Beep beep! Incoming recap of EDM Drive-In coming in 3… 2… 1…
I got to attend the first-ever EDM Drive-In to come to San Antonio, Texas this past weekend. I was very curious to see what an event like this looks like given the rise of COVID in the United States, impacting festival season 2020. I recapped this event on my podcast, Let’s Vibe, which you can watch below, but I’ll be sharing some of the things in this blog post.
Tickets
How tickets work for this event is by car, location/view of the stage, and by how many people in your car. I’ve seen some other events do it specifically by car and view it just depends. They also provided a map so you can select where you’d like to be.
The Venue
Freeman Coliseum is also the AT&T Center in San Antonio so we were basically partying it up in this parking lot outside of the arena. Definitely made it easier to have parking spots already outlined and to be on concrete versus being in a dirt lot.
How a Drive-In Festival Works
We arrived and they scanned our tickets. Then proceeded to get our photo taken at a fun backdrop. They also safely gave us items from sponsors like Red Bull and Topo Chico. They didn’t check our car or for IDs, if we were drinking, but I’m sure other drive-in events are checking cars. This could’ve been something that was overlooked. Bring your own water, snacks, and drinks as there were none available onsite to purchase.
We were then guided to our parking spot. They gave us a brochure with details of the event as well as the FM radio station we tune into. We opened our windows, tuned to the radio station, and started enjoying the music. We were allowed to be outside of our car as long as we wore a mask so we abided by that. If you needed to use the restroom, you could wear your mask and walk to that area where they had attendants to guide you to open porta-potties and they were cleaning after each use. Once the event was over, leaving the venue was pretty easy and didn’t take long at all.
How Electric Fiesta Ensured Safety
This was Electric Fiesta’s number one priority. I felt like I could safely dance and party while enjoying the music. They enforced masks when out of your car and going to the bathroom. They had bathroom attendants to disinfect between uses and provide ways to properly wash your hands afterward. They also had security driving through the rows to ensure rules were being followed and there was no mingling between cars to maintain social distance. They also had car services on-site in case anyone needed to be jumped at the end of the event.
The Music
We only attended Friday, but that lineup was such a good high energy time. There was never a dull moment. I can’t say which was my favorite because they were all so good and unique in their own way. I think I was most surprised by Coast Club and Henry Fong because I had never heard of them before and definitely became a fan after that.
General Tips If You Plan to Attend a Drive-In Rave
- Things to bring:
- MASK
- Hand Sanitizer
- Water
- Drinks
- Food
- Wallet
- Jumper cables just in case
- Stay within the perimeter they provide for you to dance around your car. DO NOT go to other people’s areas to say hi. That’s missing the whole point of social distancing and can easily jeopardize the future of these events.
- Make sure you have a DD, do NOT drink and drive. There was police on-site.
- Choose a car with a solid sound system, bonus points if the car is a truck or hatchback so you can make a cozy area for yourself.
All in all, I had a great time getting to see live music again and in a safe way. If you’re smart and safe about it, I highly recommend attending a drive-in event.
If you’re curious to see what looked like in real-time, check out my vlog!
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