The Orion got a chance to take a trip to the San Antonio Campgrounds to see what all the fuss about DirtyBird Campout was about. The music festival, which first started in 2015, moved to the San Antonio Campgrounds after being located in Silverado, CA.

What sets this festival apart from others is the various recess-like activities and charming campout theme that the DirtyBird label achieves throughout this event. The many options for activities and on-site camping allows for an optimal college student destination when deciding between which festivals to attend throughout the semester.

DirtyBird Records is a music label that produces house music, thus the line-up was jam-packed with house music DJs such as Claude VonStroke, Justin Martin and J. Phlip. These DJs participated in eclectic activities alongside campers throughout the weekend. Among these games were kickball, archery, potato sack races, capture the flag, water balloon tosses and ultimate frisbee just to name a few.

Unlike many other festivals, this one does not allow attendees to park and attend the festival through an outside parking lot. Campers, trucks and cars are all allowed to pick their campsites upon arrival, after purchasing a $70 parking pass. Once parked, campers are allowed to set up and colorfully decorate their sites however they please. Most opt for EZ-ups and the use of Amazon-bought tapestries as curtains with a touch of parent’s camping gear from the ’80s.

“It’s all about love no matter what. People watching out for people and actually cleaning up their trash, unlike other festivals,” said Nick Lenzini, a Chico State senior. “So much love for DirtyBird and all their music.”

One factor that makes this the perfect festival for Northern California college students to attend is the low price. Tickets are $200 including camping, compared to festivals such as Outside Lands or BottleRock, which can come out to $400 a ticket without camping. Camping excludes expenses of hotels, travel to and from the venue and binging on restaurants in the city.

The range of activities that are offered at DirtyBird Campout are high energy, matched with great music and childish attitudes. This is perfect for a college student who is trying to make the most of their music-filled weekend away. Exercising and spending a weekend outdoors with friends is a mental vacation that can be fulfilled at this place. Not to mention all the exercise attendees get while jamming out at the main stage.

The festival closed with a set to remember. Dubbing themselves the DirtyBird “players,” the whole family got a chance to play a song back-to-back. This ended the weekend but ensured that the crowd would have VonStroke’s track “Cake” stuck in their heads until next year.

When deciding which music festivals are worthy of sacred gas money, this Northern California destination definitely takes the cake. DirtyBird Campout is able to deliver to the music taste of college students while giving them just enough childhood nostalgia to forget their studies for a weekend.

Nicole Henson can be reached at [email protected] or @nicohenson on Twitter.