Aftershock Festival is expanding in Sacramento this year, bringing new camping options, additional stages and performers, and several new attractions to the four-day rock festival.
About 160,000 people are expected to attend the festival throughout the weekend, which is being held at Discovery Park.
One of the biggest new additions is camping at Cal Expo, giving festivalgoers a place to stay near the event while also adding another way for people to experience the festival.
Mike Testa, CEO of Visit Sacramento, said the addition of camping could make the festival more accessible to people who otherwise might not attend.
“We added camping this year too, really to create a lane for people who wanted to come and enjoy the festival feeling of camping,” Testa said. “That’s a pretty big thing across the country, and it lowers the price point for a lot of folks too. So in some ways, it opens a lane for people who might not be here otherwise.”
New food, drink and entertainment options
Camping is one of several new features added as Aftershock continues to grow.
The festival has added more stages and performers, along with new attractions including Cantina del Diablo, an open-air cantina featuring Mexican street food and drinks hosted by Jose “Metal Ambassador” Mangin.
A new Overtime Sports Bar is also giving festivalgoers another place to hang out, with sports games playing throughout the weekend.
Visitors bringing millions to Sacramento
The festival is also bringing significant tourism to the Sacramento region.
Testa said more than half of this year’s attendees are expected to come from outside the Sacramento area.
That influx of visitors is expected to generate about $39 million in local economic impact, according to Visit Sacramento.
Kari Miskit, COO of Visit Sacramento, said visitors attending Aftershock are also spending money at businesses throughout the region.
“Those folks are coming in, and of course they’re seeing the shows, but they’re also staying in our hotels, they’re eating in our restaurants, they’re using our ride shares,” Miskit said. “They’re shopping in our stores, which is really just critical to the people of this community.”
Shuttle service connects Cal Expo to festival
For those staying at the new campground, a shuttle service is available between Cal Expo and Discovery Park, where the festival is taking place.
The shuttle is designed to make transportation easier for campers while potentially helping reduce traffic congestion during the busy four-day event.
With camping, additional entertainment and more festival attractions, Aftershock is continuing its expansion while drawing tens of thousands of visitors to Sacramento.
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