Story by: Ashton Coyle

Many music festivals held across the U.S. annually can be a bank-breaker for college students. Tickets often range from $80 for single day passes, to around $300 for two-or three-day wristbands.

At Fun Fun Fun Fest, a music festival this year held Nov. 7 and 8,  in Austin, Texas, students could get a weekend pass for $68. At the two-day festival, 90 artists performed on four different stages at Waterloo Park in downtown Austin. The festival’s goal is to expose emerging musical artists who have not yet exploded into the mainstream music industry, and to create a festival that is appealing to a wide variety of people.

Of Montreal performs at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2009. (Photo by Ashton Coyle)

Each stage is host to a particular genre of music: indie rock, hip-hop/DJ, punk/hardcore or comedy. The small area of the park makes it easy to meander from stage to stage throughout the day, catching a wide variety of performances.

Purchasers of two-day passes are also free to leave and re-enter the park as they choose, creating more options when it comes to eating out or using the restrooms (those port-a-potties aren’t your only option). There’s even a water-fountain in the park, so instead of paying $2 a bottle for water, you might actually go home with a few dollars in your pocket.

A better festival

Being affordable isn’t the only thing that Fun Fun Fun Fest does better than other festivals. The intimate performance spaces make for much more exciting shows, during which audience members are often invited up onstage or performers make their way into the audience. Security isn’t overly present, which makes for a much more laid-back atmosphere, but one in which attendees still feel safe.

Other perks include: non-existent lines for the bathrooms and concession stands, temperatures below 100 degrees, close and inexpensive parking and crowds that are easy to navigate.

Only in its third year, Fun Fun Fun Fest has already proved that it is a different kind of music festival.