Breaking: Langerado 2011 has been canceled.
The return of Langerado, SoFla's favorite little/big festival, is on the horizon. Therefore, it's about time we all start thinking about how we are going to approach this thing. To help you along, County Grind is offering a series of pointers, from experience and thorough research, that will apply to the various stages and aspects of your Langerado experience come October 8 and 9.
In this first edition, we'll start logically by focusing on getting your fest-happy butt to the grounds and finding a place to rest that butt after each day of raging. Having a well-constructed framework and a bit of forethought will allow you to be more free-flowing and spontaneous once the thing is in motion. There are several options for traveling, as well as nesting, and each provides a different sort of experience. Decide what sort of overall trip you're going for, and choose from there. Consider your travel and nesting arrangements to be equally important to your Langerado vibes as the bands that will take the stage.
First: Get to town (if you aren't local)
Planes, trains, automobiles, and buses are obvious choices. Most out-of-towners will fly into Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport or drive, and both options are fine. Alternatively, taking Amtrak or Greyhound can really open up your overall trip. You'll meet people, get off in towns in between your home and the fest with time to wander, gaze out the window at passing scenery, stay awake most of the night, maybe drink whiskey and write poetry. Classic stuff.
Even more creatively, you may look into making a post on Craigslist in the "rideshare" category or seeking a ride by posting on the Langerado Facebook site. Festivalgoers often connect in this way. It's a great way to save on travel expenses, lessen your carbon footprint, and meet great people. It's like slightly less adventurous hitchhiking. If you're looking to be more adventurous, of course, you could actually hitchhike. There's lots of great pointers on that activity on digihitch.com. Go for it!
Once in town, get to the grounds
If you arrive in town -- or live in town -- without a vehicle, or if you don't feel like driving, biking, rollerblading, or walking out there, you can get there via BCT (Broward County Transit) Bus Route 23. Check the BCT website for maps, routes, and schedules. Alternatively, hit up a local for a lift, and be sure to chip in a few bucks for gas or, even better, make a contribution with a headier form of currency.
Where to sleep -- or continue to rage -- when the fest boots you out each night?
There will come a time when the last band says "good night." What then? Whether you're pooped or running strong, you'll need somewhere to go next. Here are some options:
1) Hotel, or hotey (pronounced hŏ-tee), in touring-hippie speak
This will be the most popular option, since there is no official Langerado camping announced as of yet (not to say you can't camp -- see option 2). When choosing a hotel, you'll want to think about whether you want to sleep or rage, how much you want to spend, whether you are interested in extrafestival activity, and how close to the grounds you'd like to be.
Also consider -- realistically but also adventurously -- how many peeps you would like to invite into the room. Floor space is as valuable as gold in ragetown. You may go into this not only with a bunch of friends in mind ahead of time but also with an open attitude toward letting fellow festi-peeps crash in your nest.
Langerado lists a handful of hoteys on its website. Here's how all that breaks down:
The Hyatt is the official Langerado hotey and is 1.3 miles from the festival. It has a block of rooms set aside and a special Langerado deal, which could make for a great hotel party scene. Along with that comes the possibility that your room will end up next to -- or could even become -- a serious rage room. So, this may not be a sure-fire option for good sleep -- unless you find the sounds of bubbling bongs and cracking nitrous chargers to be as soothing as waves crashing on the shore.
As of this week, the rooms are $135 through the Langerado deal and a bit cheaper ($107.10) if you book through their "Staymore" deal. Going the latter route may also put a couple of walls in between your nest and the afterparty -- giving you the option to rage or to rest.
Beyond the Hyatt, there are two separate La Quintas. Both quoted rates of $65 per night for a standard room (king or double beds) and $85 for a suite. Both the hotels are two miles from the grounds and will most likely be full of heads on a budget. The Courtyard and Crowne Plaza are a bit farther (2.5 miles and 4.5 miles, respectively) and more expensive ($119 and $129 to $179, respectively). And, the latter comes with earplugs in case someone in your room is more party-happy than you are at 3 a.m.
The final two options are resorts, not hoteys. These are for the high rollers who would like to spend time gambling or laying out poolside or on the beach when they aren't watching Ween and Ben Harper. Seminole Hard Rock is 12.7 miles away and costs $600 a night, and the W is 19.3 miles away and costs $279 a night. If you choose one of these options, please let us know if you have any heady floor space.
2) Camping
The last Markham Langerado (2007) featured official on-site camping, which was great! This year, though, that will not be offered -- as far as we know, but we'll update you if that changes. Not to worry though, in the previous years -- when official camping was not offered -- in-the-know locals booked campsites at Markham Park for the weekend of the festival. Honestly, that scene was way cooler than the official camping in 2007, and the option for festgoers to do that this year is open -- but limited. There are only 88 campsites at Markham Park -- which cost $30 for Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach residents, $40 for out-of towners -- and they will likely fill up. These sites boast water, electricity, sewer (for RVs), bathrooms with showers, picnic tables, and fire pits. This is, from experience, the absolute best option for nesting and partying pre- and postfest. Get on it quick!
Besides camping at Markham, the next best spot is 11.5 miles away at C.B. Smith Park. The prices are the same, but the scene will not be nearly as cool. It's just an open grassy space where you are allowed to pitch tents. No electric, no shade trees, you won't be able to hear the music while you have your morning session -- nothing. It's still cheap, though.
3) Crash with friends -- new or old!
If you are from out of town and know somebody in the area, you can obviously hook up with them and turn their place into Langerado headquarters. If you don't know anyone yet, reach out and make a friend -- beforehand via the internet (check out couchsurfing.com!) or right there on site. If you are traveling with a good attitude, something will line up for you. As we mentioned before, it is a good idea to have stuff lined up ahead of time. Winging it can be fun but also stressful. We recommend having some sort of nesting plan.
Well, that oughta get your wheels turning for phase one of planning. Stay tuned for more pointers in the coming weeks leading up to the festival.
Langerado Music Festival 2011. With Death Cab for Cutie, Trey Anastasio Band, Ben Harper, Thievery Corporation, Ween, Arctic Monkeys, G. Love & Special Sauce, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Wolfgang Gartner, Etienne De Crecy, the Glitch Mob, Ghostland Observatory, Das Racist, Portugal. The Man, Friendly Fires, Childish Gambino, Smith Westerns, Super Mash Bros., Conspirator, Savoy, Mates of State, the Whigs, Yuck, Metropolis, Keys N Krates, Two Fresh, RAC DJs, Lance Herbstrong, HOTTUB, Bobby Lee Rogers, the Heavy Pets, Nicos Gun, a Million Pieces, Nic Cowan, Bear Cub, K. Flay, Rachel Goodrich, and the Kingston Springs. October 8 and 9. Advance tickets cost $150. Click here.
Follow County Grind on Facebook and Twitter: @CountyGrind.
