Far West Fest brings together all of the beautiful things that make summer Summer: sunshine, music, food, beer, and good company. This annual festival is held at Love Field in Pt. Reyes, one of the most beautiful parts of this corner of the world. It is a perfect amalgamation of concert, beer-fest, and foodie event. The music line-up this year was a great variety of bluegrass, rock and funk, and featured bands like Orgone, Les Nubians, and Vinyl. Love Field is small enough a venue that, even though there are two stages, you can easily hear all the music no matter where you decide to park your blanket. The festival feels like a catered event, thanks to the local businesses and organizations that provide suds and grub for a reasonable price. This year featured cold beer from Lagunitas($ 5 if you bring your own cup, $ 6 if you don’t), the world’s most amazing grilled cheese sandwiches from Nana Mae’s Organics(the avocado, bacon & chevre on sourdough is surreal), oysters from the Marshall Store and Oyster Bar( ), and ice cream cones from Tara’s Organic Ice Cream( ). Far West Fest starts at 11am and goes until 7pm, but fear not if you show up late — we arrived at 2pm and still had a fun, full day. We were also concerned about parking(that’s what living in SF will do to you!) but easily found a spot that was 5 minutes walking distance from the main gate. Advance tickets are $ 24, not including food or beverages; since it’s a fundraiser for local nonprofit organizations, you can opt for a VIP ticket for $ 150 that includes beer/wine, food, shade(a rare commodity) and on-site parking. It’s a family-friendly event, and there’s even a kid’s corner. I may or may not have spent a good hour hula hooping. On a hot summer’s day, this is the perfect place to be.
