We had our minds blown at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington. It is crazy to think that the idea for this venue was born out of the desire of winery owners Vincent & Carol Bryan in the 80’s trying to come up with a way to bring people in to taste their wines…. Who could have ever known that their appreciation for music and the natural acoustics in the valley would ignite the idea for this place that has become one of the best outdoor concerts venues out there today.
If you are unfamiliar, let me tell you all about it! The Gorge Amphitheatre is an outdoor music venue in Grant County, Washington overlooking the Columbia River. It is only a few hours from Seattle and British Columbia if you’re coming across the Canadian border.
The Bryans opened the venue in 1986 to hold 3,000 people, as the venue grew so did the number of seats. Today it is owned by Live Nation and can hold over 25,000.
Some popular Festivals that take place here are the Sasquatch, Paradiso and Watershed Festivals. Huge headliners such as Pearl Jam, Joni Mitchell and Dave Mathews have belted out their lyrics on this very stage under the starlit sky. Many artists have named this amongst their favorite places to perform and come back time and time again.
We had heard about The Gorge and had intended to go a few different times over the years… this year we finally made it happen and were able to check off an item on our Bucket List.
We went with a group of friends for the weekend to see James Bay and The Lumineers on a Friday night and Hailey Witters, Jelly Roll and Eric Church on the Saturday night. Both nights were incredible… let’s just say one crowd was definitely not like the other. That is the cool thing about music, it attracts different kinds of crowds and allows you to meet and interact with people you may never encounter in your everyday life.
As far as accommodation is concerned, there are places to stay in the neighboring towns (Quincy and George) as well as a few vacation homes close by.
We chose to camp on the premises. The camping is offered in tiers, it isn’t cheap, but you can choose standard for the cheapest option or go as fancy as the glamping “Oasis” option which provides a bell tent set up with beds already for you to enjoy. We chose the one in between; the premier camping, because the sites were large and offered airconditioned washrooms and free showers as well as closer proximity to the trail and shuttle service if desired.
The same idea applies to seating, there is general admission on the lawn, or you can get yourself closer to the stage in designated floor seating or right up close to the stage in the pit. If you have a lot of change in your pocket to spend, you can book yourself a VIP box that includes food and drink service, so you don’t even have to leave your seat. We honestly felt like the lawn was the best option because you can spread out with a blanket or short beach like chair (you can rent chairs) and take in the panoramic views and sunset. Because of the slope on the lawn, you don’t need to worry about the person in front of you blocking your view; whereas on the floor and pit you would.
If you have ever seen pictures of the Gorge Amphitheatre, you can see that there is a massive slope. This means great views from everywhere which is part of the appeal of the place, just keep in mind that it also means you will need to walk up and down this slope, so wear shoes to support this.
Camping at the Gorge is a lot of fun. If you’re going with a group like we did, you’ll want to caravan in together so that you can camp together. You cannot prebook what site you get ahead of time, only which area you will be in. We were lucky enough to travel with friends who had been there many times, so they shared their knowledge with us, and this made things go a lot smoother. They advised us all to get to our site early on the Friday and we were so grateful we did, because later in the afternoon we saw people stuck on the road for hours before getting in.
*Also, bring your own shade because you are camping on a field with no trees. This also applies to the entire area around the Gorge. Put out your awnings, set up those tents and tarps, slap on the sunscreen and throw on your biggest sun happy hat!
Camping is part of the whole experience of being at the Gorge. Because this is such an incredible place to see live music, it attracts people from all over. We met people that travelled all the way from Reno Nevada that we adopted for the weekend.
You will see flags hung up, games being played in the wide open spaces, hear the sounds of music all around you and smell the meat on the BBQ reminding you it’s time to eat… or time to go meet your neighbour!
There are some hiking trails close by if your there for the weekend and have some time on your hands. You can walk to the Cave B Estate Winery from your campsite, do a tasting and grab a pizza and access a trail from there.
*Heads up, big heads up! The cost of drinks at the venue will give you sticker shock. We cringed as we did the conversion from American to Canadian, but ultimately decided not to think about it and just live in the moment.
The stroll from our campsite to the Amphitheatre heightened the excitement and is part of the whole experience. We knew there were shuttle buses available, but our veteran attendees told us we needed to do the walk to get the most out of it. We took their word for it, and it did not disappoint. The moment the Gorge was unveiled before our eyes was one of my most cherished moments of the entire weekend. Nine of the eleven of us were witnessing this for the first time, so I guess you can say there were a lot of cherries being popped in that moment!
*Upon entering, your bags and person will be checked, you will also walk through a metal detector. This only takes a few extra minutes. I personally welcomed this extra step for the safety of the whole. It is sad that we need to take these measures, but this is where we’re at. They will allow you to bring in small fanny pack size purse and clear bags that don’t exceed 12”x12”x6”. You are also allowed clear water bottles and a clear gallon bag of food. Besides pot, no other drugs are permitted at the Gorge. Make sure to bring a sweater, because once the sun goes down, so does the temperature.
It had been a while since we attended an outdoor concert. I had forgotten how special they are. The impact of sharing a special experience with so many others generates a connection that is unparalleled. To see your feelings in that moment being reflected on the many faces around you as they sing along to the lyrics that have touched your soul is a reminder of how important music is in our lives and the impact is has on all of us.
While Jelly Roll was playing, we saw a man on the screen holding up a sign that said, “14 days sober”. Jelly Roll has been transparent about his struggles in life and speaks out freely about big pharma and the opiate epidemic that is taking place in North America. He writes about these things in his songs, and he has helped others through this medium. He has been able to connect with so many people that feel like the underdog or “less than” and the effect is immeasurable.
We came to The Gorge for the soul purpose of seeing the Lumineers at this unique place and ended up going the second night because we were able to get cheap tickets. That is a little tip for you out there, if you have your camping sorted ahead of time, you can likely score yourself a deal the day of. We don’t typically listen to country, but we ended up having a great night and can understand why there are so many Eric Church fans out there; he puts on a show! At one point during his performance, Ty and I saw a shooting star shoot across the sky. That moment will stay with us forever.
Not to our surprize, James Bay and The Lumineers were fantastic! I think they were meant to perform at places like this. We had been listening to The Lumineers for many years and felt so fortunate to see them there.
The Gorge is like a giant magnet, drawing people in from miles and miles away. Maybe you can feel the pull…. maybe you’ll find yourself there one day too!
Thanxs for Stopping By!