What we learned about the Hangout Music Festival was how carefully and well thought out the organizers were in putting this together. You could tell that the many years of throwing this festival helped nurture something that was completely complementary to the experience.
Things to consider when planning the trip:
Transportation: The shuttle pass might be an expense you are looking to shed to save money but keep in mind rideshare services are not as reliable in the Gulf Shores as other locations in the country. The shuttles are well run and have plenty of drop offs; rideshares generally include 1+ hour wait times and many cancellations due to little drivers.
Engaging With The Community: We found that everyone down there was very accepting and helpful, Hangout fest is reported to be the only main tourist event that draws high volumes. It’s very rare that you see an event so well integrated with the community a lot of the parking that is available is within the yards of residents leading to very wholesome interactions and is a good way to save if you are driving. Rely on the community for recommendations, tips, and things to expect if you have never been before.
Food: I can’t stress this one enough buying groceries and cooking meals saves you in the long run. It’s important to note that restaurants and stores in the Gulf close early, many before the time the festival ends. And the ones that are opened are usually jammed up with traffic. Make sure to have something at the hotel to make sure you have fuel for the next day and most importantly when you get home!
Traffic: Speaking of traffic make sure to give yourself plenty of time for any activities around the festival as it detours traffic off of a major road in the area. Some stores and places will take longer than expected to get to due to these road closures. This includes grocery shopping, last minute target runs, even getting to the box office for any ticket issues.
Packing: Make sure to pack for a variety of conditions. Something we noticed at the gates was that people misunderstood the guidelines for what could be brought in. When it comes to sunscreen, chapsticks, makeup and womens products etc. they need to be sealed and unused sunscreen has to be liquid and can’t be aerosol. An annoying precaution to some but it must be understood that this is for everyone’s safety and concern. Our experience at the gates was nothing but courtesy and respect. Weather was a factor this year even though we lucked out and dodged any major storms during peak hours it could’ve rained any second. Some storms being close to the gulf produce high winds, make sure to pack light at the festival and be aware of the conditions.
Seek Help When Needed: Utilizing crowd services includes waiving for crowd security in the event of any health issues, dehydration, overheating etc. We noticed very quick responses to these events and professional execution to ensure things were handled promptly. Utilizing cool down areas and hydration stations and alerting authorities if you notice anything suspicious are important things to keep in mind at any event/festival.
Explore: There’s tons of cool initiatives that Hangout works diligently to curate, whether it’s the kiss a puppy booth, the Jose Cuervo DJ bar, or the Shein pop up center. There’s tons of free swag opportunities and such to break up the music and experience.
VIP: Look into the VIP options, we got to examine the VIP offerings and they have endless benefits. As someone who tries to save money as much as possible, we realized how much better the experience can be when you spend the extra money.
- The Pools and grassy overlook are almost a necessity on long days. You get to skip waiting and pushing through the crowd for an act that you want to see on the major stages. This frees you up to move around and see other acts and experience the rest of the festival if you aren’t aiming for the barricade. It was a nice luxury we didn’t know we needed.
- The food and drinks at the festival were great and reasonably priced, obviously you know those expenses aren’t going to be cheap but to their credit they were manageable. Any drink or food option averaged out mostly to around $15 dollars per with some nicer options being close to $20. With The VIP package food and drinks are included with catering and private bars.
- Bathrooms the VIP groove includes private luxury bathrooms which is a great feature to have when you are running back and forth.
- We realize VIP is a luxury that everyone may opt out of, however from our first hand experience if you are treating this festival as a vacation it is well worth the money and if planned out well enough will resemble or come close to what you would be paying anyway.
Photos & Words by Jaikcub