How to get the most out of your Shabang weekend
With just hours to go until Shabang weekend, KCPR has compiled a series of festival tips to ensure you get the most out of your Shabang Music, Arts and Camping experience.
Before you arrive at the Dairy Creek Golf Course, you’ll want to create a rough schedule for the day. What artists do you want to see? Any vendors you could pick up a last-minute statement piece from? How will you get from Funk Safari to Cuesta Ridge in under five minutes? The four Shabang stages are relatively close, but if you are a barricade warrior, you might want to give yourself a five to 10-minute travel time.
The Funk Safari stage is a hub for house and techno lovers, which will feature artists such as Jungle and Odd Mob this year. Other headliners like Wallows and Goth Babe will be at the Laguna Lake stage, the designated site for all things alternative rock.
The Cuesta Ridge stage is a grittier location that is situated at the top right of the festival. The stage offers a more intimate setting, with acts like Margot Sinclair and Almost Monday given the chance to perform closely with the crowd. Finally, in between the three main stages, you’ll want to swarm over to the Silent Disco Haüs Party where a turntable throwdown occurs throughout each day.
While music is the unifier bringing together local audience members and visitors, there are also other aspects of Shabang that you’ll want to check off your bucket list. Consider dabbling into workshops such as the freestyle freedom event where you can spit the bars that roll off your tongue, or the sacred art of ass shaking, which speaks for itself. You can find other happenings here.
Friday and Saturday will offer exclusive pickle hours as well, featuring exactly what you might expect.
Scattered through the hills of Shabang will be a diverse range of vendors that might pique your interest, too. But the festivities go beyond clothing, as Tooth Fairy SLO and Miah’s Beads will cater to your gem and jewelry needs.
Between the stomping and necessary shopping, you might want to grab a bite to eat. While it is easy to get lost in the sounds of the festival, this year, Shabang is offering a wide selection of food from Ruru Kitchen açai bowls to Zen Dog — and if you have a sweet tooth, Sugarlips mini donuts have you covered.
If you are partaking in Shabang camping and find yourself awake with the early birds, there are a number of activities offered to fill the time. Among trivia, speed dating and a campground pre-party, there will also be camp games reminiscent of the field days at your old elementary school.
To keep the night going, once Wallows is done with their set on Saturday night, Saturday Afters will take place from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., featuring Odd Mob, Gudella and King Julian. The after party is a 21+ event and two-day pass holders or Saturday ticket holders can attend.
While it is advised to make a festival schedule in your head, Shabang has made your planning a step easier with the official Shabang app. There, you can build your own schedule and see what stages other attendees plan to stop by.
Lastly, of course, in order to get the most out of your Shabang weekend, you’ll want to let loose with your friends or even gather the courage to talk to strangers. After all, it is the perfect atmosphere to let go and have fun.
