An American music festival can be a scary place. Even if you arrive at the Landmark Music Festival on Saturday or Sunday with a posse of your closest buds, there are other many things you’ll want to bring and know before you head to the mall. Luckily for you, we here at Halftime have put together a survival guide, including packing essentials, festival information and safety tips, so that you can have the peace of mind to rock your brains out.
Weather
As of Friday evening, it looks like the weather is going to be quite conducive to a good festival. Chance of rain on Saturday is fairly low, at 20 percent, while the partially cloudy skies will probably prevent it from being too hot. Generally the same story for Sunday, though rain is much more likely in the afternoon and evenings at 60 percent.
How to get there
Landmark is going to be held in West Potomac Park just south of the Lincoln Memorial, about 2.5 miles from the front gates. That makes walking a viable option for the budget conscious. For others, a trip via Uber will probably cost $8-11, according to the fare estimator on their website. However, if you’ve never tried Lyft or made an account, you can use the promo code LANDMARKDC when you sign up to get up to $20 of your first ride free. On top of that, Lyft will donate $10 to the Trust for the National Mall, the nonprofit partner of the festival that improves, preserves, and restores the National Mall.
Unfortunately, public transport to the festival might be a bit more hassle than it’s worth, considering the location of the festival and the spotty weekend GUTS schedule. If you’d like to take the Metro on Saturday, you can take the Rosslyn GUTS bus, then ride the Orange, Blue or Silver line to Foggy Bottom or Smithsonian, then walk for about a mile either way. On Sunday, you can still use the Metro, you’d just have to get to Rosslyn on your own. Busing seems equally challenging, as there are no routes that take you directly to the park. And if you account for waiting times for buses on the weekends, walking will probably be much faster.
Essential packing list
- Wristband
- Don’t be the person who leaves these at home and has to go back for them. You’ll probably miss something. That would stink.
- Backpack
- They seem kind of lame, but for day-long events like music festivals they provide the easiest way to keep all of your stuff together. And you won’t have to worry about things potentially falling out of your pockets when you’re getting down with some of the 40+ artists at the festival.
- Wallet
- Self-explanatory
- Phone
- As if you were going to leave the house without it
- Reusable Water Bottle
- Since the festival will feature free water filling stations, courtesy of Camelback, throughout the grounds; there’s no reason to let yourself get dehydrated.
- Landmark Festival App
- In case you haven’t already, go ahead and download the Landmark Festival app for iPhone or Android software. You can use it to create a custom schedule, learn more about the artists playing and to get push-notifications for festival updates and emergency information.
- Cellphone Numbers
- It’s fairly likely that your phone will die at some point during the festival on Saturday or Sunday. And it’s also fairly likely that you don’t have any of your friend’s phone numbers memorized. Why would you? In any case, it’s a good idea to have some written down on a piece of paper, in the event someone is gracious enough to lend you theirs and you need to call for help.
- Poncho/Raincoat
- Since it might rain, it’d be a good idea to have one of these in your pack.
- Comfortable shoes that can get wet
- You’re going to be doing a lot of walking and standing and again, it also might rain. Probably not the time for the super fly gold-plated pumps. Then again, you do you.
- Spare shoes
- In case it rains, your shoes get wet and then it stops. Walking around in wet shoes and socks is one of the most unpleasant experiences imaginable. Bring a pair of sandals or something as backup.
- Deodorant
- You’re going to smell. Please.
- Festival Map
- Print out this guy or download the app. There will probably also be some around the festival.
- Cash
- Never a bad thing to have, in a pinch.
Food Options
Food is a big deal, especially at music festivals where your entry and exit is limited by your desire to get your musical money’s worth. Fortunately, Landmark has partnered with DC Eats to bring tons of tasty options onto the mall. Highlights include local favorites Amsterdam Falafelshop, The Big Cheese and Rockland’s BBQ. A full list of vendors is available here.
Cashless
Patrons at Landmark have the option of using their wristbands to make purchases during the festival. Simply go to the Cashless Landmark registration site, connect your wristband to any credit card and you’ll be able to pay for food, drinks, and merchandise with the tap of your wrist without paying any ATM fees. Landmark assures patrons that this is a totally secure method of payment, but if the technologization of society gives you pause, don’t worry. The vendors will still take your money in the form of cash, credit or debit.
