1. Governor’s Ball
June 5-7, 2015
Randall’s Island Park

The sunburn of Warped Tour meets the popular appeal of Coachella at this NYC concert series. The Governors Ball Music Festival began in 2011 as a one-day affair on Governor’s Island featuring among others Girl Talk, Reptar, Big Boi and a DJ set by Passion Pit. After a healthily-attended inaugural year, Gov Ball has grown to be the concert series to wear your snapback to each summer.

This year the festival will bring dozens of bands to Randall’s Island for the weekend, but there are definite stand out that you should make a point of seeing each day:
Friday: My Morning Jacket, Ratatat, The Decemberists, St. Vincent, Twin Shadow will take the stage along with Drake, Florence + the Machine
Saturday: Future Islands, Marina and the Diamonds, Conor Oberst, Ryan Adams, Deadmau5, Bjork
Sunday: Lana Del Rey, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The War on Drugs, The Black Keys, Hot Chip, Echosmith,”Weird Al” Yankovic.

Be sure to arrive early to secure a good spot. Buses and ferries beginning shuttling concert-goers to the island at 11:00AM. Gates open at 11:45 and the music starts at 12:15 (and doesn’t stop until 11:00PM!)

Don’t forget/lose/damage your wristband. Gov Ball, like many of the bigger music events, distributes wristbands to ticket holders via the mail (or via the box office for late purchases.) They are your ticket in and are what allow you to re-enter the festival each day. Mind you can only re-enter once a day, so keep that mind when scheduling your day.

Also, DRINK WATER. You don’t want to be the rookie taking a breather in the med tent. Free water stations will be located throughout the ground. Take advantage of those. Stay hydrated, rested and fed. Food options at the festival will include vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options for those of us with any dietary restrictions. Amongst the vendors will be Aranchini Bros, Bareburger, Mighty Quinn’s, Ramen Burger, Luke’s Lobster, CoolHaus, Mayhem & Stout, and Davey’s Ice Cream.

2. Celebrate Brooklyn!
June 3-August 12
Prospect Park

Long before the borough was the cool place to live and hipsters took over of Williamsburg, Celebrate Brooklyn! launched in 1979. The outdoor festival was meant to draw people back to then revitalized Prospect Park, which had been up until that point somewhat neglected. The celebration was a huge success and has returned year after year with bigger bands and grander attractions, but the same purpose: to celebrate Brooklyn.

As a part of its concert series, Celebrate Brooklyn! brings bands, musicians and musical acts of all forms to the Prospect Park Bandshell. Apart from a handful of benefit concerts (which ask for a donation), all the Celebrate Brooklyn concerts are FREE. Out of all the acts, here are some must-sees:
Free Shows: Chaka Khan (6/3), The New Pornographers (7/11) and tUnE-yArDs (8/8)
Benefit Concerts: Damien Rice (6/17), Interpol (7/21), Modest Mouse (7/22), and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (8/4)

Remember, free shows are usually popular and fairly crowded. There’s sure to be a horde of people at each show, especially with the more popular acts. Arrive early and stake out a good spot. Gates open an hour before the show, so plan accordingly. There are 2,000 or so chairs near the Bandshell, plus plenty of lawn space to camp out on with a blanket and some friends.

Celebrate Brooklyn! encourages picnicking, but cans/bottles aren’t allowed. Also, note that while beer and wine is sold on-site, it may not be removed from the grounds. Additional food and drink can be purchased from the vendors, The Farm on Adderley and The Good Batch. Etsy New York will also be in attendance if you’re looking for merch.

The shows happen rain or shine  so pack extra clothes, sunscreen, ponchos, whatever you need plus a open mind and good attitude.

-Zoe Marquedant