Summertime means outdoor music --- and while we don't think you should drag your poor sprout to Coachella (without earplugs), there's nothing more fun that watching your little one jam out to live music. Here are four of my favorite festivals to go to with your young one.
Celebrate Brooklyn - Brooklyn, NY, June 8 - August 8
Just about every weekend, the lovely Prospect Park Bandshell is taken over for early evening concerts from around the world - rock, pop, jazz and even film screenings with live soundtracks. This year's best picks for families include David Byrne, They Might Be Giants and the always raucous African Festival. But leave the kids at home for August's Purple Rain Sing-A-Long - that movie is racy!
Symphony In The Flint Hills - Eskridge, KA, June 13
A sunset symphony concert in the gorgeous Kansan countryside, with some of the Midwest's greatest performers on display? The only thing that could make that better is a whole day of activities leading up to it, from covered wagon rides to a musical instrument "petting zoo" that lets kids get close to the kinds of instruments they'll hear later that evening.
Bumbershoot - Seattle, WA, September 5-7
Seattle's wide-ranging, anarchic arts festival is held at the Seattle Center, the former World's Fair site that is the home of the Space Needle and the Experience Music Project. Music of all stripes is on offer here, and this year's big names include De La Soul, Os Mutantes, Matt & Kim and many more. Even better, the sidewalks are lined with buskers, street performers and other undiscovered talent.
Austin City Limits - Austin, TX, October 2-4
And we'll close out our summer tour with a trip down to Texas, where the legendary Austin City Limits fest gives the goods to grown-ups and little ones alike. Unlike some of the other events on this list, ACL has a whole stage set aside for kid-friendly music, and this year's players on the Austin Kiddie Limits stage include Secret Agent 23 Skidoo and Paul Green's School Of Rock All-Stars.
Summer Jams: Music Festivals for Parents & Kids
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Summertime means outdoor music --- and while we don't think you should drag your poor sprout to Coachella (without earplugs), there's nothing more fun that watching your little one jam out to live music. Here are four of my favorite festivals to go to with your young one.
Celebrate Brooklyn - Brooklyn, NY, June 8 - August 8
Just about every weekend, the lovely Prospect Park Bandshell is taken over for early evening concerts from around the world - rock, pop, jazz and even film screenings with live soundtracks. This year's best picks for families include David Byrne, They Might Be Giants and the always raucous African Festival. But leave the kids at home for August's Purple Rain Sing-A-Long - that movie is racy!
Symphony In The Flint Hills - Eskridge, KA, June 13
A sunset symphony concert in the gorgeous Kansan countryside, with some of the Midwest's greatest performers on display? The only thing that could make that better is a whole day of activities leading up to it, from covered wagon rides to a musical instrument "petting zoo" that lets kids get close to the kinds of instruments they'll hear later that evening.
Bumbershoot - Seattle, WA, September 5-7
Seattle's wide-ranging, anarchic arts festival is held at the Seattle Center, the former World's Fair site that is the home of the Space Needle and the Experience Music Project. Music of all stripes is on offer here, and this year's big names include De La Soul, Os Mutantes, Matt & Kim and many more. Even better, the sidewalks are lined with buskers, street performers and other undiscovered talent.
Austin City Limits - Austin, TX, October 2-4
And we'll close out our summer tour with a trip down to Texas, where the legendary Austin City Limits fest gives the goods to grown-ups and little ones alike. Unlike some of the other events on this list, ACL has a whole stage set aside for kid-friendly music, and this year's players on the Austin Kiddie Limits stage include Secret Agent 23 Skidoo and Paul Green's School Of Rock All-Stars.