Bunchland

Take kids to an outdoor music festival for a summer experience you’ll never forget

 

Perry Farrell’s kids!

Bringing little ones along for a day (or two, or more) of watching bands play under a blue sky while lazing on the grass is no longer the domain of celebrity families. All-ages events can be found throughout North America and beyond, and often, bringing kids is encouraged with free admission for smalls and special kid stages and play areas.

Kidzapalooza is an area of Lollapalooza where kids and parents can hang out, watch bands play on the Kidza stage and take part in activities like hip hop workshops, getting punk-rock hairdos and rock star video karaoke. “The whole point of Kidzapalooza,” Lolla co-founder/music producer Tor Hyams told us over the phone from Los Angeles, “was that I wanted to figure out a way to get families together doing something musical, something the whole family could participate it.” (Hm, sounds just like the principle behind the infamous Bunch Family Dance Parties.)

Bunchlander Suzi took her 2-year-old son Kai to the Hillside music festival in Guelph, Ontario and says she’ll definitely do it again next year. Kai took part in kids’ workshops in playing the tabla and karate. He learned the expression “rock on” which he shouted while watching bands like The Acorn from his father’s shoulders holding the drumsticks he’d gotten from the drumming workshop. Rather than camp out, Suzi’s family and a few others rented a hotel room, and that way the grownups could take turns checking out later shows or relaxing with a glass of wine after the kids were in bed. She plans to purchase special sound-blocking kid-sized headphones, like these ones, for Kai so he can take part in family concert experiences for years to come.

Kai takes a break from rocking out to enjoy Hillside’s green space

For those of you thinking of trying this, we came up with this roundup of all-ages outdoor music festivals happening in North America and beyond. Don’t sleep on a potentially awesome summer experience that you will tell your friends about for years to come.

Canada

Osheaga (Montreal, Quebec) July 31-August 1. Kids under 10 admitted free.

ALL CAPS Island Festival (Toronto Island, Toronto, Ontario) August 7-8. Featuring family band The Magical Bunch.

Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival (Salmon Arm, British Columbia) August 13-15. Featuring K’naan and Fred Penner!

Troutfest (Ear Falls, Ontario) August 13-15. Kids 12 and under camp free, kids 5 and under get in free.

Ottawa Folk Festival (Brittania Park, Ottawa, Ontario) August 13-15. Kids 15 and under get in free.

Toronto Island Concert (Toronto, Ontario) August 14. Kids 2 and under get in free.

U.S.

Lollapalooza (Chicago, Illinois) August 6-8. You can check out the Kidzapalooza lineup here.

Solid Sound Festival (North Adams, MA) August 13-15. Curated by Wilco, kids 6 and under get in free.

Outside Lands (San Francisco, California) August 14-15. Kids 2 and under get in free.

Mile High Music Festival (Denver, Colorado) August 14-15. Kids 8 and under get in free.

LouFest (St. Louis) August 28-29. Kids 10 and under get in free. Also there is a Kids Village.

All Tomorrow’s Parties (Monticello, New York) September 3-5. Kids under 5 get in free.

Bumbershoot (Seattle, Washington) September 4-6. Kids 10 and under get in free, and they have kids’ activities as part of Youngershoot.

International

Splendour in the Grass (Woodford Queensland, Australia) July 30-August 1. Kids 11 and under get in free.

The Big Chill (Eastnor Castle Deer Park, U.K.) August 5-8. Special ticket price for kids 12 and under.

Summer Sonic (Chiba and Osaka, Japan) August 7-8. Kids 6 and under get in free.

The Flaming Lips performing at Summer Sonic in Japan

Photos by whittlz and risa-i via Flickr. Photo of Kai by Suzi.