Frebella at Boats & Bluegrass

Frebella Evolved

Howdy friends!
I am so stoked that we are all going to be able to get together this year for the latest evolution of our annual “camping trip”. If I am not mistaken, this will be the first time we’ve done a Frebella repeat. I seem to recall us attending a Boats & Bluegrass for Frebella long ago, in a different stage of life. This will also be the first time that we bring a bunch of amazing children to share the experience with. I can’t wait!

If it’s not too much trouble, let me know if I can reserve a spot for you with this form.

Camping Information

Free Camping
For those of you who plan to camp, I thought it might be helpful to share a little of information. The festival basically takes over the Prairie Island Municipal campground for the weekend. The free camping passes that come with your tickets give us access to both the EAST and WEST camps as described on the website. Both of these areas are first come first serve starting Wednesday the 22nd at 12:00PM. The WEST CAMP fills up really fast with locals (lots of my old pals) cramming campers in with inches to spare. The EAST CAMP will be less cramped, but by Friday it will be hard to find a spot for our whole group.

Always a boy scout
My buddy who runs the campground gave me a pro-tip. He said that I could reserve a couple of campsites for Tuesday night, stay overnight, and be the first to lay claim on a camping spot before they open the gates to the public at noon on Wednesday. I’ve reserved two sites, and plan to do just that. You can see on the little map I made to the left I have locked in a couple sites right near the festival area. If anyone would like to send their tents or other gear with me on Tuesday afternoon, I can set them up right away so that I can save space for you when you arrive. If anyone is willing to come down on Tuesday or Wednesday with me, please let me know.

For the #rvlife
For those of you with dolphins or rental campers, you might want to think about coming down on Tuesday or Wednesday to at least drop them off and reserve a spot. The campground can get a little chaotic after Wednesday and it might be hard to park near us if you arrive Friday with your rig.

What to pack

The best part of Boats and Bluegrass is the vibe. They like to say you should think of it as a family reunion, which I think suits us just fine. I thought I’d share a few things I’d consider when packing for the weekend.

If you fancy a swim, you’ll find a spot for a dip
My kids like to wade in the water and might even float on a noodle or two. I might recommend water shoes if you’ve got them.

The boats part is legit!
My very favorite part of the festival is taking out the canoes and kayaks that the festival provides free of charge. They’ve got all the basics covered, even for the kids. But if you want to bring your own life jackets or your fancy kevlar canoe, you’ll have lots of opportunities to put them to use. They do a couple of sets from the water, I will not miss one because it’s a very special experience.

Fine food and drink

Inside the festival, you’ll find amazing food and beer available for you and your clan. For Nick Hughes and me, we’ve always like to have plenty of refreshments and nourishment back at camp as well.

Just like any good hippy festival, you’re welcome to bring all your own food and drink in the campground. They frown on bringing any of that in to the show of course, even though they always seem to forget to order the kegs of Coors Light to tap in the Bent Paddle Soloon.

Where to point your rigs

When you hit the highway, you’ll want to point your old rig south toward a special part of the world. Nestled in the Mississippi River valley, it's a rare gem among the modest bluffs of southeastern Minnesota.

Prairie Island Campground
Safe family camping along the banks of the majestic Mississippi River.
1120 Prairie Island Rd N, Winona, MN 55987

Boats & Bluegrass Festival
A family-friendly music and camping festival.