Governor's Ball 2014 Tips for Festival-Goers

The Governor's Ball Music Festival 2014 has descended upon New York City, attracting over 13,000 music fans. Despite the name, the festival is actually held on Manhattan's Randall's Island. After rain and mud made a mess of Randall's last year, this year's weekend forecast is full of sunshine.

Save money by traveling to the Island by biking or walking over the RFK bridge from Queens, Manhattan or the Bronx, or by walking over the E. 103rd Street footbridge in Manhattan. See all travel options here.

Must haves to optimize your Governor's Ball experience: a blanket to rest on, sunscreen, good shoes, a refillable water bottle, hand sanitizer, the Gov Ball 2014 App on your smartphone, and some cash (although some vendors accept credit cards and Pay Pal).

Janelle Monae at the Gov Ball Stage 6/6/14

Performance highlights from Friday included Phoenix's Thomas Mars crowd-surfing out into the audience as he ended his set (he does this at most shows, yet it is always exhilarating to see); Jenny Lewis playing keyboard in a groovy pants suit; Janelle Monae lighting up the stage as an "Electric Lady"; and headliner Outkast pulling audience members up on stage during their hit song, "Hey Ya".

WGINY's personal selections for your Saturday and Sunday schedule: Fitz and the Tantrums, Broken Bells, The Naked & Famous, The Strokes, Childish Gambino, Spoon, Sleigh Bells, Jack White, The Head and the Heart, Foster the People, Interpol,  and Vampire Weekend.

Food tips: It would be nearly impossible to try all 50+ food, drink and dessert vendors in just three days. Yesterday, WGINY got to sample some crispy Belgian fries from the Pommes Frites stand, and some rich, creamy mac & cheese from Beecher's Handmade Cheese. I recommend both, and suggest adding some of the condiment hot sauce to the mac for a spicy surprise.


One last tip: Please adhere to the signs and bins for trash/landfill, composting and recycling. Governor's Ball and Clean Vibes are working hard to keep Randall's Island litter free, yet the amount of trash (mostly beer cans...) I saw on the grass yesterday was absolutely appalling, and I did not envy the staff who will have to clean up after the festival-goers. We can do better.

Forget your sunscreen? Don't worry. There's an "app" for that.