Know your music venue: Where to eat? What to bring? We explain it all

Outdoor music-festival venues are huge, so getting lost is pretty easy. Sometimes it’s hard to find a place to eat that isn’t hawking price-gouged, slime-covered $16 teriyaki bowls. Sometimes it’s even hard figuring out how to get to the damned festival in the first place. But we here at Seattle Weekly, through our collective years of festival-going/hardcore raving, have put together a handy guide to navigate these venues. And to heighten your concert experience, we consulted Stevie Cheung, budtender at Uncle Ike’s Pot Shop (and, as Tele Fresco, DJ for JusMoni and Porter Ray of acclaimed Seattle hip-hop collective Black Constellation), to recommend a pot strain that might pair nicely with each venue’s distinct vibes.

Chateau St. Michelle

Easily the classiest/ritziest place on this list, Chateau St. Michelle is an upscale winery in Woodinville that has hosted some crazy-big-name talent like Stevie Wonder; Earth, Wind &Fire; and Crosby, Stills &Nash. If you want the summer outdoor music experience but don’t want a bunch of kids tweaked out on molly rubbing up on you, this is probably your best bet.

• What happens there: Chateau St. Michelle Festival of Jazz (July 25); Wine Country Blues Fest (July 26); Chateau St. Michelle Summer Concert Series, featuring Sheryl Crow (July 8), John Fogerty (July 24), Jackson Browne (Aug. 1 and 2), Steve Miller Band (Aug. 7 and 8), Michael Franti &Spearhead (Aug. 22), Randy Newman (Aug. 29), and more.
• Where to eat: You’re in wine country, which means you’re surrounded by a lot of pricey restaurants like the Herbfarm, Purple Café, and The Barking Frog. But, hallelujah, Woodinville hasn’t become another Napa yet, which means that you can still find a greasy spoon — like Ezell’s Famous Chicken, the Southern fast-food chain where you can get your fried chicken original or spicy and served with baked beans, mashed potatoes, or cole slaw. Don’t forget a piece of sweet potato pie or peach cobbler.
• What to bring: Much like Marymoor, Cheateau St. Michelle’s shows are held on a large lawn, so blankets and chairs are a very good idea.

Darrington Music Park

The music park was built for the bluegrass festival, but it has been used for years by other music festivals. The beautiful view of Whitehorse Mountain, the shady campgrounds and the access to the Stillaguamish River make it a very special place.

• What happens there: The Spur Festival (June 26 through 28), Darrington Bluegrass Festival (July 17 through 19), Summer Meltdown (Aug. 6 through 9).
• Where to eat: The vendors at the festivals usually are good, but a trip into Darrington should include a stop at the IGA store for pulled pork sandwiches or Bradley’s Diner for breakfast.
• What to bring: Camping gear, because it’s worth staying there. Bring an umbrella to the Spur, just in case. Bring a hat to the Bluegrass Festival and hula hoops to the Meltdown. If you want to jam in the campgrounds, bring your musical instruments.

Gorge Amphitheater

The Gorge is one of the most beautiful music venues in the country, a 27,500-capacity jewel right by the Columbia River, perched atop a breathtaking canyon. In 2013, a 20-year-old at the Paradiso EDM festival, likely high on molly, wandered eight miles into that canyon and wasn’t found until days after the festival. Don’t do that. Here are some other Gorge tips.

• What happens there: Sasquatch! (May 22 through 25), Paradiso Festival (June 26 through 27), Watershed Festival (July 31 through Aug. 2), Dave Matthews Band (Sept. 4 through 6).
• Where to eat: Since you’re about to be watching bands in a beautiful, dusty gorge under, most likely, a very hot sun, you might as well keep your chow rustic too. At Grainery, a coffeeshop/restaurant, you can get caffeinated and well-fed with “On the Run Buns”: a pretzel casing filled with meat, cheese, and herbed potato (!). There are also meat pies baked inside croissant crusts, deli sandwiches, big-ass salads, and homemade desserts like lemon bars.
• What to bring: You are on top of a giant canyon with no trees to provide shade, so sunscreen is crucial, unless you want to look like a twice-baked naked mole rat by the end of the weekend.

Marymoor Park

One of King County’s oldest and biggest parks, Marymoor sits on the edge of Lake Sammamish, and is the kind of place dogs probably dream about at night. It’s all big fields and wide-open spaces. Marymoor’s concert series invites well-known acts to the park’s stage area, which is also great for picnicking.

• What happens there: 107.7 The End Summer Camp; Marymoor Park Concert Series, featuring Willie Nelson (June 27), The Decemberists (July 16), Third Eye Blind and Dashboard Confessional (July 22), Alabama Shakes (Aug. 8), Wilco (Aug. 11), and more.
• Where to eat: You probably don’t want to deal with an authentic, drawn-out Indian meal, which is the most obvious thing to do when in Redmond. So I’d recommend a picnic lunch in this big, beautiful open space — but supplemented with a smoothie or salad from Jujubeet, or one of their decadent sweets, like a $5 chocolate pot.
• What to bring: Marymoor shows take place on a big stage in the middle of a giant field, so bringing a blanket to lie on, or some outdoor folding chairs with those neat built-in drink holders, is going to be crucial if you want your butt to be happy.

McMenamin’s Edgefield

Located on an adorable 78-acre historic farm, McMenamin’s Edgefield is as quaint as they come. The buildings are all turn-of-the-century and surrounded by organic gardens. Even though it’s 20 minutes outside of Portland, it’s about as Portlandy as you can get.

• What happens there: Ingrid Michaelson (June 16), Willie Nelson (June 26), Death Cab for Cutie (July 8), The Decemberists (July 10 and 11), Morrissey (July 23), Pink Martini (Aug 28 and 29), Ben Harper (Sept. 5), and more.
• Where to eat: Since you’ll most likely be hitching a ride on Amtrak, snag a meal near the train station when you get in. Hot Lips Pizza offers daily special pies and lets you build your own, choosing from an array of sauces, cheeses, meats, veggies, nuts, and fruits (like local pears and local mushrooms). They also have microbrews, housemade sodas, and ice-cream sandwiches. As quaint as it gets for a pizza joint, it’s a perfect choice for this precious venue that won’t make you go broke.
• What to bring: This is another lawn-concert-style venue, so blankets and chairs are key. But you can rent chairs from the venue for $5 (with a $20 deposit).

Seattle Center

Even though the Space Needle lives here, Seattle’s iconic wayfinder, I still get lost wandering around Seattle Center. It always feels like I’m walking in a giant circle, mostly because the Seattle Center is a giant circle. But fear not—there are handy map kiosks throughout, which you should reference as often as you can, lest you end up at the shady McDonald’s across the street under the monorail.

• What happens there: Northwest Folklife Fest (May 22 through 25), KEXP Concerts at the Mural (Fridays in August), Bumbershoot (Sept. 5 through 7).
• Where to eat: Just a few blocks away on First Avenue is Chutney’s, one of my favorite Indian restaurants in Seattle, with lots of vegetarian and vegan options if that’s your thing. Pakoras filled with paneer cheese or flaky fried vegetable samosas will set you back only $6 and $5, respectively. Or make a meal of any of their hearty Indian breads ($5), like a naan stuffed with potato and peas or a kulcha filled with onions and cilantro.
• What to bring: If you are a tourist, some extra cash, because Seattle Center is full of goofy Seattle-centric trinkets and keepsakes, if that’s your thing. Tons of vendors descend on the Center at festival time too, selling all sorts of great/awful things like vegan hacky sacks, blacklight posters of Kurt Cobain, and belt buckles with salmon soaring over the Space Needle.

Tom McCall Waterfront Park

Full of gorgeous cherry blossoms and a picturesque perch on the Willamette River, Portland’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park is a dreamy destination for outdoor concerts, but also a great place for any occasion, really — romantic walks, picnics, biking, running; presidential speeches have even been given there.

• What happens there: Countryfest (May 31), Great White and Slaughter (June 5), Waterfront Blues Festival (July 2 through 5), MusicfestNW (Aug. 21 through 23).
• Where to eat: Southwest Portland is truly your oyster when you’re catching a show at this gorgeous park. But let’s keep it real and stick to our budget. Farm House Café slow-roasts their own meats for sandwiches (in the $8 realm), like a pulled pork, a roasted honey Dijon, a French dip, and a tuna melt. They also make soups from scratch. Don’t be put off by the big corporate building it resides in. This little deli is popular with the locals.
• What to bring: Your bicycle. It’s Portland, after all. But really — traveling through the expansive Waterfront Park on two wheels is ideal, otherwise you might get tired of hoofing it by the time your favorite band starts playing.

Tulalip Amphitheatre

Tucked between the Tulalip Resort Casino and the Seattle Premium Outlets, the Tulalip Amphitheatre is a great place to catch a show on a summer evening. The acts are decidedly past their prime, but the hits are ubiquitious and the fan sing-alongs are near constant.

• What happens there: Boz Scaggs with special guest Aaron Neville (July 3), Hank Williams, Jr. (July 8), Boyz II Men &Brian McKnight (Aug. 6), The Band Perry (Aug. 15), Huey Lewis and the News (Aug. 28), Sammy Hagar and the Circle (Sept. 3).
• Where to eat: You don’t have to wander far for a smorgasbord of amazing food. The Tulalip Resort Casino has something for everyone: fine dining at Blackfish and Tulalip Bay; sports pub grub at The Draft; Asian food at Journeys East; and a little bit of everything at Eagles Buffet. Can’t bring yourself to eat “casino” food, there’s a Bob’s Burgers and Brew, Taco Del Mar and The Ram restaurant within walking distance.
• What to bring: It goes without saying, but extra cash wouldn’t hurt. After the show it’s going to be tough to stop yourself from hitting the blackjack table.

White River Amphitheatre

It’s appropriate that the White River Amphitheatre is located in Enumclaw, a town whose native Salish name translates to “thundering noise.” There are going to be lots and lots of thundering noises there, as it is a favorite tour destination for loud ’80s metal bands like Van Halen, AC/DC. and Def Leppard.

• What happens there: KUBE 93 Summer Jam (June 20), Mayhem Festival (June 30), Van Halen (July 5), Fall Out Boy and Wiz Khalifa (Aug. 2), Vans Warped Tour (Aug. 8), Pain in the Grass (Aug. 23), Tim McGraw (Sept. 4).
• Where to eat: In case you missed one recent edition of Sunset magazine (of course you did), then you don’t know that the tiny cow town of Enumclaw has gotten a bit more sophisticated. What that means is that you can fill up on all sorts of fresh fruits, veggies, pickles, breads, and jam at Tracy’s Roadside Produce. Or, if you’d rather go for something heartier, make a pit stop at The Pie Goddess, with more than 50 varieties of pie, including a savory shepherd’s pie.
• What to bring: Little-known fact: White River Amphitheater is basically a holy pilgrimage site for allergens. Your histamines are going to go cuckoo-crazy if you pick an especially windy day to attend a concert here and have seasonal allergies, so make sure to bring your allergy medication and lots of those lotiony tissues.

Woodland Park Zoo

Yes, there are even concerts at zoos up here in the Northwest. ZooTunes, a popular series hosted by Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo, invites acts to play in the zoo’s North Meadow. No, unfortunately, the giraffes and penguins don’t get to join you on the lawn for the show.

• What happens there: ZooTunes, featuring the B-52s (June 28), Indigo Girls (July 12), Mavis Staples and Patty Griffin (July 26), Emmylou Harris (July 29), Trampled by Turtles (Aug. 16), and more.
• Where to eat: As close as you can get to the zoo without smelling the animals’ cages, The Phinney Market Pub &Eatery manages to be low-key and neighborhoody, yet still kind of gourmet. Sandwiches run in the $15 range, and with spring here they’ve added a cold Vietnamese banh mi: that irresistible combination of tangy beef, pickled carrot, cucumber, and cilantro finished with a spicy sriracha aioli. Or you could go for a gut-buster like the $9 green chili-cheese fries.
• What to bring: If you actually want to see the animals in addition to the concert, you’ll need to bring money to pay for a separate ticket, as they aren’t included in the ZooTunes ticket price.

— Kelton Sears and Nicole Sprinkle, Seattle Weekly; Aaron Swaney and Gale Fiege, Herald Writers