Mumford and Sons: Visitor Survival Guide

June 5, 2013 Around Town, Music,

Welcome to Taos! We’ve thrown together this little guide to help you navigate town while you’re here. Remember, Taos only has a population of 5,700 (give or take), so with 8,000 tickets sold for this show, we’re all about to embark on a grand adventure together. Here are some tips, tricks, and hints to help you make the most of your time here.

Life In The Slow Lane

For starters, take a nice deep breath and slow right on down. Taos is a slow-moving town to begin with, and with this show in town, you can bet lines will be long and traffic will be creeping. Yes, it will probably take ten minutes (ok, I’m being generous, it can take ten minutes on a regular day) to get a cup of coffee. Yes, you’ll probably find yourself sitting in your vehicle on Paseo del Pueblo for longer (much, much longer) than you want to. But hey, it’s all part of the journey! Take the opportunity to decompress, daydream, peer through gallery windows, and enjoy that beautiful mountain view — who knows, you might never leave.

Show Details, Special Events, and More

There are a lot of rules about what you can and can’t bring in to the show — you can find some information here AND we strongly recommend you pop on to the Taos Solar Music Festival facebook page and read it all in advance. They’re also running information on shuttles, bike parking, hotel vacancies, special events before and after the show, and more.

Lots of folks in Taos are really rising to the occasion for Thursday — there will be music, food, art, and more all over Taos, all day long, including:

Come up early and have a good wander (yes, a wander — many roads will be closed, plus it’ll all be nicer if everyone’s walking anyway)!

It’s Not an Amphitheater, It’s a Park

I’ve noticed a couple people on facebook asking “What is the venue like?” about Kit Carson Park.

No, seriously, it’s a park.

It’s a nice park, but it’s a pretty standard-issue municipal park; and it’s a park that has never had 8,000 people in it at one time before. Please come early, and be kind to the ticket-takers, because it’s almost certain to be somewhat chaotic at the gates. Bring a blanket (no chairs of any kind allowed), or prepare to stand all night. Get your coffee and snacks first cause there’s no re-entry. You’ll also want sunscreen and water — safety first!

Speaking of Coffee

No, you won’t find a Starbucks here. Never fear, other great options abound — here’s a list of our favorite coffeeshops (click the link to see it on a map!):

IN TOWN (walking distance from the park):

GOING NORTH

GOING SOUTH

Speaking of Beer

That was going to be your next question, right? Don’t worry, you can throw a stone in almost any direction from Kit Carson Park and hit a bar. There’s something for everyone — for example:

And those are just some of the places you can easily walk to in town. A lot of bars and restaurants in town are staying open late after the show, too, so there will be plenty of places to grab food and drink (and more entertainment!) after the park shuts down.

Speaking of Food

We’ve got a wide variety of food options for a small town, but we can pretty much promise you it’ll all be crowded this weekend, so build in plenty of time for meals. We generally agree with the reviews on Urbanspoon, so you should just go there — or ask a local! — for recommendations.

Some places here keep strange hours, and sometimes the internet lies, so it’s good practice to call ahead anywhere you plan to go.

What Else Is There to Do?

Funny you should ask! We have this great entertainment calendar just waiting for you. There’s a lot going on this weekend other than Mumford and Sons, like the two-day Global Soul Music Festival at Taos Mesa Brewing featuring Bonerama and Thomas Mapfumo, so stick around.

You can also check out Taos.org for suggestions of things to do related to art, the great outdoors, and more — or just comment on this post, and LiveTaos staff will help you out!