Fest concert attendees say it's more than just a party, it's a 'family reunion'

A crowd-surfing banana, showers of Pabst Blue Ribbon and beer cans gliding roughly 20 feet in the air was the scene at Bo Diddley Plaza over the weekend as thousands of people from all over the world sang along to some of their favorite tunes.

There were no handshakes, only hugs as friends embraced each other in joy while The Bouncing Souls and Menzingers brought out the most packed crowds of the weekend.

The celebration of course was for Fest, a three-day punk rock music festival, held throughout downtown Gainesville with hundreds of bands, comedians and professional wrestlers.

"The community is the best," said Jeanna Fox, 33, who traveled from Las Vegas with a group of eight others. "Everyone is kind to one another, hugging friends and strangers. It's rare to have so many small intimate venues for a music festival. It's special."

Though it was the festival's 20th anniversary, it's more than that to many.

"This is a family reunion," Tim Barry of Avail told the crowd at Vivid Music Hall around 1 a.m. Saturday.

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Traveling internationally for a party

Like Fox, who embarked on her fifth Fest experience, saving up money for the year was an easy decision. It was the festival's largest turnout in its history and the first time international attendees could fly in without restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of those travelers was Annika Himborn, coming all the way from Munich, Germany.

Following the pandemic, Himborn said she made a birthday resolution one night to hit up all the greatest punk-rock festivals around the world.

"It was a pretty spontaneous decision," the 40-year-old said outside the Boxcar Beer and Wine Garden during her first Fest. "We had drinks at a bar and at 3 o'clock in the morning, we said 'Ok, how about we go to Fest?"

Manuela Rott, who hails from Vienna, Austria and describes herself as a loyal Hot Water Music fan, said she didn't want to pass up the opportunity to see the band play in their old stomping grounds after missing the show in her hometown earlier this month.

"They played a show in Vienna in October and for the first time I stayed at home and stayed away from everyone because I didn't want to get sick," she said.

But with that fun, comes a cost. Attendees who traveled cross-country or internationally said the trip cost them anywhere between $2,000 to $5,000 collectively.

That doesn't factor in the costs of merch and beer.

Brock Devlin, 44, who traveled from Sydney, Australia, said his first Fest was so unforgettable that he knew he would be back following the pandemic at some point, no matter the tab.

"Definitely expensive but the radness outweighs the cost," he said. "I love the setup, being able to bounce between venues and the majority of them being a five-minute walk or so works really well."

But everyone in attendance was from outside the state, let alone the borders of Alachua County, which provided an opportunity for savings for some.

Darlene Tucker has opened her doors for roughly 10 years to Fest goers who are looking to save a few bucks and receive some hospitality. She said her four-bedroom Gainesville home is often littered with attendees, band members and photographers who need a quick sleep in between the days of shows.

While most of the rooms are taken, Tucker, 64, said no one seems to mind sleeping on recliners and air mattresses.

She's an advocate for Fest, telling guests not to worry about costs with hotels, and that if they can travel then they can crash for free.

"I give them the whole spiel about how it won't cost them a thing, and we wake up with mimosas," Tucker said. "A lot of it is just to get people here and make it affordable for the. People are so grateful and I've never had any trouble."

Tony Weinbender, the festival’s creator, said he's proud of the legacy and camaraderie that's been built over the past two decades. He hopes it’s here to stay for the long haul.

"If you look around, this is a community from all over the world," he said. "It's not just that we brought people here, we're bringing people together every year to see each other. Gainesville is a great place to host this and, hopefully, we can do it for another 20 years."

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Fest concert attendees travel internationally for 20th anniversary