10 Best US Music Festivals of 2013

Outside Lands

Mid August

You’d be hard pressed to find a more scenic venue than San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, host to Outside Lands. This music festival is like a more refined version of what Coachella has to offer — but with a little more class and much better weather conditions. What’s not to like?

You’d think the music scene would suffer a bit from a more condensed festival but Outside Lands still deals in gratuitous satisfaction in this department. Catering a little more to rock audiences with big names like Paul McCartney and Phish, the culture of Outside Lands still produces artists like Vampire Weekend and Baauer. There’s a little something for everyone here.

But hey, we’re a little more partial to the food and drink selection — unlike pretty much any other festival around. Outside Lands features local tastes in the exclusive Beer Lands such as 21st Amendment Brewery, Anchor Brewing Co and Sierra Nevada. Walking around with a delicious craft beer in hand enjoying the San Francisco elements is perhaps a vacation in a vacation. And don’t forget to curb the appetite with — what? — lamb poutine and BBQ shrimp? It hardly seems like you’re at a musical festival at that point.

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