_{By Michael Luce}

My, how the time flies; only one more week until Buzzards and Bees! If it feels like this year’s festival did its best impression of a haunted house employee and snuck up on you, don’t worry! As previously promised, we’ve got your how-to guide for getting the most out of this spooky weekend right here.

1. Decide what days you’re going

One of the first things people always ask is what is Goth Prom?

Dubbed “the most depressing Halloween dance party,” Goth Prom is the annual kick-off for Buzzards and Bees. Whereas the main festival takes place on Saturday from 4ish to midnight, Goth Prom is held the night before on Friday, October 18. It’s basically just a big dance party with DJs and moody costumes. Most years there are prizes for the best-dressed ‘King’ and ‘Queen’ too, so don’t be afraid to flaunt your style!

This year’s attendees have the option to buy a two-day pass for both Goth Prom and the 11 Saturday stages or to get single-day tickets for either Friday or Saturday only. Just be sure as you’re checking out that you get the right tickets for the experience you’re hoping to have!

2. Buy tickets early

Speaking of tickets, buy yours now! You don’t want to be figuring one extra thing out when you’re already fighting with torn costume pieces and smudgy makeup. Give yourself the ease of mind and buy ASAP. You might even be able to find bands with valid discount codes at this point (but don’t quote me on that)! Also, prices go up next week, so don’t delay; the (ghost) train waits for no one!

3. Dress up!

You know that embarrassing moment in middle school when you showed up to school wearing a costume on Halloween, but no one else did? Yeah, it’s going to feel like that if you show up without a ‘fit on October 19. Your costume can be anything, even just a silly little hat, but it will be much more fun if you come dressed up.

4. Do your homework

Concerts in general are more fun when you can sing along to your favorite songs. I’m always one for unexpected twists and for discovering new music (more on that later), but it’s hard to know who you want to go see if you don’t listen to anything these entertainers have to offer beforehand. Fortunately, Buzzards and Bees has already made a sampler playlist for you to get a peek into each artist’s sound. Give it a listen or two, and I can basically guarantee that you’ll have a better experience come festival day.

5. Leave time for check in!

Ok, now that you’re all prepared, let’s jump to the day of the festival. Before you can catch any of those sick sets, you need to have your wristband to get in. Nothing worse than running up to a venue late because of a costume issue or parking troubles, and you can’t even get in to see your favorite artist! Make sure to grab your wristband nice and early before the first set you want to see, and maybe even plan around potential crowds at the check-in station, depending on when you plan to arrive.

On Friday you can pick your wristband up at Velour during Goth Prom (8 PM-midnight), and on Saturday you can pick it up at Gem Studio HQ (12 W Center Street) beginning at 4 PM.

6. Plan your route

This might seem kind of extra, but if you’re hoping to catch more than three or four specific acts, you should plan your night ahead of time. Here’s my recommendation: Check out the schedule image above, then print it, screenshot it, save it, whatever. Go through and physically circle or highlight the shows you want to make it to, then build a route around those performances. There are 11 different venues, so planning this ahead of time will let you see when you’re going to have to book it a few blocks and when you might be able to relax and…

7. Try something new!

There are so many talented artists on this lineup, and there’s no way you’ve heard all of them. (My job is local music, and even I don’t know some of the names on this year’s lineup!) With 80+ artists, I would be surprised if you didn’t find something new to love. There might be an artist that didn’t catch your ear while listening to the playlist whose live show is incredible, or a group that’s trying some brand-new exclusive material. You never know what to expect!

If nothing else, you can hang out around venues playing the sort of sound you like best. Each one is themed around a similar sound, so it’s pretty easy to find your crowd and just vibe there between your must-see sets.

8. Be safe and have fun!

In the middle of all this ghoulish activity, remember to take care of yourself and your group. Wear earplugs (because hearing loss suuuuuuucks), take a break to eat dinner if you’re planning on attending for the full eight hours, plan for weather (even if it will crimp your costume a bit — hypothermia is much lamer), hydrate, and take lots and lots of photos! Don’t be afraid to tell an artist how much you loved their performance or another attendee how cool their costume is. This is a night of fun and a celebration of all things local music, so just live it up! As always though, remember to be respectful of everyone else as you party hard.

Good luck!

And that’s our tips for this year’s Buzzards and Bees! Anything we missed? Who are you most excited to see? Let us know, and once again, give the official playlist a listen to get a feel for whose sets you want to check out! We’ll meet you out on the streets of Provo next week!