Another 4th of July weekend, and another 80/35 music festival in downtown Des Moines. We look forward to this every year.
Bowie's very first concert was officially Dinsaur Jr. – not bad, huh?
It was a pretty hot day, but we sat under a tree on a blanket and enjoyed the bands from a grassy area in the shade.
I even brought a bunch of frozen teething rings for Bowie to chew on and play with in an attempt to beat the heat.
These two were up to their usual antics.
And, just like every other year, Lo spent some time cooling off in the water feature/fountain in Western Gateway Park. We love that this is right inside the festival grounds so we can park our blanket, stroller and towels and sit nearby. This year, we even remembered Lo's swimsuit! Smart. If you're bringing kids and you think they might play in the water ... bring swimwear.
And a quick note to parents! You can totally bring the kids to this festival. 80/35 has done a great job of making sure that everything is kid-friendly. There's a play area where they can hang out and jump in bounce houses and play. There are also shaded, grassy areas where you can hang with the kids away from the stage and you'll still be able to see the bands. It's the best of both worlds.
So, this year's lineup was fantastic! (And did I mention it was hot?!)
Atmosphere.
Leslie and the LYs.
The Avett Brothers.
The Avett Brothers.
And Deathcab for Cutie. There were obviously a lot more bands, but let's face it ... this year, we had a baby. But we saw everyone we wanted to see! And definitely had a wonderful time, as usual. And as I've said every single year after 80/35 is over ... we are so lucky to have this festival bringing these bands together for an amazing weekend in our city.