Tips and tricks to make sure you have fun at this year’s Voodoo Music Festival:
Hot Costumes That Will Keep You Cool
As a Halloween-themed festival, it is imperative that you show up to Voodoo in costume. Whether it’s another basketball jersey or a crop top with camouflage pants, any costume will keep you in the spirit and make you feel a part of the crowd. That being said, a music festival in New Orleans is not the place to wear your most elaborate and heavy costume. City Park, the location of the festival, will be crowded with thousands of people, so make sure your costume is not too hot. After jumping up and down for hours in crowded mosh pits the last thing you want is your body suit stuck to your sweat drenched skin.
In addition to having a breathable, lightweight costume, make sure you wear shoes that can endure the possible mud slides that may surround the festival grounds. Composed primarily of grass and dirt, expect the grounds to give your shoes a run for their money. Lastly, make sure your costume does not offend anyone. No specific look is worth offending someone’s personal beliefs or identities.
Vibe Out
Although you probably agreed to go to Voodoo because one of your friends mentioned a couple artists you like will be there, do not take all the other great experiences the festival can offer for granted. Fun to walk through and great for pictures, enormous Halloween themed art installations will be located throughout the festival. To eat up time in-between the 65 different bands that will play over the three days, there will also be a Beer Hall, House of Blues, and shopping. The combination of the costumes, people, music, and art in the middle of New Orleans is sure to create an environment you will enjoy and want to be a part of.
Eat Up Not Throw Up
A crucial part of any festival experience: the EATS. The talent that is seen onstage is well-matched with the talent in the kitchen of every food vendor. Voodoo provides a comprehensive selection of New Orleans cuisine, featuring dishes like Shrimp Poboys or Fried Duck Quesadillas with Tabasco. Between Dat Dog, Blue Oak BBQ, Boucherie, and Reginelli’s Pizzeria, there’s no way to go hungry. The festival also features vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and healthy options.
Keeping that in mind, it is imperative that you do not eat too much as you will be moving a lot that day. Also make sure you are eating foods that are not too far out of your comfort zone. The porta-potty line is not where you want to be when you hear Post Malone coming on stage. Lastly, stay very hydrated. Whether dancing for hours, exhausting photo shoots, or eating spicy food there is always a good reason to down a bottle of water.
Be Smart, Stay Safe
Though the festival will be lots of fun, it can also be dangerous. Voodoo can be a very unideal environment to get lost in; it’s crowded, dark, and filled with contraband drugs and alcohol. Make sure you travel with friends and share your locations with each other. Other precautions include completely charging your phone, bringing a portable charger, and taking only what is absolutely needed for the day in case you lose something.
Lastly, though it is Halloween, Voodoo is not the place to trick or treat. The festival will be crowded with many young people both inside and outside of the Tulane Community. If a stranger offers you a treat it is most likely a trick, so stay clear of unwarranted offers as any drugs or alcohol are dangerous.
As long as you follow these rules your Voodoo experience should be nothing shy of a fun and memorable day with friends and music.
Cover Photo: Rachel Wine
About Max Cohen
Max Cohen is The Crescent’s wonderful Senior Editor. He’s a senior double majoring in English and Communications with a minor in Political Science. When he’s not editing or writing articles, he enjoys exploring New Orleans and playing guitar.
Max Cohen is The Crescent’s wonderful Senior Editor. He’s a senior double majoring in English and Communications with a minor in Political Science. When he’s not editing or writing articles, he enjoys exploring New Orleans and playing guitar.
