Howdy, friends.
The time has come... Country music festival season. My favorite time of the year!
I'm a big Stagecoach girly (Stagecoach > Coachella) and now that I am a seasoned pro (AKA I have gone once), I wanted to compile all my country festival tips & tricks to survive the weekend and also give you all some outfit inspiration!
If you are shopping for any western event or country concert, just remember... WWMD?
There's 4 options: Rhinestones, Denim, Fringe or Feathers.
Any combination of those 4 and you are good to go! ;)
Before I get into my festival survival tips, I wanted to start by giving y'all a list of my "go to" brands for all things YEEHAW. I even decided to do the Lord's work and compile some outfits for you all for easy shopping & retail therapy!
Amazing Lace (code MORGAN10)
BuddyLove (code MORGAN15)
Trendy & Tipsy (code MORGANW20)
12th Tribe (code MORGANTRIBE10)
When it comes to outfits for any country concert or country festival, these are some great options for anything "cowgirl" and most of my outfits are pieced together from these different places!
If you're still like... SOS help me, Morgan. I even went a step further to break it down into 3 easy shopping categories for you. Everything is linked!
For the girls who want more easy going, feminine and "girl next door vibes"
You can never go wrong with a denim or floral sundress, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat!
For the girls who want to be a little edgy, effortless & country chic
Think lots of leather, dark denim, fringe and graphic tees. My go to? A cropped tee or bodysuit, leather shorts and black cowgirl boots!
For the girls who want to stand out and make a statement. Shine on, baby!
This category is probably the one I relate to the most.. shocker, I know. Slap on some rhinestones, sequins and a pop of color and you are good to go!
Now that you are all outfitted and ready to go... here are my handy, dandy tips to not only survive Stagecoach (or any festival), but THRIVE.
1. Portable phone charger is a MUST.
Your phone will die. Mark my words. My biggest tip would be investing in a portable charger and bringing one with you. There's nothing worse than getting lost or wanting to film your fav performer... and your phone being dead.
2. Thick socks + bandaids.
Break in your boots ahead of time, for the love of sweet baby Jesus. I promise you will not want to be walking miles in new boots that hurt your feet! Once your break them in, I still recommend wearing thick socks for extra comfort and also stashing some bandaids in your bag just in case.
3. Stock up on LiquidIV and stay hydrated.
Want to survive all 3 days? Make sure you are drinking enough water (not just tequila) and if you want my own personal hangover cure... these liquid IV packets. One in the morning and one at night! I swear by them.
4. Bring a bandana & purse you don't mind getting dirty.
It gets DUSTY, especially by Sunday and if you don't want to be inhaling dirt... bring a bandana and keep it in your purse. I also recommend bringing a small crossbody purse or fanny pack so you don't have to worry about someone stealing anything from your pockets.
& Ladies... leave your Gucci bag at home. Whatever bag you bring will be covered in dirt and spilled beer. I bought a $20 one off of Amazon and it did the trick!
5. Prepare to get there early and wait in lines.
It is not easy to actually get INTO the festival grounds. There's lines, there's long walks, there's security check points and then there's the process of actually figuring out what stage you want to go to.
If you have someone you want to see at a specific time... prepare to arrive AT LEAST and hour (or 2) before they come on.
6. Always use the bathroom BEFORE you go inside the grounds.
The lines for the *eek* Port-O-Potty's are significantly shorter outside of the grounds (or so I found) so I always tried to get it over with before I went inside, that way I didn't have to wait in more lines or possibly miss a performance.
7. Try and have a driver for the weekend versus snagging Ubers.
It's a nightmare trying to get an Uber. I will be honest.
You won't get stranded, but you may be waiting an hour or two... or three.. after the concert is over. If you are able to find a driver ahead of time (some Uber drivers will offer to just be your driver the whole weekend for a flat fee) then I absolutely think it's worth EVERY penny!
8. Share your location with your group and download/set up "Find My iPhone" before going into the festival.
Be smart and be safe. You don't want to lose your friends and if you happen to lose your phone, it's handy to have the option to track it and locate it (or lock it).
9. Have a meeting spot for your group.
Once you get inside, it's very easy to lose your people in the swarm of 200,000 country music fans. I always recommend picking a meeting spot at the beginning of the day so you know where to meet once it's over.
P.S. the service isn't great so even if your phone doesn't die, you may not be able to reach your friends via text/call, so pick a meeting spot - always!
10. Get all your photos + content early and then have THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE.
We all want to get the cute photos, trust me... I GET IT.
But my biggest piece of advice is to get it done early (before you get sweaty because... you will be a sweaty mess) and then be present and enjoy the magic that is Stagecoach. It's truly the best time and you don't want to miss out on the fun memories because you're stressing about getting the perfect IG photo.
If you want good lighting for your pics though... invest in this light. You're welcome.
I hope this blog post helps! If you are going to Stagecoach and you see a blonde in pink sequins frolicking around... please come say hi! I absolutely love meeting you guys!
Until next time...
YEE TO THE HAW.
Xo,
Morgan