It seems like each year puts a new music festival on our radars, events that give both an alternative and an accompaniment to the majors, like Coachella. The sweetlife festival in Columbia, MD—less than an hour drive from Washington DC—takes place May 30-31 and is put on by sweetgreen, a culinary lifestyle brand that dedicates itself to connecting the community with farmers and growers. With such a deep connection to food, the festival not only brings out big-named musicians (like BANKS, The Weeknd, Calvin Harris, Vance Joy and Billy Idol), it also encourages healthy living. We have to be honest, as much as we love Coachella, the food here sounds way better.
First opening in Georgetown in 2007, sweetgreen has since branched out to 29 new locations in Maryland, DC, Philadelphia, Boston, NYC, and soon, California. "The idea for the sweetlife festival began as a small, local event. In 2010, with the opening of our second location in Dupont Circle (Washington DC), when we invited a handful of local, indie bands to perform in the parking lot," says the festival's official website. It may have started small, with around 500 people in attendance, but it has since become one of the area's best music and food events. Attracting over 23,000 people, sweetlife now spans two days and fills two stages in the Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Sweetlife has seen some pretty fantastic musicians in the past—like Hozier, Lana Del Ray, 2 Chainz, and Bastille—and this year is no different. Aside from the aforementioned, the 2015 lineup includes Kendrick Lamar, Pixies, Charli XCX, Bleachers, Phantogram, Marina & the Diamonds, Tove Lo, Lucius, and Allen Stone. More than just music, the festival also features some amazing local foods and drinks that focus on healthy living—concessions won't even be serving soda. This is probably the only music festival besides Life is Beautiful, that we would be excited to eat oysters at. Though a detailed menu hasn't been announced yet, sweetgreen has released the many chefs participating in the Chef's Corners, including sweetgreen's very own Michael Stebner.
Two-day tickets cost $175 for General Admission, $225 for Pavilion and $350 for VIP, which includes access to private viewing areas, and VIP lounges and bars. One-day tickets are priced at $97.50 (General Admission), $125 (Pavilion) and $225 (VIP).
