Are you ready for The Fest!?
While we’re pretty sure you’re already counting down days until your trek to Gainesville, FL, we’ve got some Fest games for you to play, including a few samples from this year’s performers.
Click here to play FEST LIBS -- like a fill-in-the-blanks word game about all things Fest!
We have 8 different options to choose from, and you can download/share your creations on social media via our handy form underneath.
We teamed up with guest contributor Nicole Introvert, who authored her own FEST LIBS, plus some attendee surveys about Fest memories, favorite foods, merch preferences and general good vibez.
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40 Reps
See them Friday at Heartwood at 8:50pm
ADD Records
https://www.instagram.com/shits_tight/
Celebration Summer
See them Saturday at Heartwood at 4:50pm AND Sunday covering Minor Threat at How Bazar at 4:50pm
Craig Mazer
Jon Snodgrass
See him Sunday at Hippodrome State Theatre at 5:20pm
One Fall
By Helen
See them Friday at at Loosey's at 4:30pm
Spells
by Ben
See them Friday at Loosey's at 7pm
Tsunami Bomb
by Oobliette
See them Friday at Boca Fiesta at 12:20am AND Saturday at The Wooly at 11pm
Fest Moments
Funny Fest Moments
Getting kicked in the balls by Jesus - Ev
Helping a person in a hotdog suit up to crowd surf during The Middle Aged Queers set at How Bazaar.(they were playing glizy’s banging) - Pauldean (PD)
Getting lost my first Fest and being adopted by Canadian festers until my brother found me - Em
Santa and his elves handing out beers and Malort in the registration line - Jayson
Most memorable Fest experience
The parking lot deathmatches - lk
Paint It Black attempting to play a set in the back of a box truck. Losing power and the entire crowd just singing along. - Danny Goodtimes
Eating deep fried oreos watching Samiam - Barbi
I met my husband at Fest. He lived in Spain and I lived in Philadelphia. We flirted all weekend and I finally got drunk and brave enough to send him a text saying “I’m drunk. We making out or what?” We met up at the High Dive, he bought me a Fest Punch, we made out on the patio, and 10 months later we were married. It’s been over 6 years. - Katie Hewko-Dykes
Singing with friends at Tim Barry - Ben
Taking a little break from watching sets to go with all my friends and see the bat houses in gainesville <3 - nico bacigalupo
Not knowing who Matt & Kim were and coming upon their Animaniacs-esque set at Bo Diddley. - Nicole Introvert
Weirdest Fest experience
Hard to pick one. Fest is just sort of weird in a magical way already - Zach F
Getting a call mid-LTJ set from an old friend who never calls, asking me to be godmother to her daughter i didnt know she was having - lk
watching someone do a shoey with pizza for the first time - nico bacigalupo
Crying at Fest
Cried at one of the secret shows sitting on the roof watching one of the best sets of my life and bubbles were going off, dirt was kicked into the air, the energy was so infectious, it felt like a movie - nico bacigalupo
When Chris W came out during Hot Water Music's pre-Fest set in 2024 and sang part of Our Own Way. - Zach F
When don’t I cry at Fest? Fest was made for crying. - Katie Hewko-Dykes
When it’s over. - Maddie Jordan
American Steel playing Shrapnel live - one of my favorite songs I had never seen played before - Nicole Introvert
From back pain - Ev
Every time I see Iron Roses - Kevin Gavagan
Bands you discovered at Fest
Wolves & Wolves & Wolves & Wolves - Nicole Introvert
Cinema Stare. - Uncle Deevo
Defiance, Ohio - Zack D
Wolf Face - Chud
New Junk City - Jason Bonneville
Signals Midwest - Ryan T.
New Junk City, Dollar Signs, City Mouse - Melinda
Insignificant Other, DFMK, and Spanish Love Songs - Kat
Rebuilder and Riverboat Gamblers - Steven S.
Pangolin - Kevin Gavagan
Eating at Fest
Top 3 responses
- Flacos - 8 votes
- Nah Dogs - 5 votes
- 5 Star - 4 votes
The hoodie question:
- Zip-Up - 82%
- Pullover - 18%
Fest Temperature preference:
- 70* & Sunny Fest - 61%
- Cold Fest - 32%
- Hot Fest - 7%
Fest Venue
Top 3
- The Wooly
- Loosey’s
- Heartwood
- Honorable Mention - High Dive (RIP)
In your pocket at Fest:
Snacks. always with the snacks. what will it be? no one knows what to expect... could be pretzels, could be guava cheese pastries, could be waffles! ANYTHING GOES!! OH, and ibuprofen. - Melinda
Wallet, phone, earplugs, ibuprofen. That is all. - Mark SC
Cash for merch, and a hand for a crisp high five. - Uncle Deevo
Free reusable silicone earplugs for anyone that needs them! - Jon P
Narcan! In 2022, I used it on a fellow fester. - Em
Portable battery charger for my phone - Mike Sands
Stall Mate buttwipes & Liquid IV - Nicole Introvert
Excel mints - Barbi
Favorite Fest Merch:
Middle age queers bootie shorts - captain geech
I use my Fest koozies pretty religiously. - Melinda
Favorite unofficial Fest activity:
Having a shot of Malort with friends - JJ
Wunderland Flash - Kat
the lore surrounding the purge - Melinda
Looking forward to at Fest 23:
the get up kids, coalesce, and drug church !! - circe
Seeing bands with all the other folks who care about this music as much as I do! - Mike Sands
Getting to reunite with everyone. It's like a giant family reunion with only the cool cousins. - Uncle Deevo
