u/doubl3_hel1x

I have long, thick 3b/c multicultural curls. I went to a salon in my area for a blow out for an event tomorrow (I’m leaving tonight for the event). When I booked online I mentioned my hair length and type. There aren’t really curly hair specialists in my area, there are some an hour away, but they’re hard to book with.

The stylist immediately showed she wasn’t used to curly hair by combing her fingers through my dry curls (maybe out of habit? I see stylists do this a lot online) and struggling to clip my hair up.

She was frazzled but kind and gentle through the styling.

Ultimately, when she finished the style (30 min into her next appointment because I have so much hair, which I felt really bad about) I was really happy with how it looked. I was charged extra for the additional time, which I thought was fine. I paid and tipped and left.

Now it’s 2 hours later, I got home after running some light errands (just going to Target and Total Wine) and the top layer of my hair is so poofy, the style is completely coming undone. Is there anything I do to save it and still have it for the event? I’m spiraling and feel so devastated that the hair I planned and paid for hasn’t even lasted half a day, when I was hoping it would last all weekend. Is it my fault for not booking with a curly hair specialist?

Perhaps important context is that the humidity here is 76% and it will be similarly humid tomorrow at the event.

Hi everyone! looking forward to my first northern nights so much! Unfortunately, today I got a grade 3 full ligament tear sprain on my foot and a grade 2 sprain on my ankle. But don’t worry, it’s not stopping me!!

I’ve read through the ADA options online and it’s unclear to me if it’s really helpful or worth it to get registered with the ADA support since I obviously don’t have a handicap placard for car camping for a bad sprain.

I’m wondering if anyone who has done this fest before has tips on being prepared to be a little limited in mobility. I have a foot boot and a knee scooter thing. Anything else I should get?

I’m in CR right now but will get back into the states like 2.5 days before the fest so I can still order stuff to my apartment or get it here in CR if it’s small enough to fly with!

Thanks for any insights you can provide!!

I was wondering if anyone who has been to the night shows before knows how many/how long of openers there typically were? I have always wanted to go but always ended up at unofficial afters.

Wondering if we would have to leave the park early to make it to see Griz at the night show. TIA!

We will be in La Fortuna in July and we're wondering if there's any activities that we should be making reservations for in advance. We're hoping to visit resorts with day passes, go tubing and spend time in the river, and see wildlife.

Thanks for any insight!

I read so many first-time recap posts and benefited so much from all the advice shared by first timers and pros, so it's my turn to pay it forward and share everything we learned. 

Arrival

We live about 4 hours away, and driving over the morning of (Friday) was not really appealing to us. So we stayed at the Best Western on Trask for about $200. Split 4 ways, that's $50 each, and they had a decent breakfast included as well as an opportunity for us to all get a real shower in. 

In the future, I would consider the 5-day pass because I’d like more time in the fest, but I think staying at the hotel the night before is an option first-timers should consider. There were many LiBers staying at the hotel, and the vibes were high. 

We left the hotel and followed the instructions on the wristband envelope rather than using the Maps navigation to get to the festival grounds. We had minimal wait time to get in, go through security, and reach our camp. Total time from leaving the gas station by the hotel to landing at our campsite was just under 2 hours. 

We had a huge truckload of stuff, and security did not make us unload, btw. I was worried about this. 

Camp

The biggest piece of advice I have, and the thing I’ll do differently next year, is not to set up camp if arriving Friday afternoon. Use your E-ZUps to reserve the space you need; your neighbors will respect that. And then get the hell out of the heat!!! I cannot overemphasize how much trying to set up in the height of the heat took out of us on Friday. Come back and set up before you head out for the night. It's cooler (like 6:45). Everything you need is inside the fest, so just reserve your space and get out of the heat. 

For us, hanging pashes was not even close to enough shade. I recommend using a compass to find where the sun will hit you the most and using sheets or something else to completely block off those sides of the EZ-up. It was important to us to have an easy point of contact with our neighbors. Leaving our north and south facing sides open was great for this. 

Camp set-up and quality of life are huge, but not as big as I thought they would be (for our group).

The quality of life things that made a huge difference at our camp were: (1) ice cold water bottles (frozen before arrival, kept in cooler with ice, (2) a camp shower and tall shower tent, (3) seating options (horizontal and vertical relaxation) 

I was worried about the wind and worried about campground placement. We were way in the back of High Noon (Bangladesh and Overlook), and the walk was easy (less than 10 minutes). 

Our tent and easy-ups did not budge one bit in the wind. Here’s what we used: 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2P571LP?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D6FQZ5PG?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

This was super easy to set up at camp, as long as you fit your drill to the anchor heads ahead of time. Doing it manually was okay too, but I wouldn’t recommend it. 

I will buy an Aluminet next time — even an extra 30 min of sleep time would be monumental for us. 

Lake/Daytime 

Wake up, get the fuck out of camp, and go to the lake. Your life and vibes will be better inside the fest. 

Every morning, we were miserable until we went inside, had a smoothie/popsicle, and set up by the lake. It’s soooo much cooler inside the fest, and the lake is so amazing. The earlier you go in, the less security you will encounter, which enables you more flexibility in your setup. 

Shade over by the Junkyard stage was awesome, music was great, and the floaties are soooo cool. Bring your own or respectfully borrow an unused one. 

There is plenty to do in the daytime besides the lake, and it is a lot cooler at the fest, and even cooler if you have taken a dip in the lake. We were enjoying a bit of time in the lake/shade, and then a little exploration. Maybe a pickle. Back in the lake. 

Nighttime 

Be prepared to go all night, whatever that means for you. Stay out late or go back early if you want to, regardless of what your group does. There are no wrong answers when listening to your needs. 

It’s pretty easy to go between the stages. Our group decided to split up the time and saw most of the acts we wanted to. If you want to be up close to your favorite artist, it's almost definitely possible. And most of the time, we had plenty of space. Tap people on the shoulder and smile, and they will let you by. 

In summary, I could not recommend LiB more, but it's not something where you can or should plan to do everything. I look forward to returning because I know there is still so much more to discover, and that’s really exciting for me! 

I have 3b curly hair and didn’t plan ahead well enough to get my hair braided for the weekend ahead of time. There are not a lot of braiders in my local area so I doubt I’ll get an appointment before then.

I’ve read people will be braiding hair at the fest. Is there someone who can braid curly multicultural hair (maybe even w a lil design on top) I can pay to braid my hair nicely with some add ins (braining hair and tinsel)??

I’m nervous about approaching just any random person bc people often say they can work with “any hair” and learn on my hair that texture absolutely makes a difference…

So so excited!! Can’t wait to boogie w yall whether ive got some sick braids or my crazy nest of curls

Anyone around that can do a simple cornrow design into 2 dutch braids on my hair this week?? I’m going to a festival this week. Already checked that Nene at Natural Impressions is booked.

Don’t need a professional! Down to come to ur house and hang out while you do the job!

I have mixed race hair w 3b curls and a couple of packs of braiding hair + tinsel!

Please let me know! Sorry for the last minute ask I’m a student working full time and didn’t plan ahead well enough. Don’t really want to risk people at the festival not being able braid mixed hair…

Anyone around that can do a simple cornrow design into 2 dutch braids on my hair this week?? I’m going to a festival this week. Already checked that Nene at Natural Impressions is booked.

Don’t need a professional! Down to come to ur house and hang out while you do the job!

I have mixed race hair w 3b curls and a couple of packs of braiding hair + tinsel!

Please let me know! Sorry for the last minute ask I’m a student working full time and didn’t plan ahead well enough. Don’t really want to risk people at the festival not being able braid mixed hair…

Anyone around that can do a simple cornrow design into 2 dutch braids on my hair this week?? I’m going to a festival this week. Already checked that Nene at Natural Impressions is booked.

Don’t need a professional! Down to come to ur house and hang out while you do the job!

I have mixed race hair w 3b curls and a couple of packs of braiding hair + tinsel!

Please let me know! Sorry for the last minute ask I’m a student working full time and didn’t plan ahead well enough. Don’t really want to risk people at the festival not being able braid mixed hair…

American couple in late 20s planning ~8 days in La Fortuna in July. We’re looking forward to seeing wildlife, visiting hot springs, and relaxing.

What activities, restaurants, and resorts have you loved in La Fortuna?

Thanks in advance <3