The first day of BottleRock took off at a sprint for some and a meandering stroll for others. As the festival gates opened just before noon Friday, eager attendees raced to stake out a prime viewing spot. Others reserved their energy for the marathon day — and days — ahead, enjoying a rare glimpse of the grounds before the crowds set in.
Festival goers embarked on their first day in a variety of styles, some sporting sequins, tie-dye bucket hats and even diamond earrings. Another donned a seaworthy captain’s hat, proving the only apparent rule in BottleRock fashion is that there is no rule. The style, like the experience, is what you make it.
With nine stages sprawled across the Expo Fairgrounds and a string of culinary vendors, the festival boasts a rich daytime schedule long before the evening’s headliners take the stage. BottleRock veterans and best friends Lori Oja and Mary Sousa were among the day’s early arrivals, setting up their blanket in preparation for JaM Cellars Stage headliner Stevie Nicks. But the six-year tradition for the Napa natives is fueled by more than the day’s headliners.
“We always come together, our husbands stay home,” said Sousa. The friends were busy with their most recent festival discovery: Inflatable chairs. Among the growing sea of blankets, it was clear Sousa and Oja were the only ones with a solution to the blanket’s back support issues.
“We’re old,” laughed Sousa, who explained this was a necessary addition “after .
