Tortuga Music Festival 2016: Avoid Parking; Take the Water Taxi

You won’t have worry about getting sand in your cowboy boots while trekking to Tortuga Music Festival next weekend. This year, Water Taxi is introducing express routes that will provide all-day service to Fort Lauderdale Beach during the country, roots, and rock extravaganza, which will feature headlining artists Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, and Dierks Bentley.

Taxis will depart from the GALLERYone DoubleTree Hotel on Sunrise Boulevard and from Briny Irish Pub in Las Olas Riverfront. Both of these routes will take passengers on a 30-minute ride to the Las Olas Marina, which is a short walk from the festival and where guests will reboard in the evening. Routes will begin at 10 a.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Taxis to and from the festival will run throughout the day.

The transportation service has worked with Tortuga each year, and in 2015, the festival team ran the transportation. However, Water Taxi co-owner Mike McGurl says this year it’s a little more independent. The company came up with express routes based on how crowded the beach festival has been in past years.

“With thousands of local visitors alike flocking to Fort Lauderdale Beach for the Tortuga Music Festival’s nonstop performances, navigating the crowded streets in a car becomes an almost impossible task,” McGurl says. “The Water Taxi welcomes everyone to take advantage of our special shuttle service that offers a vastly more convenient and fun way to experience this amazing event.”

Advance single- and three-day taxi passes are available on the Water Taxi website for $25 and $45, respectively. There will be free parking at the Galleria Mall next to the hotel, along with paid parking at the One River Plaza parking garage next to the pub.

Founded in 2013, Tortuga works with the Rock the Ocean Foundation to raise public awareness about issues impacting the world’s oceans and support education, research, and ocean conservation initiatives, according to the festival’s website.


Water Taxi Express Routes
From GALLERYone DoubleTree and Briny Irish Pub to FTL Beach:
Friday, 4/15: 10 a.m.
Saturday, 4/16: 9 a.m.
Sunday, 4/17: 9 a.m.