Outside Lands 2019 came and went, and the 12th year of the festival brought with it a wide array of emotions for all to step through the gates. This year’s Outside Lands featured their most polarizing line up to date. The general feel around the Bay Area in the months leading up to the festival was you either thought this was the strongest year yet, or adamantly detested everything it stood for, there was no in between.

Outside Lands celebrated its 10th year this August but at first glance, it runs like its been going on for much longer. The caliber of food, drink, performers, and even extra-curricular activities is unmatched on most other festival grounds.

Outside Lands is in its 9th year but you wouldn’t know to look at it. In some ways it feels like a brand new festival, while in others it’s clear that it’s far from amateur. The smooth operations, from getting fans through the gate without much wait to having eco-friendly workers to help navigate which bin to put your trash in (compost, recycling, or landfill), are just a few pieces of proof that Outside Lands really has their shit together.

There’s a reason everything tends to come back around. Yes, people love nostalgia and hindsight is 20/20, but the consistent resurgence of past trends stems from one thing: a lot of things were just better “back then.” Despite the technological progress made year after year, many photographers still swear up and down by film. Even with the endless possibilities laid out by virtual reality, millions of people still turn to Pokemon for entertainment.

Another year of Outside Lands flew by this weekend, and like it does every year, went out with its crown held high. Despite temperatures in the 50s and the festival’s pricey location in the heart of $an Francisco, droves of music lovers flocked to Golden Gate Park for the 8^th year in a row to dance the cold gray away. With a top notch lineup for music, food, beer, and wine, it’s hard to imagine a single fan went home unsatisfied.

It’s not always easy to get to a musical festival the minute the doors open. Between work and friends traveling from different pockets, and especially if alcohol is involved the night (or brunch) before, it gets even harder by the day. When your lineup is as stacked as Outside Lands’ though, you’d be a fool to show up late. Here are five acts that are sure to make the hustle worth it.

1. Speedy Ortiz, Friday 1:30 @ Panhandle 

“Buy a flower crown, they’re tacky!”

As soon as I heard the guy selling flower crowns charmingly belittling his own product, I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Despite the cool fog that hung over the weekend, taking in the towering eucalyptus trees that encase Golden Gate Park, I felt warm. Back at Outside Lands for my third year, it almost instantly felt like I was home again.

San Francisco’s biggest music festival is set to take over Golden Gate Park for its seventh year next week. This year Outside Lands sold out in record time, within just hours of single day passes going on sale.

Golden Gate Park hosted San Francisco’s 6^th Outside Lands Festival this past weekend, bringing in scores of talent ranging from musical to culinary to comedic. The festival sold out more than a month in advance, yet the grounds felt deceptively spacious all three days. Although the fog hardly let up all weekend, two things were clear: the leggings-as-pants trend is here to stay, and the comedy aspect of Outside Lands has been severely underrated thus far.

Judging by the weather in San Francisco over the past few weeks, Outside Lands 2013 might be even chillier and grayer than it was last year. This year’s event will take place August 9-11 on its usual turf of Golden Gate Park, and if the lineup is any indication, there’s sure to be something for everyone.Feeling nostalgic for the 90s? D’Angelo takes the Sutro Stage on Friday, while Jurassic 5 plays Saturday afternoon just hours before Nine Inch Nails closes out Saturday night on the Lands End Stage.