Firefly: What to expect

Music fans can expect this year’s Firefly Music Festival to top last year’s inaugural event.  More bands and a bigger audience have prompted the team at Red Frog Events, which organizes the festival, to offer new and expanded attractions.

Red Frog's Lauren Shield said tickets for the festival are nearly sold out.  “At this point, we've more than doubled our 2012 attendance,” she said.

Shield said Firefly’s operations team has been working with Dover International Speedway to expand the layout of the festival to accommodate the influx.

The Hub

More than 10,000 camping spots have been sold, Shield said, and the event will feature plenty of new amenities for those planning to stay on-site.

The Hub, or camping area, has some new attractions, including morning yoga, a farmers market, a Walgreen’s general store, additional musical acts and more food options.  An Art Vendor Village will give local artisans a place to showcase unique apparel and accessories.

During the day, The Hub will be home to The Coffee House, where acoustic acts will perform. At night, The Hub transforms into The Thicket, where DJs spin dance music.

DJs will also spin music in the Heineken Dome throughout the festival.

New and improved

The festival has garnered some new sponsors, who will add their own attractions to Firefly.  FYE will offer an artist-signing tent to allow fans to connect with bands playing the festival.

Other sponsored tents include a Gibson Guitar tent, a Jack Daniels Whiskey Museum and a Garnier Fructis Styling Salon. Klean Kanteen will be back for its second year to offer free water refill stations throughout The Woodlands.

Other attractions from last year’s event will return with more to offer. The Vineyard has expanded its wine selection since last year and will offer cheese pairings and consultations with sommeliers.

TOMS Shoes is bringing in eight times as many artists as last year to put a unique spin on the brand’s iconic footwear.

Hammock Hangouts are back to give music-lovers a quiet break. But this year, the sites will feature the Forest Cinema, which will show silent, black and white films.

Keeping it local

Shield said only about 15 percent of concertgoers are from Delaware.  Many people are traveling from neighboring states Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.  “We have every state represented as well additional countries outside the U.S., including…Brazil, Australia and Israel,” Shield said.

To give visitors a taste of Delaware, Dogfish Head’s Firefly Ale is making a comeback.  According to a press release from the brewery, Firefly Ale is brewed with Marris Otter barley and English heritage hops “because the Sex Pistols invented punk rock.”  The English-style Pale Ale also contains American Calypso hops “because the Ramones invented punk rock.”

The Brewery tent will give festival-goers a chance to relax and enjoy one of the Milton brewery’s famous microbrews in an air-conditioned tent featuring televised sporting events.

Last year, Rehoboth Beach trio Lower Case Blues took the stage to represent the First State.  This year, The Spinto Band of Wilmington will help kick off the event at 2:15 p.m., Friday, June 21 on the Porch stage.

Single-day tickets to the event are still available for $98 each at fireflyfestival.com.

Traffic information

Leipsic Road and Persimmon Tree Road in the vicinity of Dover Downs will be closed to through traffic starting at 10 a.m. Friday, June 21 through Sunday night, June 23.  Those planning to attend Firefly should use Leipsic road and check in at the Lot 1 entrance.  For traffic updates go to deldot.gov.