breakfast spots such as the Jax White Mule Diner, Sunshine Cafe and Downtown Joes will be jam-packed, so plan accordingly.
A few of the local downtown eateries will offer reservations; places such as The Kitchen Door, Norman Rose Tavern and Celadon will all offer reservations for breakfast. So make those reservations now.
In a rush? Downtown coffeeshops such as Ohm Coffee Roasters, Barnhouse and Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Co. will offer a number of grab-and-go breakfast options for your weekend festivities.
Prepare for a hot afternoon in the sun. Make sure to fill yourself up with a solid base of food and water, but keep it light. You don’t want to weigh yourself down with too heavy of a stomach before venturing into the Expo, which will offer a wide array of food and beverage options on the festival grounds.
BACKPACKS
Every prepared concertgoer should have a backpack of their own, but be warned!
BottleRock will not allow your normal everyday JanSport backpack inside. If you’d like to bring something with you to help you carry around your much-needed accessories, you’ll need a clear, see-through backpack. Those are easily ordered from major online retailers, and the clear backpacks have been available at Target in the weeks surrounding the festival.
Now that you have your backpack all picked out, let’s figure out what to put in it.
WATER BOTTLES
You’ve got to stay hydrated, and you’ll want to save your money for the vast array of food and drinks available inside the festival grounds. Why spend all your money on water?
BottleRock has joined the growing trend of music festivals working to create more sustainable practices and economical footprints. Thankfully, this means you’ll be able to bring in your own empty water bottle and refill it at one of their many refill stations. But beware, BottleRock not allow any glass bottles or disposable plastic containers into the festival grounds. So make sure you bring your best Nalgene, stainless steel or blank reusable bottle with you.
CamelBak water packs are also allowed into the festival, but make sure their bladders are empty before you enter the grounds.
LAYERS
Napa Valley has some of the best weather in the world. Our Mediterranean climate is perfect for growing grapes, but it can leave some visitors a bit confused. Prepare yourself for cool mornings with a light fog followed by warm, sunny afternoons. As the sun goes down, be prepared for cool and sometimes chilly nights.
Layering will be your best friend for a comfortable Memorial Day weekend. Make sure you’re prepared with a light jacket or long-sleeve shirt for those early mornings. Bonus points: the long sleeves can also help protect you from the sun, while also keeping you warm as the party continues at one of the many downtown after-parties.
HATS
The Napa Valley sun can be a brutal mistress during the heat of the day. The BottleRock grounds have very little shade. So prepare yourself with a hat to help block out the sun. If you forget yours at home, check the merch booths as a number of musical artists will have hats in their merchandise selections.
Sunblock is a given for a three-day festival, but make sure it’s in lotion form, as BottleRock does not allow aerosol cans into its festival grounds. Apply early in the day, and reapply often. You don’t want to ruin your weekend with uncomfortable sunburns.
BLANKET OR TOWEL
This may seem like a bit of overkill to some, but in the middle of the day as you’re noshing at one of the many high-class food trucks, you might look around and find you have nowhere to sit.
If you have a blanket or towel in your bag, you’ll suddenly find that any space can be converted into a small picnic area. But make sure you’re out of the way of the heavy foot traffic. Perhaps you can post yourself up near one of the smaller stages and discover an up-and-coming act you’ve never heard of while staying cozy and comfortable.
Bonus: You can always wrap your towel (or blanket) around you for warmth, use it as a makeshift shade to help yourself stay out of the sun, or you can even dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.
COMFORTABLE SHOES
Fashion is important for any festivalgoer, but with 26 acres of the Napa Valley Expo fairground to explore, you’ll be on your feet all day. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes in anticipation of all the walking, standing and dancing the day away. Even more professional concertgoers may bring along Band-Aids in the case of a blister.
APPETITE
Yes, you should absolutely eat breakfast and make sure it’s a light one, but one of the prides of BottleRock is its excellent food selections.
You’ll find anything from hot dogs to lobster rolls, if you know where to look. The BottleRock team scours the area and invites only the best of the best food vendors in the region. With an eye for luxury and unusually high-quality festival food, there will be a little something to satisfy and delight any concertgoer.
Your dining options in downtown Napa will be limited if you wait until the festival ends to go hunting for your next meal and adventure. Many restaurants will close before 10 p.m. Make sure you eat dinner before you hit one of downtown Napa’s many after-party events. But don’t worry, if you forget to eat before you leave the festival grounds, you can always line up with one of the many hot dog vendors who will set up on Third Street with their delicious street meats.
DIGITAL FUNDS
Make sure you leave your cash at home. BottleRock aims to be a cashless music festival, so make sure you have your wristband’s digital wallet preloaded with money or keep your debit or credit card handy, as most booths will not accept cash.
TRAVEL-SIZED PAIN RELIEVER
Don’t let that headache ruin your festival fun. Make sure you have a small travel-sized container of over-the-counter pain reliever (Tylenol, aspirin or ibuprofen) on hand for dealing with any unwanted headaches, foot pain or sunburns that may affect your experience.
POWER BANK
We assume you’ll take lots of photos and videos of the day’s festivities. Don’t forget to take lots and lots of photos of you and your friends.
You may forget the bands you saw that day, but you’ll never forget the memories you’ll make with those people celebrating with you. Make sure you have enough juice to get all those memories. Bring along a pocket-sized power bank to recharge your devices. You’ll be able to enjoy more of your day without worrying about how you’ll find your crew later on in the night.
TISSUES
Always make sure you have some tissues for whatever issues you might encounter. There will be thousands and thousands of people at the festival. You never know when a porta-potty might be out of toilet paper, or you might be moved to tears by one of your favorite artists such as Noah Kahan. You’ll be ready for anything with a small pack of travel size tissues.
Follow these tips, and remember to drink lots of water, and you’ll be set for an excellent weekend of festival fun!
