The first WE Fest was held in 1983. Since then, the three-day concert madness has attracted more and more people each year. In 2007 and 2008 it was recorded that over 80,000 people traveled to the Soo Pass Ranch in Detroit Lakes Minnesota to enjoy some country music and camping with friends.
The line up for “Stars Shine in 2009” promises to bring an even bigger crowd to the concert festival this year, with headliners Tim McGraw, Brooks and Dunn, and Toby Keith. Young stars within the country music are also performing at we-fest as well. Taylor Swift was a favorite amongst concert goers last year. I was there, and she put on a great show! I am glad to see she is coming back. Sawyer Brown is an old favorite and has played We-Fest before, as well as the North Dakota Wintershow, The Red River Valley Fair, and the State Fair; we like him in North Dakota. To check out more of the 2009 lineup, visit this link: http://www.wefest.com/2009/home.php
Before my friends and I started attending We-Fest, my parents were avid goers of the festival. That being said, that is probably the main reason I was not allowed to attend We-Fest in high school: my parents knew what happened there.
A lot has changed since the early 80’s when my parents attended the concerts. The most obvious would be prices. Last year when I attended We-Fest I paid $180 for my three day concert pass, and $60 for my three day camping pass. My mother recalls getting her three day concert pass for “maybe 40 bucks.” She also told me that there was no reserved seating. “You woke up at the crack of dawn and got in line with your lawn chair,” she said, “they opened the gates and you RAN to the stage. First come, first serve.”
She went on to explain how there was no VIP seating, and not nearly as many vendors as there are today. Money, money, money... Prices for tickets, camping, drinks, food, and souvenirs have increased dramatically over the past couple of years. “Just like everything else today, it seems like it (We-Fest) is more about the money than anything else,” my mom said.
To find We-Fest tickets for this summer visit: http://www.ticketmaster.com/search?tm_link=tm_header_search&q=we-fest
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We Fest definitely sounds like an interesting event. I have not attended the festival yet, although someday I plan to. It was a smart move on your parent’s part not letting you go to We Fest in high school. It is a very crazy festival that I have heard many stories from. There are good stories I have heard about the event, along with some bad ones. It would be interesting to see who played back when your parents went to We Fest!
ReplyDeleteI love We Fest! I've gone the past two years and it looks like I won't be going this year because my regular group is going to Sturgis...sad :(. I can't believe how much tickets have gone up. I bought my tickets very early last year and still ended up paying about $200 for just the music and camping alone.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to We Fest, but I used to go to something similar called Lifest in Oshkosh, WI. There was camping and many artists there, but there were also numerous shops and extra events that you had to pay for if you wanted to participate. The commercialism there is the main reason why I haven't been there recently. It's a shame that things like that have become that way. Some of the enjoyment is lost because people are trying to sell you things while you are there to enjoy music.
ReplyDeleteThis We Fest sounds to be exactly the same thing as Dauphin's Country Fest up in Dauphin, Manitoba. I attended my first one last year and had a blast. My Mom has gone in the past because her work sponsors the event and she usually has to work one day at the event which if you ask me is a pretty good deal for a free weekend pass. That is why I went last year. I agree with the money, money, money. I know some of my friends buy their tickets for between 200 & 300 dollars. It is great fun, but I'll only continue going if my Mom continues to get free tickets.
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