It鈥檚 almost here!
Stages are being set for Vancouver Island MusicFest, which runs July 14-16 at the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds.
Here are some important tips to remember when heading to the festival - dos and don鈥檛s, courtesy of MusicFest executive producer, Doug Cox.
鈥淒o come and have fun and bring your family; don鈥檛 be a jerk,鈥� Cox quipped.
Propane stoves only
鈥淏ut seriously, the biggest news we have is that as of right now we are still allowing propane firepits at the festival for the people who are packing up to go camping and stuff, but that could change at any time. We鈥檒l have lots of fire buckets all over the place and we are asking people to only use propane stove - no open fires are allowed. Bring a fire mat if you have one, and of course we do have the right to shut it (propane firepit) down if they are in a dangerous spot, if we deem it to be dangerous, or if a fire ban comes up.鈥�
Cox is also requesting any smokers to bring their own 鈥榖utt cans鈥� with them.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a bigger fire hazard in a lot of ways than propane,鈥� said Cox. 鈥淪ome people even have those little pocket things that you put your butts into. I鈥檝e seen those at quite a few festivals.鈥�
Alcohol rules
Campers are allowed their own alcohol at their campsites, but will not be allowed to bring alcohol into the concert venue.
The entire venue is licenced again this year, giving festival-goers the opportunity to enjoy a beverage while listening to a show.
鈥� Minors caught with alcohol will be brought to the RCMP and removed from the site.
鈥� Any Adult caught contributing alcohol to a minor will be taken to the RCMP and removed from the site.
No glass containers will be allowed on site at all. Bags will be checked upon entry at the main gates.
鈥淭he glass ban is mostly because of the horses that are there throughout the year,鈥� said Cox. 鈥淲e proudly leave that place cleaner than it is when we arrive usually.鈥�
Leave your pets at home
No pets of any type are allowed anywhere on the grounds, and this includes the campsite, including inside trailers.
Parking
Parking is all around the site, and at Vanier School ($5 per vehicle).
Limited free parking is available at the Comox Valley Sports and Aquatic centre, with the exception of Saturday from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. due to the Comox valley Farmers鈥� Market.
The First Student shuttles will be running from Courtenay (Driftwood Mall) and Comox (Comox Presbyterian Church). The shuttles run until 1 a.m. every evening, and if the 1 a.m. shuttle is full, they will return for any remaining riders.
Lawn chairs and blankets
Low-rider lawn chairs are allowed in the main audience area. Low-rider chairs are typically within 6鈥� to 8鈥� off the ground, not your regular lawn chair. Many attendees like to reserve space in front of the Concert Bowl Stage for the evening performances. However, many of the daytime performers find themselves playing to a sea of empty blankets and those who want to enjoy the show cannot get close to the stage. To improve this situation, management has established a Transitional Seating Area where no blankets or tarps are to be left unattended at all. In the 鈥榦ne-hour low riders, blankets and tarps only area鈥� you are allowed to leave things for one hour. If left longer, your tarps and blankets will be folded up in order to make room for other audience members.
Hot, hot heat!
The forecast for the weekend is temperatures in the mid- to high-20s, meaning hydration will be key.
鈥淏e prepared for heat, for sure,鈥� said Cox. 鈥淏ring sunglasses, bring sunscreen, bring water. We will have our water crew on hand as always.鈥�
鈥� All the onsite camping spots are sold out, but there are still spots available at neighbouring campgrounds.
For more information, or to buy tickets, go to
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