WE Fest aka “The Biggest Event of the summer in Minnesota” has been the statewide country music gathering for years. WE Fest has been a yearly event since 1983. It is hosted in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, and can be a week long vacation depending on your love for country music and alcohol. More than 50,000 people go through the campground gates with RVs, pickup trucks, and makeshift tents to listen to some of the biggest names in country music. The 2014 lineup had Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Brad Paisley, The Band Perry, Zach Brown Band, and Brantley Gilbert as the headliners. The lineups for WE Fest are usually stocked with the biggest names in country.
What makes it so fun? Why do so many people go? It’s easy to explain. First, everyone has to figure out his or her sleeping arrangements. Usually, it’s like the Wild West when it comes to picking a camping spot closest to the concert standing area. There is a mixed crowd. Some WE Festers are barely into high school, and others have been going to the festival for over 25 years. There is a lake that the majority of people bathe in during their stay, and almost everyone has a drink in their hand. The A-list lineup causes country fans from different backgrounds to buy their tickets almost 9 months in advance.
The country artists in the lineup interact with the fans on a whole new level. There is a good chance that one of the performers will walk by your campsite and play beer pong with you and your friends. A few years ago, Darius Rucker stopped by my friend’s campsite and played a round of beer darts with them! During his previous appearances, Luke Bryan would try to disguise himself and blend in with fans only to remove it and get a great reaction. The rowdy atmosphere of WE Fest is half the experience because you have all these people that are in one location for the sole purpose of listening to country music.
WE Fest 2015 already has power couple Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert locked into the lineup and it is safe to assume that more stars will follow. Tickets are already on sale, and my guess is that the festival will be the biggest it’s ever been. In the past, WE Fest has been nominated for the CMA’s Best Special Event award, and I can’t wait to be a part of the festival when it finally wins it.
I enjoyed this post because I like learning about how people outside the “obvious” areas appreciate country music. I mean, it is kind of a surprise that an event of this size happens every year in… Minnesota. (Maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise?) I wish you had shared more of your own experiences here. I am assuming you have been? Have you ever brushed elbows with someone famous there? What is it like listening to live music from your sleeping bag?