As the summer comes to end, so does our beloved festival season. But it’s not over yet. There are still a few to look forward to, like Moonrise Festival in Baltimore next weekend.
Moonrise is the perfect end of summer festival, taking place at Pimlico Race Course August 6th and 7th.
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Moonrise is still a fairly new addition to the festival season schedule, but you would never guess that they opened their gates for the first time in 2014. They had a rough start, cancelling the first scheduled performances in 2013 due to complications securing the right permits for the event. Moonrise replaced Starscape, which was held in Fort Armistead Park for 13 years.
The last few years of Starscape were rough, at best, with the roughest coming in 2012. According to a 2013 article in the Baltimore Sun, 14,000 were allowed into the festival when their permit was meant for only 7,500. The festival quickly grew out of control and EMS responders were called to the site “continuously for 12 hours.”
Organizers wanted to make sure the first weekend of the new Moonrise festival would be epic, and secured EDM powerhouses like Zeds Dead, Kaskade, and Bassnectar. It did not disappoint. Moonrise‘s debut was a resounding success and they have continued to grow in popularity, featuring some of the biggest names in the industry.
This year, the line up boasts not only the third appearance of Bassnectar, but sets from Flux Pavilion, NGHTMRE, Tiesto, and The Chainsmokers.
The safety of its crowds is one of the organizers top priorities at Moonrise Festival.
They’ve taken notes from festival veterans like EDC and enlisted the help of roaming volunteers, dubbed the “Star Team”, who wander the festival distributing water, ear plugs, and other necessities to keep everyone safe and having fun.
The festival continues to evolve coming into its third year, adding early wristband pick up to help avoid long lines on opening day. They added an additional entrance to distribute the crowds more evenly and expedite the entry process, and more bathrooms and water filling stations.
Moonrise Festival 2016 starts on Saturday, August 6th with gates opening at 11AM. Full weekend tickets and single day tickets are still available.
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