While many Gators will head to Jacksonville for the annual Florida vs. Georgia game this weekend, others from around the world will head to Gainesville for the multi-day punk rock music festival, better known as Fest.
Fest is entering its 14th year, and the event is only growing in size each year. This year, it features a large number of bands, over 20 local venues, an art show and a flea market.
The weekendlong event begins Friday and will last through Sunday. Tickets are no longer for sale through the event’s website, but information on various ticket options is available at thefestfl.com/tickets.
Pat Lavery, owner of Glory Days Presents and exclusive promoter for High Dive, wrote in an email most of the "festers" are people who travel from out of town, out of state and even out of the country.
"It’s a sort of punk rock family reunion of people from around the globe that have grown up on this music," Lavery said.
This draws a huge crowd on what would otherwise be a slow weekend due to students and locals traveling to the game in Jacksonville.
Because Fest’s main stage is at Lot 10, located next to High Dive, Lavery expects this to be a busy year for the venue and its neighbors.
He said High Dive has been a part of the festival dating back to when the venue was still Common Grounds. High Dive routinely ranks as a band- and fan-favorite of the event due to its big stage, sound system and "unique" laid-back outdoor beer garden, where the big game will be playing during the event.
Mike Weaver, the manager and public relations coordinator for local business Sweetwater Organic Coffee, said Sweetwater is a proud sponsor of the event, a flea market participant and the official coffee of the Fest.
Weaver said Sweetwater became involved with Fest because of the coffee-loving members of the band All, a spinoff of the band Descendents.
Sweetwater created an "All blend," which was made from all of their single-origin coffees blended together. They gave All a few pounds of the blend and provided coffee in the backstage areas for three of the larger venues, including the main venue.
The following year, the coffee shop was asked to back Fest, and they created a "Descendents Blend" in response. Weaver said because their love for the same type of music aligns so well, being a part of Fest is almost like "a match made in heaven."
The flea market is where vendors come together, Weaver said.
"Anybody that has to do with the Fest — be it from Fat Wreck Chords, to No Idea Records, to 6 Dollar T-shirts, to you name it — they’re there," Weaver said, "basically schlepping stuff."
This will be Sweetwater’s third year at the flea market, and they are the first booth by the door. With the purchase of a pound of coffee, you will get to spin the prize wheel and "whatever you get, you get," Weaver said.
Prizes include koozies, stickers and Descendents- and Hot-Water-Music-themed gift bags.
Weaver said people at the flea market "go gaga" over Fat Wreck Chords and No Idea Records blowing out their stock of "rare stuff."
"There’s deals to be had for everybody all throughout," Weaver said.
Fest-goers have to go through the sale to get their armband, and the line snakes past all of the booths. It’s almost like exiting through the gift shop after a ride at a theme park.
"Except you’ve been waiting in line as your adventure throughout the day, and then finally you get into the gift shop," Weaver said.
The Fest Art Show is returning to Anthem Tattoo for the second year in a row. The show consists of artists who have at some point been involved with the event.
Samantha Salay, the Anthem Tattoo gallery director and the Fest Art Show curator, said the show features many art forms including photography, drawings and ceramics.
Salay owns Anthem Tattoo with her husband, and she moved to Gainesville over 20 years ago for the town’s music scene. She remembers volunteering with the event as early as the first Fest. Her husband used to prepare the Fest’s barbecue.
"I love the Fest," Salay said. "I love the Gainesville community; I love seeing people come to Gainesville and have an awesome time and being exposed to tons of cool bands."
When Anthem Tattoo moved into its current building, they decided to turn one of the rooms into an art gallery.
"Tony (who started Fest) approached me two years ago and said, ‘Hey, how about we throw the Art Show at in the Anthem Tattoo as a venue this year?’" Salay said. "And I was all for it, and that’s kind of how we got started."
She said art always plays a part in music, and Anthem is excited to have a place for people to come and extend the mass amounts of creative energy in Gainesville.
She believes Gainesville has a "really solid" music history, and Fest allows that scene to open up and become more global.
Weaver said Fest has become so large that every year he finds himself talking to someone from places like New Zealand, Australia, England, France and Brazil.
"You name it," he said.
Noting the large crowd from everywhere in the world, Salay urges festers to take their vitamins and drink responsibly.
Salay’s advice about taking your vitamins shouldn’t be overlooked.
Weaver said when you’re coming together with thousands of people from all corners of the world, "somebody’s bringing something (a sickness) that you ain’t seen."
Last year, Weaver discovered "Fest flu" is nothing to sneeze at. Weaver said he caught it last year, so he guesses he is now a believer.
"They’re coming to go to a three-day festival, and to catch Fest flu, and go home miserably sick," he joked.
Hands reach out in support of a crowd surfer Nov. 1, 2014, during Iron Chic’s set on Bo Diddley Community Plaza. The plaza saw thousands of people throughout the weekend.
