With hot temperatures, a nearly-fully moon and smoky skies people danced, drank and made memories in Redmond during the 2024 FairWell Festival.

The second-annual event finished up Sunday, but not after entertaining an estimated three-day crowd of 45,000. The festival featured headliners Caamp, Billy Strings, Kacey Musgraves and dozens more acts, mostly from the country, folk and rock genres.

According to festival goers, traffic and parking were much smoother than last year, when the large crowds seemed to overwhelm the infrastructure of the Fair & Expo Center and Redmond.

However, some festival goers were disappointed that the festival staff cut off Friday night headliner Billy Strings during his last song because he was a few minutes past 11 p.m., the time the festival closed.

On Sunday, some performances were delayed due to the thunderstorms that rolled through the area. Performances picked up again after they passed.

What were the festival fits this year?

Three cowboys wearing cropped Barbie T-shirts with jean shorts, cowboy boots and matching sunglasses were inspired by “White Claws and Walmart” for their Saturday fit, said Seth Wilkie.

“Actually it was Twisted Teas,” John Carrion said, adding they hoped to get sponsored soon by the brand.

They said they might match outfits again and Wilkie said he “certainly wouldn’t mind” matching with his buddies again.

They said Colter Wall was a personal highlight for the group and they looked forward to seeing Kacey Musgraves.

Michelle Christian, from Ashland, used her job as a “sparkler” to glitter up her outfits this weekend. During Saturday afternoon, she wore gold cowboy boots with a matching gold fanny pack. She even put gold strands on her hair.

“Gold’s kinda my thing,” Christian said.

Later that night, she and Ben Critteneen dressed up as “Vegas cowboys,” with Christian in a red fringe romper.

“I’m a little obsessed with sparkling,” she added.

Who chose to spend extra for special festival amenities?

Festival goers had the chance to purchase plus, VIP or platinum tickets to enhance their FairWell Festival experience.

The plus tickets offered an exclusive lounge, private bar and a concierge, but came with an additional $280 for one day or $499 for all three. One-day VIP could be purchased for $399. Perks included front-of-stage viewing at two stages, access to a VIP lounge with air-conditioned restrooms, access too private food and drinks, a dedicated festival entrance and lockers.

Platinum — the ultimate package for purchase — cost $745 a day or $1,575 for all three days. The package included front stage viewing at two stages and free beer, seltzer and water during performances.

Nan Pratt of Tucson, Ariz. and Nancy Noblett from Atlanta, Ga. purchased the VIP tickets because “we have the money and we don’t need to be in the sun,” Pratt said, referring to the air-conditioned lounge.

Pratt specifically liked the air-conditioned restrooms and the VIP bar that came with the pass.

They also appreciated the close-up viewing areas, where they enjoyed watching Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Friday night, Noblett said.

Pratt said the VIP price for three days was reasonable for the perks, noting that the festival “did a really good job by making it hard to pick (just) one day and AI has been very helpful with that.”

The two have been friends for 12 years and are staying in the Redmond area for two weeks exploring Central Oregon after the festival, spending an additional $4,000 for a hotel in Sisters.

Pratt said they’ll definitely come back to Central Oregon, but isn’t sure if she’ll attend the festival again due to local hotels raising their prices for the weekend.

Cindy Johnson from Seattle and Amy Gardner from San Jose, Calif., have been friends for about 30 years. Johnson said buying the VIP pass was “worth every penny.”

Gardner also appreciated the private bar and lounge staff, who she said were very friendly.

“Just being able to get out of the crush (of the crowd) is nice and not being forced to sit in the sun all day,” Gardner said.

Additionally, they both enjoyed being close to the stage, so they “could see all the facial expressions,” and had more space to move and dance around than the packed general admission section, Gardner said.

Johnson looked forward to seeing War and Treaty, who she’s been following for 10 years after she discovered them at a jazz festival. Johnson called herself a “superfan.”

Johnson said she’s discovered new music from the performers and will continue listening to some artists moving forward, like Adeem the Artist.

At first, the two had complaints about the parking situation. On Friday night the staff didn’t know where they should park and kept sending them in “circles.” She said it was better Saturday night when they knew where to go.

Going all out

David and Jennifer Ring traveled from South Dakota and they purchased Platinum tickets to have a “worry-free” experience.

“If we’re going to spend 30 hours traveling, we need (it),” David Ring said.

The couple like the convenience of the wristbands and the relaxed atmosphere of the Platinum Lounge.

The two were most excited to see Caamp as they even had matching tattoos to honor the band. The Rings saw them last year at the Red Rocks festival in Colorado.

“We’re big Caamp fans,” Jennifer Ring said.

Colleen McGrew was excited about her platinum tickets, which she got last year as well. She said she appreciates the easy transportation between each stage for platinum holders.

“You don’t miss anything,” Colleen McGrew said.

She lives in Eagle Crest and will “possibly” attend next year’s festival, depending on what the lineup is.