The Essential Treefort Survival Guide
Because You’re Hot, Not Invincible
Avg. Read Time: 3m 29s
Boise, it’s that time again. The sun’s out, your seasonal depression is lifting, and you’re about to subject yourself to 120 hours of live music, art, and absolute mayhem. Whether it’s your first Treefort or your tenth, consider this your roadmap to surviving our favorite annual fever dream (with your dignity intact).
DO: Plan like your life depends on it. Because it does
Treefort Music Hall | Treefort Music Fest 2024
The lineup is stacked, the FOMO is real, and no, you can’t “just wing it” and get to the barricade for Remi Wolf. Download the Treefort app or prepare to get left behind. Group chats are your best friend. Pick your absolute must-sees, have backups, and be prepared for heartbreak when a venue hits capacity. If you can’t handle that, stay home and watch concert clips on TikTok.
Afterparties? Not all are created equal. Ask who’s DJing before you follow a stranger to some guy’s living room where Randy is spinning vinyls and explaining NFTs. And for the love of all things holy, DO NOT DRUNK LIME SCOOTER. Walk it off, phone a friend, or hail a cab like it’s 2009.
DON’T: Blow your load on day one
We get it. You’re excited. You wanna say hi to everyone, drink everything in sight, and act like your body hasn’t been stationary for months. But Treefort is the ultimate festival endurance test, where the weak are weeded out by day three and the survivors emerge on Sunday doing hungover yoga with blurry vision and at least one canon event. Hydrate. Pace yourself. Respect the mission.
Riding Treefort like a wave comes down to listening to your body and expecting highs and lows. The best way to do it? Dragort, Alefort, and Foodfort are prime spots to recharge while staying immersed in the festival. Boise’s diverse art scene thrives this week—don’t be a ‘One-Fort Bitch’ and miss the bigger picture.
DO: Master the “Dirty 30” nap
Treefort is a marathon, not a sprint. Sleep might be optional but at some point, after hoofing it across 30+ venues across downtown, you will crash. The trick is making sure you do it somewhere intentional and not, say, face-down on the dance floor at Neurolux. Here’s the pro move: befriend someone who lives downtown. Their couch? A gift from the gods. No inside connections? Fine. You have two options:
Eygitian Theater| Treefort Music Fest 2023
Mungo and the The Santucci Brothers
Find a cute tree and make it look like a whimsical picnic nap. Blanket, sunglasses, artistic suffering—sell the fantasy.
Filmfort is your emergency crash pad. It’s dark, it’s quiet, and no one will question why you’re sitting in the back row while resting your weary bones. AC and a pre-bed-time story? Sold. Just don’t you DARE snore.
DON’T: Let your outfit betray you
Cute shades, a bucket hat, and a fanny slung across your overalls is the standard Treefort starter-pack. But, if you're committed to leveling up your fit game this year, there are some things to keep in mind:
Treefort fashion is a bloodsport, but March weather is lawless. It’ll be sunny at noon, snowing at three, and hailing by five. That cute bandeau? Iykyk–it won’t survive the Shredder mosh pit. And, if you think you can last all day in new Docs, I beg you to reconsider. You’re clocking 30k steps minimum. Old sneakers and layers will save your life. Moral of the story: keep a spare fit in your car.
DO: Make a Treefort friend
El Korah Shrine | Treefort Music Fest 2019
Photo by Ellen Hansen
Treefort is a networking event for feral weirdos. In this small, everyone-knows-everyone city, you’ll cheers your 80-year-old neighbor at a folk set, then immediately dodge your coworker outside the porta-potty you were about to hurl in. Going incognito is a joke, and the disappearing-into-a-porta act? Played out. Your best bet? Befriend a new GBF to help you avoid eye contact with the ex-fling you ghosted last summer.
Treefort alliances can burn fast and bright, you’ll meet people from all over and swear you’re going to be best friends forever. By Monday? You might not ever see them again. But for one glorious night, you’ll convince yourself you’ve found your ride-or-die festival soulmate.
But the real magic? When a fringe friend becomes part of a core memory, forged in a bathroom line, bonded by shared chaos, and cemented by a weekend of mutual survival.
Main Stage | Treefort Music Fest 2024
TL;DR:
Plan or perish. Get the app, strategize, and don’t trust random afterparties.
Pace yourself. Treefort is five days—act accordingly. All the other forts exist for a reason.
Respect the nap. A well-placed 30 minutes can save your life.
Dress for war. March weather will betray you. Layers and comfy shoes.
Make a new bestie. The best friendships are sometimes unexpected, but Treefort can forge unbreakable bonds unforgettable memories.
Treefort veterans, you know the drill. Newcomers—welcome to the jungle. May your naps be strategic, your outfits functional, and your late-night decisions only mildly regrettable.
Stay tuned for more coverage, including exclusive interviews on the artists we’re most excited about this year, here at BNDRY.
See you in the pit.
XOXO
BNDRY
@bndry.club
