- Fresh Find: Introducing Pharmacy Keys - April 8, 2020
- My First Bellwether Music Festival Experience - August 15, 2019
- Why the Nelsonville Music Festival is a unique experience - June 18, 2019
The Bellwether Music Festival is a small two-day (Friday/Saturday) multi-stage alternative music and camping festival that takes place at Renaissance Park, a 30-acre recreated 16th Century English village that also hosts the annual Ohio Renaissance Festival.
This was my first year attending the event. Campers could start loading in at noon on Thursday, but I arrived Friday afternoon. Upon pulling in, I was surprised to see that there was not a long line of cars waiting to get in. I thought it would be more crowded. That was nice! Once I showed my campground pass, the attendants searched my car and my cooler, which wasn’t surprising. When I registered for the event, I was told this would happen. So, campers beware! Your car and coolers will be searched. You are limited to the amount of alcohol you can bring, and you cannot bring glass.
I headed to the “basic” camping area, which gives you enough room for up to four people and one car. Other options include XL camping (six people, 2 tents and 1 car), and quiet/family camping (XL camping and first come, first serve while they last). For a pricier option, you can “glamp,” where they provide you with a tent with four cots and “freshen up” passes (which basically means you can go take a shower). They also offer RV camping, which is also quite expensive. Most people chose basic camping.
After I set up camp and met my neighbors, I headed to the festival, which was just a short walk away from the campground. The entrance is a replica of a front of a castle, so you know you are going to be seeing some neat stuff when you walk in. To get into the festival, you must walk through a metal detector, and the attendants will also check your bags.
After clearing security, I walked into another era and town, surrounded by castles, dragon fountains and antique buildings. Streets, such as Troll Crossing and Minstrel’s Grove, housed vendors, beer gardens and food.
To the left was a general store that sold basic items. I forgot bug spray, so I was able to easily pop into the store and buy some. They also have beverages, ice, sunscreen, etc. This is a nice perk, since the closest store is miles away.
After a short walk through the town, I crossed a bridge and went to Sunset Stage, the main stage, to catch the tail end of Caroline Rose. I was impressed with the stage. It was easy to see from any area, and it was not crowded. The park is filled with trees, so it was easy to find a place in the shade. There are also seating areas near the stage. People brought blankets, bubbles, LED balls, balloons, hula hoops and other gear to ramp up the audience.
After Caroline Rose, I walked around the park to explore all it had to offer. There were plenty of vendors selling trinkets and wares. You could buy elf ears, unisex clothing, jewelry, concert merchandise, LED novelties, leather goods and other unique treasures.
I stopped by the acoustic stage to check out Saint Aubin, a three-piece indie band from Indianapolis, playing songs from their newest EP “They Say You Are a Giant” and other tracks. 
I then went to the Rock-n-Roll Joust, which featured the characters Elton John, Gene Simmons, Angus Young, Freddy Mercury and Billy Gibbons, who competed in a true jousting competition. I didn’t really know what to expect, but, much to my surprise, this attracted a lot of attendees. It was definitely entertaining! There were three other jousting semi-finals, leading to Elton John and Angus Young competing in the final. Elton John took home the title.
I hadn’t yet seen the third stage, Shipwreck Stage, so I made my way over there to see a bit of We Are Scientists, a two-person indie rock band that formed in 2000. The Shipwreck Stage is pretty much how you would imagine it would be. The stage is encompassed by a wrecked ship…
The rest of the evening I bounced back and forth between stages, seeing Cold War Kids, Real Estate, Katie Pruitt and headliner Cake. Cake put on a great show as always, playing their classics and sprinkling in some newer songs.
Although Cake was the headliner, there was still stuff to do when they finished. There was a DJ set at 11 p.m. on the Shipwreck Stage, the movie Wayne’s World at 11 p.m, and a silent disco with Firecat 451.
Saturday’s lineup was just as good as Friday’s. I was able to see Souther, Black Moth Super Rainbow, STRFKR, Sego (one of my favorite sets of the festival), Guided by Voices and headliner Beach House. After-hours events included a DJ set by STRFKR, the movie The Hangover, and a silent disco.
Here are some things I observed while at Bellwether Music Festival:
They have free charging stations. Yep. Free. You give them your phone, they hand you a claim ticket, you come back in a couple hours and you get a charged phone!
Bring cash!
If you don’t buy a parking pass beforehand, you need cash to pay for parking. Some vendors were cash only, but there were plenty of ATMs around.
The bathrooms weren’t bad!
I’m always a bit nervous about the bathroom situation at music festivals. Are they going to be disgusting? Will I have to wait in a 10-person line? I’m happy to report that the bathrooms in the park were clean and easy to access. I rarely had to wait in line. Super cool!
You can do yoga
If you want to get up early, you can go to yoga at 8 a.m.
It’s family friendly
The Bellwether Festival is a family friendly event. Pregnant and nursing mothers could use the Mommy Station, a private, air-conditioned space to relax and revive. They also provide a refrigerator to store breast milk.
Kids 10 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult ticket holder, and they offer a family/quiet area in the campground.
Everyone is friendly
Seriously. I didn’t witness one rude, obnoxious, wasted or unfriendly person at the festival. Even the security guards were friendly. It’s definitely a good vibe.
