Sasquatch! Music Festival Will Get Em’ to The Gorge Memorial Day Weekend

Stephanie Hernandez

With over 50,000 attendees each year, the internationally acclaimed Sasquatch! has grown to become the largest music festival in the North Western United States. Starting from humble beginnings, the idea that became Sasquatch! was thought up by Washington native Adam Zacks back in 2002 and has since been co-produced officially by Live Nation. Taking inspiration from other popular festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza, Zacks wanted to bring the same excitement and talent to the Pacific Northwest.

This year, Sasquatch! will return to The Gorge, a beautiful concert venue carved into the basalt cliffs high above the Columbia River Gorge in Quincy, Washington. Taking place over the course of four days during Memorial Day weekend (May 27 – 30), Sasquatch! is totally worth the three-hour drive from Seattle, WA. The eclectic festival announced its lineup and per usual it’s a mixed bag of awesomeness. Typically featuring a wide range of musical genres with the emphasis being on indie rock bands and singer/songwriters, they have been also spotlighting acts in alternative rock, hip-hop and EDM. Starting off with an impressive list of headliners including The Cure, Florence + the Machine, Disclosure, Alabama Shakes and Major Lazer, fans will also find themselves lost in the magic of the fest’s dozens of other newcomers like Grimes, Leon Bridges, Oh Wonder, Vince Staples and Vic Mensa. Apart from the music scene, Sasquatch! does an equally good job at rounding up talented comedians to take over their laugh-filled “El Chupacabra” tent. Well-known comedians like Natasha Leggero, The Lucas Bros, Moshe Kasher and Lauren Lapkus will also be putting in their two cents alongside the over 100 acts throughout the fest.

As of 2012, the festival has grown to include five stages and outdoor tents, the Sasquatch! Main Stage, Bigfoot Stage, El Chupacabra, Yeti Stage and the Uranus Stage (the smallest of the group whose name generally changes every year). All of the action takes place just steps away from the festival’s campgrounds. Starting with the basic camp set up of one vehicle per six guests, standard camping starts at $149 and is the most popular option amongst those making the trek to the Gorge. Just one step above, premiere camping goes up to $240.00 and includes private and free showers for its patrons; not a bad deal when you consider the shortened wait times and lines to be able to freshen up throughout the weekend. Consider upgrading to Terrace Camping at $475.00 to add a little luxury to your experience. Located in a private and quieter area of the grounds, Terrace Camping also provides more secure restricted access, a personal concierge, morning coffee and pastries as well a 24-hour shuttle service to and from the venue! For those who require nothing but the best, Sasquatch Music Festival’s Glamping option is definitely worth the splurge. With all the amenities one could desire, these pre-set pre-furnished cottage-style tents for two are situated in a secluded area with terraces alongside a cliff overlooking the Gorge.

Because of Sasquatch!’s remote location, access to sprawling urban nightlife is not much of an option but luckily for tens of thousands of festival goers the campgrounds are anything but dull. Creating a more community-like atmosphere, the fields become a hotbed for late night activity whether that be the 3 a.m. parties or late night story exchanges with tent city neighbors, there is always something or someone to discover once the festival has turned down for the night. Sasquatch! is all about losing yourself in the music and now that it is a dominant force in the musical landscape, their vision is about to be kicked into overdrive, so enjoy the ride.

Sasquatch! takes over The Gorge Memorial Day weekend (May 27 – 30). Tickets available here.