Campgrounds

Le Grande Wheel’s grand view of Coachella

Posted by Kate McGinty on April 21, 2012
Posted in: Campgrounds. Tagged: , , , , , . 44 comments

Guys, you have not seen Coachella until you see the view from the top. Let me demonstrate.

Here, Arctic Monkeys play the mainstage on Friday evening:

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For $5 a ride, hop on Le Grande Wheel, that iconic ferris wheel that greets you when you turn into the Empire Polo Grounds for the three-day festival. You’ll get three or four trips around on what they bill as “the largest portable wheel in North America.”

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Desert Sun photographer Crystal Chatham rode the ferris wheel twice on Friday, once early in the day to test the waters and a second trip later once the grounds filled up.

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I was more than happy to tag along in one of the 35 cars that rotate around.

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Once inside, turn one way and you’ll see the festival grounds. Turn the other way, and you’ll see what looks like an endless stream of ants streaming in from the camp grounds.

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These were all shot on my iPhone 4S. See the professional photos as Crystal posts them on www.mydesert.com and here on MyCoachella.

Accessories roundup: Color and quirk in abundance

Posted by Sonya English on April 14, 2012
Posted in: Art, Campgrounds, Fans, Fashion, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , . 42 comments

Feathers, crocheted tops, high-waisted shorts – they’re all staples of the “Coachella” look. The fest is also a good time to bust out that item in your closet that makes you smile and “when would I wear that?.” Today. It’s today.

A few that have made me smile:

On Arenas Rd. back in Palm Springs? Par-for-the-course pride. At Coachella? Rainbow shoelaces are hipster and hot.

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Even when the sun’s not blaring, you can still rock your shades at Coachella. Just ask this chick – she’s got shades for her shades. No squinting in her future.

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Alligator hat. Never leave home without it.

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And one most-likely unplanned accessory:
It’s chilly, you have a knapsack full of jean shorts and tank tops. Get cold or get creative? Your call. This guy borrowed socks from his jammies (a guess) to warm his hands. High-five for innovation. Oh wait, socked fist bump better for you?
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Tips for parking at Coachella

Posted by Sonya English on April 13, 2012
Posted in: Campgrounds, Fans, Safety, Traffic, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , . 52 comments

As everyone floods into the festival grounds at the Empire Polo Club, a U-turn can cost you time and maybe even a band’s show. After you’re parked, be ready to walk 15-20 minutes from your parking spot to the stages.

If that’s not your style/time frame, hop onto a bike-driven carriage. They’re working for tips, so throw your driver at least $5/head.

Free all-day parking is located at Avenue 52 and Clinton, in lots 14 and 15. Drive slowly and be sure to employ the Midwest wave if you do need to U-turn and someone lets you in.

Weather update: High of 70 my butt. It’s hot out here. Wear loose-fitting, light-weight clothing and SPF on your exposed skin, then bring layers for when the clouds and rain come in later on.

Now you’re up-to-date – the fun has begun!

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Coachella app for iPhone, iPad released with 2012 info

Posted by Brian Indrelunas on April 8, 2012
Posted in: Art, Campgrounds, Fans, Lines, Safety, Traffic. Tagged: , , , , , . 51 comments

Goldenvoice’s official Coachella app is in the iTunes App Store, freshly updated for the 2012 festival weekends with a venue map, artist info and the ability to start building your own personal Coachella schedule — although all the set times are still TBA.

So far, there’s no sign of a Coachella 2012 app in the Android Market — I mean, Google Play.

iPhone and iPad users can download away, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the App Store prompts us to download an updated version soon. I tested it on two different iPhones, and on both, the app was missing some of the graphical flourishes on display in the official screenshots.

Compare those…
Coachella app screenshots in iTunes App Store

…to reality.
Coachella app for iPhone on Sunday, April 8, 2012

While we’re on the subject of apps, make sure you’ve downloaded the MyCoachella app so you can keep up with us on the go. Our app already looks hella fancy and it’s available in both the iTunes App Store and Google Play, formerly the Android Market.

Goldenvoice land purchase in Indio: Who’s excited, who’s not

Posted by Brian Indrelunas on March 27, 2012
Posted in: Campgrounds, Economy, Traffic. Tagged: , , , . 53 comments

Matches will still take place at the Eldorado Polo Club in Indio, seen in a January 2011 photo, but Goldenvoice's purchase of the club has city leaders envisioning and some neighbors dreading additional festivals. (Richard Lui, Desert Sun file photo)

Matches will still take place at the Eldorado Polo Club in Indio, seen in a January 2011 photo, but Goldenvoice's purchase of the club has city leaders envisioning and some neighbors dreading additional festivals. (Richard Lui, Desert Sun file photo)

Goldenvoice isn’t saying what it will do with the 280 acres it’s buying around the site of its Coachella and Stagecoach festivals, but Indio city leaders are excited.

Mayor Glenn Miller told The Desert Sun and the Los Angeles Times that smaller festivals focusing on wine, jazz or Latin music could be staged throughout the year, and a hotel could be in the offing.

But Desert Sun reporter Rebecca Walsh also found residents of Indio and neighboring La Quinta who are, shall we say, less than enthused.

“For three weeks, we can suck it up,” LaVerne Sprinkle told Walsh. “But more concerts? No way.”

MyDesert.com has more reactions to the Goldenvoice land deal from Indio’s city manager and other nearby residents.

One more way to get Coachella tickets

Posted by Brian Indrelunas on February 2, 2012
Posted in: Campgrounds, Tickets. Tagged: , , , . 60 comments

When I wrote about both weekends of Coachella selling out in a matter of hours, I knew that sellout came with an asterisk since promoter Goldenvoice had pledged to sell at least 2,000 more Coachella tickets to locals later in January.

Even though that opportunity has come and gone, it seems there’s at least one more way to get into the festival — if you’re willing to rough it, Coachella-style.

When I stopped by the Coachella website this afternoon, this image caught my eye:

Camping image from Coachella.com

Sure enough, if you click through to the Coachella camping page and onto the purchasing website, all indications are that campers who reserve tents at Lake Eldorado will get enough festival wristbands for each occupant:

This afternoon, the site indicated four-person tents were available for either weekend at a cost of $3,070, including service fees. That’s $767.50 per person.

I put one such tent in my shopping cart and never got any warning about needing to already have a festival pass, and that’s about as far as I can safely take my journalistic fact-checking on this one. (I don’t think the good folks who run MyCoachella.com would look too kindly upon an expense claim in the neighborhood of three grand.)

But if you give the camp-your-way-in method a shot and it works (or doesn’t), let us know in the comments on this post.

To book Lake Eldorado camping for April 13-15: http://coachella-weekend1.frontgatetickets.com/

To book Lake Eldorado camping for April 20-22: http://coachella-weekend2.frontgatetickets.com/