US Music Festival Guide

There's nothing quite like a good music festival -- friends, cool venues and amazing music. Here is Travel Channel's month-by-month guide to our favorite music festivals from Miami to San Francisco.

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January

Jam Cruise - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
By taking the music to the seas, Jam Cruise makes the music festival a full-blown vacation. When you set sail from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, enjoy all the amenities of a cruise and see your favorite jam bands while making stops in locales like Mexico and the Bahamas.

More Festivals in January:
Chicago Blue Grass and Blues - Chicago
Ann Arbor Folk Festival - Ann Arbor, MI
MusicFest - Steamboat Springs, CO

February

Noise Pop - San Francisco
One of the biggest indie music festivals in San Francisco, Noise Pop also embraces indie art and film. With 6 nights of shows taking place in more than a dozen venues, Noise Pop makes it difficult to not feel inspired by all the creative energy.

More Festivals in February:
Cabin Fever Camp Out - East Peoria, IL
Winter Jibberjam - Camp Hill, PA
Snowlive - Crystal Bay, NV

March

Ultra – Miami
Held in downtown Miami, Ultra Music Festival has grown into a 3-day dance party and is now North America's second largest electronic music festival. After Madonna's surprise appearance this year, it's sure to keep on growing.

More Festivals in March:
South by Southwest - Austin, TX
Snowball Music Festival - Vail Valley, CO
Savannah Stopover - Savannah, GA
Treefort - Boise, ID
Mission Creek - Iowa City, Iowa

April

Coachella - Indio, CA
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, commonly known as "Coachella," is held annually in the desert area of Indio, CA. Featuring rock, indie, hip-hop and electronic music, Coachella has gained a reputation as one of the top music festivals of the year with this year's tickets selling out in a record 3 hours.

More Festivals in April:
Middle of the Map - Kansas City, MO
Country Thunder Arizona - Florence, AZ
Old Settler's - Austin, TX
New England Metal and Hardcore - Worcester, MA
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival - New Orleans

May

Summer Camp Music Festival - Chillicothe, IL
Every Memorial Day weekend, the Summer Camp Music Festival takes over Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, IL, with bands like The Avett Brothers and Jane's Addiction. Also a family affair, the music festival includes a kids' camp area where children can dress up in costumes provided by the festival and participate in a parade that encompasses the festival site.

More Festivals in May:
Beale Street Music Festival - Memphis, TN
Hangout Music Fest - Gulf Shores, AL
DelFest - Cumberland, MD
Wakarusa - Ozark, AK
Sasquatch Festival - George, WA

June

Wanderlust Vermont - Stratton, VT
The Wanderlust Festival, held in Stratton, VT, as well as Squaw Valley, CA, and expanding to Canada this year, not only has a top lineup of musical acts, but also a lineup of top yogis who provide yoga classes in between the music sets. If that wasn't enough to recharge you, enjoy a farm-to-table dinner with the freshest in local cuisine.

More Festivals in June:
Bonnaroo - Manchester, TN
Starscape Festival – Baltimore
Free Press Summerfest - Houston
Governors Ball - Governors Island, NYC
Summerfest - Milwaukee

July

All Good - Thornville, OH
The All Good Music Festival and Camp Out has been held all over the East Coast -- in Brandywine, MD, Masontown, WV, and most recently in Thornville, OH. Featuring up to 16 hours of music a day ranging from folk to reggae to rock, the festival has no overlapping acts so you can actually hear all the scheduled music.

More Festivals in July:
High Sierra Music Festival - Quincy, CA
Gathering of the Vibes - Bridgeport, CT
Floyd Fest 11 - Floyd, VA
Newport Folk Festival - Newport, RI
Firefly Music Festival - Dover, DE

August

Electric Zoo - New York City
Each Labor Day weekend, electronic music fans flock to Randall's Island Park in New York City for Electric Zoo. Featuring all genres of electronic music, with DJs and live acts from around the world, Electric Zoo has become a top event for those looking for an outrageous dance party.

More Festivals in August:
Lollapalooza - Chicago
Gnarnia Festival 2012 - Beech Mountain, NC
Outside Lands - San Francisco
Musikfest - Bethlehem, PA
Abbey Road on the River - Louisville, KY, and Washington, DC

September

Monterey Jazz Festival – Monterey, CA
Starting in 1958 with headlining acts Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong, the Monterey Jazz Festival in California is one of the longest-running jazz festivals in the world. A nonprofit organization, the festival donates its proceeds to musical education.

More Festivals in September:
DeLuna Fest - Pensacola, FL
Bumbershoot - Seattle
The Americana Music Festival - Nashville, TN
Catskill Chill Music Festival - Hancock, NY
Telluride Blues and Brews Festival - Telluride, CO

October

Voodoo Experience - New Orleans
Voodoo Experience in New Orleans features national artists from all genres such as Eminem and 311 alongside local acts. The festival also includes "Le Carnival," with burlesque and circus acts rounding out the "voodoo experience."

More Festivals in October:
Austin City Limits - Austin, TX
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival - San Francisco
BayFest - Mobile, AL
A3C Hip-Hop Festival - Atlanta
CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival - New York City

November

Fun Fun Fun Fest - Austin, TX
In a city known for its music festivals, Austin, TX, Fun Fun Fun Fest or F3F, as it is commonly abbreviated, brings together underground musicians from indie, punk and hip-hop genres. Known as one of the most "relaxed" music festivals, F3F is perfect for festival-goers looking for a new music experience.

More Festivals in November:
Sun and Sand Festival - Biloxi, MS
Bear Creek Music Festival - Live Oak, FL
Anti-Pop Music Festival - Orlando, FL
Arizona Classic Jazz Festival - Chandler, AZ
Pee Dee Blues Bash - Florence, SC

December

Snowglobe Festival – South Lake Tahoe, CA
Over New Year's weekend, music takes over the mountains of South Lake Tahoe, CA, with the Snowglobe Festival. Be sure to bundle up since the festival is outdoors. But with 7 surrounding ski resorts allowing attendees to hit the slopes before catching a show, the cold should be just what you're looking for.

More Festivals in December:
Together as One - Silverado, CA
Sea of Dreams - San Francisco
Bradenton Blues Festival - Bradenton, FL
Orange Drive Miami Beach Music Festival – Miami Beach
Treme Creole Gumbo Festival - New Orleans

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US Music Festival Guide

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