Festival Rundown:
August 22 – 24
Roots, Beats & Campfire Feels
We’re closing out summer with festivals that blend music, culture, and scenic settings. Get ready for a deeper immersion across five divergent experiences, from forested reggae escapes to artsy campouts. Let’s roll.
Dry Diggings Music Festival 2025
Venue: Gold Country Fairgrounds & Event Center, Auburn, CA
Dates & Gates:
Fri, Aug 22: Box Office 1–9:30 PM; Gates 1–11 PM
Sat, Aug 23: Box Office 10 AM–9:30 PM; Gates 11 AM–11 PM
Vibe & Venue:
With Sierra foothills as your backdrop, Dry Diggings brings reggae, funk, and feel-good energy to Gold Country. It’s the kind of festival that feels like a backyard cookout, if your backyard had its own stage.
Lineup Highlights:
Save Ferris, Anthony B, Mystic Roots Band, King Yellowman, Zach Deputy, The Supervillains, PERARÉZ, and more
Unique Perks:
Group camping (up to 4 included, extras for $35), propane grilling allowed, ADA-access, and free re-entry. Multiple shaded chill zones around the fairgrounds keep you dancing without overheating, and the proximity of camping to the stages means you can easily bounce back for a midday siesta. The festival is known for its laid-back crowd, and artists often wander through the grounds between sets. Don’t be surprised if you bump into a headliner at the food trucks.
Insider Tip:
Shade is prime real estate in Auburn’s late-summer sun, so arrive early to stake out a comfortable base camp. The fairgrounds layout makes it easy to wander, but keep your water bottle topped off at the refill stations, reggae sets have a way of turning into all-day dance marathons. If you’re camping, the quietest spots tend to be on the outer perimeter near the tree lines.
Product Pick: Keep your hearing protected without losing sound quality with Mr. B’s EARPEACE Hi-Fi Earplugs.
Camp Alderwild 2025
Venue: Telluride Town Park, CO
Dates & Gates: Aug 22–23; gates open for campers at 4pm, checkout for campers is at 11am at the end of their stay. Music starts at 5pm each day, there is no re-entry once the music begins.
Vibe & Venue:
An intimate electronic retreat curated by Of The Trees, set to the soundtrack of alpine landscapes. Expect forest glow, mindful beats, and mountain air.
Highlights:
Double nights of Of The Trees, with Jade Cicada, Tycho (Live), EPROM b2b Underclock, Ott., Thought Process (Live), and more
Unique Perks:
Eco-conscious operations, wellness experiences, small crowd, big nature, this is boutique festing. This isn’t your average music fest, it’s an immersive alpine retreat. Expect artist-led yoga in the mornings, sound baths under aspen trees, and a vendor village curated for eco-friendly, artisanal finds. The smaller scale means short food lines and an intimate crowd, so you can actually see the stage from almost anywhere without elbowing through a sea of people.
Insider Tip:
Telluride’s elevation will sneak up on you if you’re not prepared—hydrate before you even arrive. The gondola rides between town and the mountain are free, scenic, and worth doing at least once during sunset. For best stage views without the crowd crush, head toward the left side rail near the main mix tower; it’s less packed and still sounds phenomenal.
Product Pick:
Altitude = dehydration. Pack a Mr. B’s Hydration Backpack and sip often.
The Big What? 2025
Venue: Shakori Hills Community Arts Center, Pittsboro, NC
Dates & Gates:
Aug 21–23 • Gates open at 12 PM Thu & run until ~11:30 PM Sat
Vibe & Venue:
A three-night tribute to Big Something’s cult following, this festival melds cosmic camping, art galleries, silent disco, and jam-heavy intimacy on a North Carolina arts retreat.
Lineup Highlights:
Big Something, Andy Frasco & The U.N., Sunsquabi, SUSTO, DJ Logic, Jimkata, Dizgo, The Hourglass Kids, Victoria Victoria, Hunter McBride, Wolf Mask, and more.
Unique Perks:
Art installations, vendor village, flow performers, and curated midnight experiences like silent disco and jam circles.Think of it as a festival-meets-arts-camp hybrid—live painting, late-night visual projections, and interactive art installations turn the grounds into an ever-changing gallery. There’s also a communal kitchen zone where festival veterans share food and stories, making it feel like a temporary hometown for Big Something fans.
Insider Tip:
This is a camper’s playground. Show up Thursday to get the flattest, most central tent spot. The late-night silent disco is legendary, but the real magic often happens at the small, roving jam circles around the fire pits. Keep your ears open for unannounced collaborations. This festival loves pulling other artists in for surprise sets.
Product Pick: Stay handsfree and keep your phone nearby with a Clutchloop.
Black Bear Americana Music Fest 2025
Venue: Harwinton Fairgrounds, Harwinton, CT (150 Locust Rd)
Dates & Gates:
Aug 22–24 • Day – gates 12 PM–9 PM (Fri–Sun)
Vibe & Venue:
A down-home Americana getaway in CT countryside. Open fields, family-friendly crowd, folk, bluegrass, and blues all under canopy trees.
Lineup Highlights:
50+ artists across 4 stages; notable acts include David Wilcox, Jeffrey Gaines, The Alpaca Gnomes, The Dreadnoughts, Jesse Terry, and more.
Unique Perks:
On-site camping and RV options, artisan vendors, food trucks, campfire sing-alongs, and late-night secret sets. The Harwinton Fairgrounds give this fest a cozy, country-fair atmosphere complete with local pie contests, hay bale seating, and hand-built wooden stages. It’s a rare festival where you can hear a headliner while smelling kettle corn from just a few steps away. Evening bonfires near the campground turn into spontaneous bluegrass picking sessions that rival the main stage sets.
Insider Tip:
Daytime sets can be wonderfully mellow, so use them to explore the artisan vendor booths. You’ll find unique handmade instruments and folk art you won’t see at bigger fests. Evenings get chilly in Harwinton, so a layered outfit means you won’t have to duck back to camp during your favorite headliner.
Product Pick: Baja Sweatshirt – perfect layering for sunny sets or sunset jams.
The Homie Collective Campout 2025
Venue: 508 International, Charlton, MA
Dates & Gates:
Aug 21–24 • Gates open Thu, Aug 21 at 12 PM, and close Sun, Aug 24 at 8 PM
Vibe & Venue:
Jamband meets artisan camp-chill in Russell woods. Music, art, pond swims, flow, glassblowing, and communal energy all collide below the pines.
Lineup Highlights:
Spafford, Yheti, Ott, Riot Ten, Wax Future, Seda, Liminoid, XL, plus workshops, disc golf, daily costumes, and magic at every bend
Unique Perks:
Multiple stages, healing workshops, pond dips, wellness zones, disc golf, and creative installations. Beyond the music, this campout thrives on creative chaos with costume parades, fire spinning, glassblowing demonstrations, and a floating stage on the pond. The wooded layout hides “micro-venues” with surprise DJ sets, poetry readings, and even pop-up pancake breakfasts. It’s the kind of place where you come for the music and stay for the weird, wonderful side quests.
Insider Tip:
If you’re arriving on Thursday, make time for the opening ceremony. It’s part live music, part festival orientation, and it sets the tone for the whole weekend. The pond swim area is busiest in the afternoon, so go for a morning dip if you want it to yourself. At night, don’t skip the forest art trail as it’s where some of the most creative lighting and interactive builds are tucked away.
Product Pick: Keep tabs on your friends with a Crowd Compass while you wander.
Final Notes
Late August accents: reggae in foothills, mountain bass reverie, Southern arts communion, folk under starry skies, and forest camp vibes that remind you why festivals still matter. Each fest is distinct, immersive, and ready to be part of your summer story.
☮️💚🅱️
