SunFest is a 4 day music festival located on the West Palm Beach waterfront. There’s 3 stages for live music of every genre, fun food and drinks, an art fair, and of course the party barges on the water.
Sunfest: Date Night vs Family Day
This year was the first SunFest since our son was born (pandemic baby problems). And I’m sure we’re not the only ones who weren’t sure if we should bring our little guy with us. We decided to have grandma come babysit Saturday night, so we would enjoy a date night out at SunFest and then bring him with us Sunday for a family day.
SunFest Date Night
Back in the day (before we became parents), we would be at SunFest all day, everyday and ready to party. We planned our weekends around the lineup and would visit the party barges in between the artists we wanted to see.
Sunfest on the weekends, especially at night, is much more crowded than during the week days. And even more so if there’s a really popular performer, which is generally who is performing on a Saturday or Sunday night.
This year, we had one date night at SunFest. It was nice to not have to worry about bedtime or if the music was too loud. We could get drinks and check out the different bar areas.
We did some people watching (my favorite) and waited to see Lil Wayne.
SunFest Family Day
I saw a few posts in local mom Facebook groups asking if they should bring their kids to SunFest this year.
It seemed like the comments were mixed reviews.
Obviously every kid is different and has a different personality and different tolerance for crowds, loud music, etc.
Kids 5 and under are free and don’t need a ticket to enter. They also have cheaper youth tickets for kids 6-12.
We decided to bring our 2 year old Sunday afternoon after his nap. We chose to follow and prioritize his schedule instead of SunFest’s schedule. (I probably would’ve done things differently if Nelly was still in the lineup).
Our son had the BEST time! He danced and clapped and found a beach ball to play with.
We were a little overwhelmed with the food options inside the venue (too many choices) and went out to Clematis for some pizza. We planned to go back in to listen to more music but felt satisfied with our experience. And decided to call it a night early and get home in time our guy’s bedtime routine.
Tips for bringing kids to SunFest
If your kids are little, bring your stroller.
Be prepared to do some walking around at SunFest. There are 3 different stages and they’re decently far away from each other. We were able to get to the farthest stage much quicker pushing a stroller than if our son was walking himself or being held. I also felt much safer with him strapped in a stroller while walking though big crowds.
Pack a blanket
We recently got a this one that’s easy to pack up and has a strap.
They’re easy to carry around (as opposed to lawn chairs) so you can move around to different stages. And you’ll still have somewhere for your family to sit and enjoy live music.
Keep your kids cool and hydrated
Don’t forget that it will be hot hot hot – May in South Florida. You’re not allowed to bring water bottles inside but we were able to bring our 2 year old’s cup. I also brought his stroller fan and put sunscreen on him before we went.
Keep low expectations
Follow your kids lead. If they’re enjoying an artist and dancing, let them enjoy it. If its too loud, take a walk and check out some art. If they’re reaching limits or are overwhelmed by the crowds, take a break or call it a day and go home.
At this point in our lives we enjoyed our family day at SunFest more than the nighttime party seen (that we loved so much for years). And for future SunFests, we plan to focus more on daytime / family time. (Of course pending the lineup).
Have you brought kids to SunFest before? Let me know in the comments if you prefer attending with or without kids!
Other SunFest posts:
