Red Sky’s Ultimate Guide to Treeforting for Newbies, Pros and Everyone in Between

written by

Jessica Flynn

March 6, 2019

Will this be your first time at Treefort Music Fest or have you been rocking the five-day music-and-more fest for all seven years? No matter your level of experience, Treefort’s rapid growth and sheer breadth can be both amazing and overwhelming for newbies and pros alike. As we get ready for downtown Boise to be taken over by Treefort for the eighth straight year, here are some key tips for making your experience a great one.

Embrace the Tech

Newbies: For all things Treefort Music Fest, download the free Treefort app. Like right now. Consider it a Sherpa in the palm of your hand, guiding you to and through Treefort with up-to-the-minute news, artist bios and lineup details. Since Treefort is truly a walk-and-experience adventure, it’s a handy tool to have in your pocket. Not a fan of apps or smartphones? No problem. Simply visit the Treefort website and click on “Schedule” to see and sort everything that’s happening to inform your must-see-and-do list.

Pros: You already know the app has evolved and improved each year, often based on feedback from fine folks like you. Keep your eye on the app for a cool, new feature coming soon that will help you fill in the gaps in your schedule.

Be Sonically Inspired

Newbies: Not sure where to start with planning your schedule? No worries. View the lineup on the app or visit the Lineup page, where you can sort artists by genre. Check out the genres you know and already love or scroll through the artists and listen to a sample. Have a favorite venue downtown? Then view the Schedule page to see who’s playing there throughout the week.

Treefort Music Fest’s Lineup page

Pros: You know the drill: start listening now (or maybe you already have been for months) to nail down your schedule. The Treefort Music Fest playlists are up on multiple platforms, including Spotify and Soundcloud. Instead of focusing just on the artists you know, try shuffling the full lineup to discover new bands that pique your interest. Speaking of something new…

Try Something New

Newbies: Don’t let unfamiliarity or perceived irrelevance stop you from sampling something different or slightly outside your comfort zone. Yes, it’s called Kidfort but you don’t have to be a parent to be wowed by the epic Dance Battle or read the book to be inspired by an author’s insights at Storyfort.

2018 Storyfort photo courtesy Matthew Wordell / Treefort Music Fest

Pros: Which fort have you never checked out? Comedyfort? Foodfort? We know you haven’t experienced the brand-new Fort of Drag yet. Make a commitment to experiencing at least one event that’s new to you. Remember: if you have your five-day pass, that gets you into all the forts (depending on occupancy from fort-specific wristbands).

Relish the Freebies

Newbies: While the five-day pass gets you access to the Treefortiest aspects of the fest, it’s not the only way to experience it. There are one-day passes and venue tickets; and there are also a slew of Freeforts (places that don’t require a wristband), which include food trucks, The Nest, Alefort (you just need to buy tokens for the delicious craft brews and ciders!), Foodfort, Storyfort, Strengthfort, (most of) Kidfort, Band Dialogue, Treefort Gallery, Skatefort and Second-Chance Shows. We also recommend just strolling around Treefort as that’s an experience in itself.

2018 Band Dialogue photo courtesy Matthew Wardell / Treefort Music Fest

Pros: You’ve likely experienced the joy of catching your favorite, or unexpectedly awesome, acts at free Second-Chance Shows at select venues like The Record Exchange or Camp Modern. Watch out for the lineups at both locations as well as a soon-to-be-disclosed new venue joining the list.

Getting Around

Great news for anyone Treeforting this year: it’s going to be even easier for you to get to and around all the forts and venues.

Photo courtesy Matthew Wordell / Treefort Music Fest

Valley Regional Transit will operate a festival bus route — Treeline — March 20-23, 6 p.m.-12 a.m.,  with stops at:

  • Main Street Station
  • 5th Street and Main Street
  • Capitol Boulevard and Idaho Street
  • 11th Street and Idaho Street
  • 13th Street and Main Street
  • 11th Street and Main Street

The route runs on Main and Idaho Streets from 14th to 4th Streets. The Treeline Circulator is free for anyone with no festival wristband required. Plus, anyone with a festival wristband can ride any regular Valley Regional Transit bus route for free during the duration of the festival (and word is there’ll be bands performing on the bus as well!)

If biking is more your style, there’s good news there, too. Boise Green Bike, in partnership with Key Bank, is providing free rides for everyone during the entire run of Treefort (March 19-24). Boise Green Bike has set up a Super Hub encompassing all venues, which means no out-of-hub fees as long as the bikes are locked to something.

Whether you’re strolling, rolling, bussing or biking, we look forward to seeing you at #Treefort2019!

About Red Sky

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