13Fest is set to take place this weekend, with a variety of musical acts and a number of new policies in place.
Organizers have added new rules and policies to the latest edition of Number Fest to account for increased attendance and to ensure the festival can continue.
13Fest will take place Saturday.
“We’re just really excited to unveil the new Number Fest to everybody,” said Dominic Petrozzi, the founder of Number Fest.
Music
“Party DJ” Diplo and rapper ScHoolboy Q are headlining the festival, but the overall goal is to bring in other acts that have the potential to be headliners, Petrozzi said.
Hip-hop artist iLoveMakonnen claimed a name in 2014 after Drake remixed his song “Tuesday.” Petrozzi said he expects the performance to be interactive with a lot of familiar hits the crowd can sing along to.
Petrozzi said he believes rapper G-Eazy and EDM DJ Borgeous will be other big acts that draw a crowd.
AnimalXHouse, a Columbus-based group, is presenting a second stage, Petrozzi said.
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Right now, ticket sales are about the same as last year, but Petrozzi said he expects them to ultimately pass the 16,000 attendees from last year.
Advertisement of the festival has been targeted toward different parts of the mid-west so Petrozzi expects an influx of out-of-town faces in the crowd.
Erica Rieder, a sophomore studying child and family studies, attended last year and enjoyed the music but disliked the atmosphere.
“I went with my best friend, and we hated it. … It was just really crowded and people weren’t courteous of other people, to put it in a kind way,” she said.
Although she liked the music, she plans on working rather than going to 13Fest this year, she said.
Warda Aden, a freshman studying political science and environmental biology, is eager to attend her first Number Fest despite hearing about problems last year.
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“I am excited because I heard of all the stuff that had gone wrong last year and how they were going to change it,” she said. “I don’t have too many worries about it.”
Transportation
Following the end of 12Fest, law enforcement closed State Route 56, making it into a pedestrian walkway without available transportation, according to a previous Post report.
Transportation became a focal point after last year’s “major headache,” Petrozzi said.
Currently, a limited amount of preferred parking passes are available for purchase for $30, according to Ticketfly.
The number of free shuttles is increasing from 14 to 30, Petrozzi said.
“People never have a problem getting out there, they just have a problem getting home,” he explained. “… The buses will be running all night long until the last person at the festival is taken back to town.”
Local cab services will be available for any attendee looking to avoid the roughly quarter-mile walk back to town from the Athens Fairgrounds, Petrozzi said.
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“The whole point of the shuttle system is to create a ‘don’t drink and drive scenario,’” Petrozzi said.
Last year, Rieder had to walk back on the highway from the festival. Rider said the walk was entertaining, but having an increase in transportation would be a lot safer.
“It was a lot of intoxicated people that had to stop to throw up or they were stopping to use the restroom on the side of the road,” she added.
Juwan Childers, a sophomore studying pre-med, didn’t attend last year and didn’t plan on going this year either.
“I would go, but I just don’t know if I’d enjoy it. … It just seems kind of boring to go. I’d walk that far, and I’d probably just be miserable,” Childers said.
BYOB fee
A new BYOB service fee policy is taking place for 13Fest. Any attendee bringing alcohol must pay a $10 fee in cash only, according to the Number Fest website. General admission and a BYOB pass are being sold as a package for $55 on Ticketfly.
The fee is a way to have a better hold on safety and cut down on the amount of alcohol that can be consumed by an individual on site, Petrozzi said.
“If we didn’t implement these changes, powers that lay with the local government would have done everything they could have to shut this event down forever,” Petrozzi said.
The BYOB fee is going to take place every year and funds from the policy will cover the increase of cost the results from an increase in attendance, Petrozzi said. This includes insurance, security, police and shuttles, he added.
Alcohol is available at five fully stocked bars on site, Petrozzi said. All drinks will be $3, $6 or $9 depending on the purchase, which is similar to the prices at bars found off of OU’s campus, he added.
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The Green Cup Campaign, which was first instituted for 12Fest, will take place again for 13Fest and continue every year, Petrozzi said. Beverages must be poured into a plastic cup, which will be provided to every attendee upon entrance, he added.
Other changes/ initiatives
To accommodate a large crowd and increase in attendance, 21 food trucks will be present at Number Fest. Food will be sold all day long and tents and tables will be set up to accommodate attendees, Petrozzi said.
A zero waste initiative is taking place with the help of Rural Action. Number Fest is also partnering with Athens Beautification Day on Sunday.
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