North Park Music Fest is coming into its own
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Attendees at last year's North Park Music Festival in front of an art installation. Photo: Courtesy of North Park Main Street
Year three of the North Park Music Festival is upon us this weekend.
The big picture: The two-day festival is taking shape as a family-friendly neighborhood party boasting a curated lineup of national acts and up-and-coming local talent.
What they're saying: Mark West, who is organizing the event as North Park Main Street's executive director, said he's targeting a Goldilocks zone for the festival.
- "We're trying to land this right in between Wonderfront — a massive event with a budget in the millions — and the Adams Avenue Street Fair, the city's preeminent street fair with all local bands," West said.
Zoom in: The festival has three stages spread across three blocks centered around the North Park Mini Park — that mostly concrete patch behind the Observatory — south of University Avenue.
- It starts at 4pm Friday and runs all day, starting at noon, on Saturday.
- Tickets are $45 for one day or $60 for two, and entry is free for anyone under 18.
The intrigue: "We tried to create a festival that will appeal to people from all over the county to enjoy music brought to San Diego from all over the world," West said.
- That's where it got its tagline — "Music Beyond Borders."
- The lineup includes a Grammy-winning blues star, an experimental singer-songwriter descended from rock royalty, an elusive reunion gig for aughts-era San Diego stars, a Tijuana indie-pop act, and local talent playing psych rock, Afrobeat/cumbia, and soul/funk.
Worthy of your time: 15 local food vendors will be on hand, and drinks are available from breweries like North Park Beer Co. and Original 40, canned cocktail-maker Seaborn and cider and kombucha spots Bivouac and Boochcraft.
- There's a kids zone, too — the "family friendly" tag isn't an empty promise.
What we're watching: The festival's permit allows 10,000 people per day, but West doesn't expect to approach that anytime soon.
- 4,000 people came last year over two days, and they'll be happy to reach 5,000 this year.
Read more: Inside the 2024 NPMF lineup