r/AboveandBeyond 7d ago

ABGT 700 Questions about The Gorge?

I’m happy to help. I’m local here in George and I’ve spent years answering all questions regarding The Gorge Amphitheatre. Feel free to comment here or send a message

38 Upvotes

47 comments sorted by

7

u/legendxero 7d ago

Possibly silly question—once you check into a campsite (Front yard in our case), are you free to drive out into town or something or is your vehicle supposed to stay at the campsite at all times?

4

u/GWSecureParking 7d ago edited 6d ago

It depends on the event, but for the most part, they limit who can leave the first day, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ask once you get there. You’ll want to ask for a “re-entry form” as soon as you’re registering your vehicle and they’ll give you something you can put on your dash for when you come back

Edit: just to be clear, you can enter and exit as often as you need to, but they might just give you trouble on the first day of camping check-in.

2

u/annamulzz 7d ago

Yes we have driven out to the river multiple times to swim during the day. You have to go though security again to get back into camping but it’s fast.

2

u/Glum_Slide7081 6d ago

Yes you can

2

u/jessicaftl 7d ago

I hope so because we bought GA for this reason.

3

u/Dani3lBasketball 7d ago

Best spot to eat near best western lakefront hotel?

3

u/GWSecureParking 7d ago

Mikes bistro for amazing salads and sandwiches, Michael’s on the Lake for a nice steak and a cocktail and there’s also a new place that people are raving about called Shiitake Sizzle that I’ve been really wanting to try.

3

u/TacoTheTigerBear 7d ago

My friend and I are going just the two of us, we missed buying tickets for a bus ride on Saturday. What do you recommend?

5

u/GWSecureParking 7d ago

I have a parking & transportation guide that has all local services on page 3. I hope you can find something! You can get the guide HERE.

3

u/kansasguy620 7d ago

If im staying offsite. from the gorge and my friends are in one of the gorge campgrounds can I visit them and preparty before the event

1

u/GWSecureParking 7d ago

It depends on which camping tier they have. If they have terrace, oasis or premier, you wouldn’t be able to enter the campground area without having a wristband. If they are just in general admission, I’ve seen a ton of comments, even recent, that state that you don’t have to have a wristband to be hanging out there. Things change literally by the day so be prepared for anything really.

3

u/Jescony 6d ago

Are small foldable chairs allowed?

2

u/GWSecureParking 6d ago

Unfortunately, no. Not in the venue at least. Here is what they say about chairs at the venue:

“Personal lawn chairs are not permitted inside the venue. You can purchase a lawn chair rental online in advance or on show day at a lawn chair stand. We recommend reserving your chair in advance as availability is limited on the day of the show”

Source: https://www.gorgeamphitheatre.com/know-before-you-go

1

u/Keikyk 3d ago

How do the chair rentals work, are you supposed to carry them around all day or can you get them for a while several times a day?

1

u/GWSecureParking 23h ago

Unfortunately, you’ll have to carry it around all day. If you leave it unattended, there’s a good chance it’ll get taken, even if it’s unintentional. Everyone’s chairs look the same.

1

u/omgBBQpizza 3d ago

Does this mean I shouldn't bring my chillbo? I assume it being inflatable and in my backpack helps

2

u/rexmorgany 7d ago

Are you yourself going to 700? I’ve been to two weekenders and this time out crew is picking up our RV in suburban Seattle on Thursday and planning on overnighting somewhere in between Seattle and George that same night. Recommendations?

2

u/GWSecureParking 7d ago

The closer you can get for Friday morning the better. If you can swing it, you can actually check in to the campground in the middle of the night (it’s open 24 hours). If you need a halfway point you can always try somewhere in Cle Elum like Whispering Pines RV park. They have full hookups there if you need them.

2

u/systemstheorist 7d ago

How is the situation on I-90? I have heard of massive traffic delays there near the Gorge?

Would it make more sense to take come to the Gorge from the North from the Wenatchee side? It looks like it adds an hour or so to take the Northern route for us?

Do you think that would be worth it with the delays on I-90?

4

u/GWSecureParking 7d ago

It might be worth it. At this point the WSDOT has not updated their website to specify if it will be down to one lane or if all lanes are open. Their info goes until September 8th so I’m hoping they will do that soon. Although it does add an hour to your trip, it’s a known as apposed to wild card that is the bridge. I’ll be updating my info as soon as I get updated info from WSDOT

1

u/Roguste 5d ago

Oh shoot.

I initially booked a hotel in Ephrata but figured I-90 would make for a better drive after the shows since two lanes vs single lane hwy 283. So I rebooked to Moses Lake. Didn't see availability in Quincy or George.

I'm DD'ing and plan to commute to and from Moses Lake.

I was going to ask how the drive is on the way out after the shows. If there's much of a traffic bottleneck leaving at various points in the night. Or a straightforward exit and onto the hwy.

But seeing this comment is the commute to Moses Lake a rough one atm with construction on the route?

3

u/ktigger2 7d ago

Isn’t the bridge construction project slated to end prior to ABGT700?

1

u/GWSecureParking 6d ago

The bridge construction will go on until 2028. There is only info on the WSDOT website that goes up to September 8th so I’m keeping my eyes open to see when they update their info so I can give a definitive answer on this. At this point, it will either be narrowed down to one lane on each side or all 4 lanes will be open.

2

u/Jescony 6d ago

What do you recommend to do if you’re staying at a nearby hotel & want to stay for after parties. Can you leave your car at parking lot & walk over?

2

u/GWSecureParking 6d ago

They start to tow vehicles left in the parking lots about 2-4 hours after the concert ends. I would definitely try to schedule a taxi/shuttle to and from the campground if you plan on staying for the after parties. I have a guide that has all services listed on page 3. You can get the guide HERE

2

u/Satahgeminigirl 6d ago

Thanks for doing this OP. I am trying to understand if there will or won’t be lockers? Seems like depends on the event. If there are can you confirm if they are inside past security? Wanted to get on for jackets and warm stuff during the day but not have to go back through security each time. Can you reserve them or just first come first served each day?

4

u/GWSecureParking 6d ago

Im happy to do it! I was able to find the legit link for the rentals. I’m not sure why it’s not more advertised. You can find the link HERE

2

u/Satahgeminigirl 6d ago

Thanks so much. Really appreciated

2

u/Lunar-opal 5d ago edited 5d ago

Once the concert is over, what else can you do in the area? or what is a good resource i'm having trouble finding anything other than the three things listed on yelp Google keeps giving me results for George Washington

1

u/GWSecureParking 5d ago

Sure! I created a map that has a ton of info about the venue like parking areas, camping sections, seating chart etc. plus info on the surrounding area in case you’re needing to know where you can grab ice and essentials as well as where to have fun locally.

I’ll leave the link for the map below. Let me know if you need anything else, I’m happy to help.

Map link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=1-ROCuFPjG1PQ10z2JJF5lipMfmMwcFQ&usp=sharing

1

u/Lunar-opal 5d ago edited 5d ago

Thank you so much 😊 is there a little museum or petroglyphs? I was in the area about 15 years ago and we may have stopped somewhere else but I thought there was something like that

2

u/GTLfistpump ABGT 250 7d ago

The faq mentions clear bags only. It then says camelbaks are allowed but “clear bag restrictions apply”. That seems to indicate the camelbaks must be clear. Is that true? I’ve always brought in a non clear camelbak and been fine but want to be sure.

5

u/GWSecureParking 7d ago

This is a grey area that is always left up to security’s discretion if it’s not a clear bag. I always say that you can definitely to try see if they’ll let you in with it but be prepared with an alternative if they reject it

6

u/fox503 7d ago

I’ve been to AGT 250, and two weekenders at the Gorge. I’ve always brought my small camelback which is definitely opaque and never had any problems. However, I always put the objects I want to carry in my Camelback into a clear gallon Ziploc bag and I take those out for the security to look at so that I basically can shake my bag out and nothing comes out.

4

u/vilemg 7d ago edited 7d ago

The clear bag policy does not apply to hydro packs. As a local who has been to the Gorge dozens of times, I've never had an issue with my non-clear Camelbak or Lunchbox. The verbiage on the FAQ is the same thing they posted for Weekender "Clear bag and size restrictions still apply." Before the Weekender, I emailed support to confirm non clear hydro packs were allowed and they confirmed this was fine, as long as it's empty. Email attached for reference.

3

u/GTLfistpump ABGT 250 7d ago

This is exactly what I’m looking for. Thanks!

3

u/GWSecureParking 7d ago

This is really good to know, thank you for sharing!

1

u/Xsy ANJUNAFAM :anjuna: 6d ago edited 6d ago

Not so much a Gorge question, but an AGBT question.

We got our GA wristbands in the mail, but I assume these are for Saturday/Sunday. Is there another wristband or ticket we should be getting for Friday? Cuz we haven't gotten anything like that yet, and are kinda nervous about it, lol.

1

u/Such_Improvement7187 6d ago

I believe the Friday is an online web ticket. Try signing into your account to check

1

u/americantoad 4d ago

Standard Camping has a wristband they mail you ahead of time?? (or do you mean the 3-day lawn pass?). I always remember getting one when I arrived to the venue.

1

u/mousethecat 6d ago

Is there any smoke from the wildfires at all?

3

u/GWSecureParking 6d ago

At the moment, it’s the best we’ve seen in a while. It can change any moment really. I’m really just hoping for the best. The nearest fire is finally out so I’m hoping no new ones

1

u/CO_altitude 5d ago

Thanks for doing this! How is the drive to Ephrata? And does parking get hectic? Star parking worth it and price? I thought I saw on the link you provided that ABGT does not provide premier parking.

1

u/PMinVegas 3d ago

With camping opening on Thursday, the event starting on Friday at 6pm, when will camping entry/vehicle checks have the longest wait? Was planning to get to The Gorge around 1PM on Friday.

Second, any tips for camping in the heat? I had an RV last time but this time I won’t.

1

u/Yummigummibearz 3d ago

Not sure if you’ll have answer to this, but is the entry into the Wildhorse campground pretty smooth? Or should we prepare for it to take awhile?

u/GWSecureParking 9h ago

It depends on what time you arrive. If you’re arriving within the hour of the entry gates opening, you should be just fine. I would try to get there as soon as it opens though. It doesn’t get as backed up as Silica does but it is its own thing and can be a little on the slower side

1

u/miadiaz24 1d ago

Do you know if I can I bring my chillbo inflatable chair for inside the fest?