A Guide by Ally Fuchs

During the last weekend of October, I had the incredible opportunity to drive from Houston, Texas to New Orleans, Louisiana to attend Voodoo Fest with my boyfriend, Trey, for the very first time.  The selection was incredible, the energy was impalpable, and the nippy October air cast a veil of spookiness which one could only expect on the weekend before Halloween. Unfortunately, however, we made a number of rookie mistakes which could have easily been avoided with the proper research.  So, today I’m sharing 9 mistakes I made at Voodoo Fest this year so your that Voodoo Fest 2020 will be smoother than mine: 

We got our tickets just a few days before we left for the festival. In hindsight, we should have booked our hotel that instant.  The night before we left, I typed “New Orleans Airbnb” into my phone only to realize--to our shock and horror--that every single Airbnb under $100 in the city of New Orleans had been sold out.  We switched to searching for hotels as a back-up, but it seemed like every extra minute we took to find a hotel, another place was booked. We were lucky to find an affordable place to stay at all.  So, my advice for anyone who’s coming from out of town: as soon as you know you’re going to Voodoo Fest, you need to step on that Airbnb, pronto!

2. Sample all of the bands/artists in advance.

This year there were 65 bands in total, and to be honest, I only recognized a little over a dozen of them.  Sure, you don’t need to know every festival artist’s discography from front to back to have a good time, but it’s helpful to listen to 2 or 3 songs by each artist.  That way, you can construct a relatively flexible schedule for each day of the festival based on who you’re most interested in seeing, and guarantee that you won’t miss any of your soon-to-be-favorite new artists.  Not to mention, your road trip playlist will be a cinch! 

3. Get there early.

This one isn’t necessarily essential, but if you want a shot at free street parking close to the venue, try to get there around noon, or 4pm at the latest.  This is a great way to avoid the lines, which aren’t too bad during the day, but get insanely long later on. 

4. Bring rubber boots!

If you only remember one thing from this article, please, remember this: wear rain boots.  Voodoo Fest has a history of being shockingly, favorite-shoe-ruiningly muddy. This year, a huge storm came in on the first day of the fest, resulting in a thick, deep layer of mud which covered the entire festival grounds.  Fortunately I was able to save my muddied combat boots with a little dish soap and some persistent scrubbing. Trey, on the other hand, showed up to Voodoo Fest in boat shoes and nearly got trench foot. That’s right: trench foot. So if you care about having dry feet and salvaging your shoes, make sure to bring comfortable, waterproof boots instead.

5. Go easy on the walking.

Between walking to and from my car, from venue to venue, and to buses/restaurants, I somehow managed to walk 13 miles on the second day of the festival and 9 on the third.  Combined, that’s only 4 miles shy of a marathon over the span of two days. My feet certainly didn’t thank me for it. Luckily I was able to pick up some gel wraps for my pinkie toes (which were particularly affected) in order to limp sparingly during the last day of the festival.  But if I were you, I’d load up on shoe inserts, moleskin, and band-aids...or maybe just rent a bike.  

6. Hydrate or diedrate.

When we went, there was a hydration station which offered plenty of free water. What we lacked, unfortunately, were cups for the water.  If I could go back in time, I’d definitely bring reusable water bottles. We ended up ordering a drink from the bar just to refill the cup with water once it was empty, but that was an $11 investment.  Save your money.  

7. Go for the big bands and the little bands.

Although it might not turn out this way at the next Voodoo Fest, this is pretty much how it was for me: The little bands were underrated, and the bigger groups were hype as heck.  In short, the smallest groups tended to have quaint, intimate audiences, and bucketfuls of talent. I think the lead singer of Hello Yello even smiled at me (maybe it was just my awful dancing).  On the other hand, the biggest groups were show-stoppers. Zhu in particular was incredible to see. I’m talking costumes, fire, special effects, the entire package--not to mention the killer EDM.  Post Malone was an equally great performer, and exactly who Voodoo Fest needed for their closing act. In sum, the bigger the artist, the wilder the show. Overall, I’d try to match the size of the artist with your current interest in jumping up and down like an idiot.  Don’t act like you don’t want to. 

8. Stop for a bite to eat.

There were plenty of food options at Voodoo Fest.  One dessert that rocked our world was cookie dough--no, not cookie dough ice cream, actual cookie dough.  Apparently, if you use apple sauce instead of eggs, it’s possible to make cookie dough shelf-stable. So definitely shop around and sample the cuisine because of course, everything tastes great in New Orleans.  Or, take a break from the hustle and bustle of Voodoo to grab a bite to eat at the French Quarter, which is only a short $1.25 bus ride away. I recommend Killer Po Boys for a bit of a hipster take on cajun cuisine, or Mother’s if you prefer a classical flavor palate.  Both are mouthwatering. And don’t forget the beignets! 

9. Don’t feel bad about leaving early! 

This one especially goes for all my introverts out there. Let’s be real: every musical festival is pretty much a 3-day-long party set to music. Now, I’ve definitely had friends who felt obligated to attend a festival for its entire duration. With a 1-day pass, this might be doable.  But if you’re going any longer than that, remember that the whole point of going to a festival is to enjoy yourself, and that there’s no point in trying to milk it for your money’s worth if you’re too exhausted to have a good time. So kick FOMO to the curb and give yourself a break if you need one.

In the end, despite all of the silly mistakes we made, from me getting blisters on 60% of my toes and paying $11 for tap water to Trey almost getting trench foot in the 21st century, Trey and I both agreed that Voodoo Fest was completely worth the drive.  I’ve made enough new memories to fill a scrapbook, expanded my musical repertoire significantly, and eaten my fair share of beignets. And I can’t wait to go next year if I get the chance. Since you’ve already learned from my mistakes, there’s absolutely no excuse not to join me.  Voodoo Fest 2020, here we come!

Written by: Ally FuchsPhotos courtesy of Ally Fuchs