May 1, 2012

Fitz and the Tantrums performing

The third annual Sweetlife Food and Music Festival took place on Saturday at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland. Ok, this is certainly a departure from the Queen City, but the event was so “sweet” (pun intended), iSPYCINCY felt it was still worthy of sharing with the hometown crowd.

Probably my favorite booth… a booth of free and honest compliments

The festival was started three years ago by the owners of Sweet Green, a fast casual salad making chain in the Washington DC area. And I first heard about it last year from the boys at Fusian in downtown Cincy. In fact, I spotted one Stephan Harman at the ping pong table in the back of the lawn at this year’s festival (#sushiforlife).

So anyway, here is the Sweetlife concept: Great Music + Tasty Food + Eco-friendly Outlook = Living the #Sweetlife. For a lineup that started the day with FUN, who’ve recently gained fame from their hit song “We Are Young,” and ended with Avicii, the Swedish born glow stick inspiring DJ, I’m happy to report the festival lived up to its billing.

Caitlin Gilbert, Erica Smith, and Janie Lorber enjoying some pre-concert parking like fun

Don’t we all? 

One of the coolest aspects of the festival was the blatant encouragement of social media. In an email to concert-goers prior to the 28th, we were tasked with the notion to tweet, instagram, and facebook our way through the day. Of course, the Gen. Y Millennials don’t require motivation to pull out the smartphone, but it’s still intriguing to see how social media has pervaded our everyday world. And it only takes a quick search through the twitter hashtag #sweetlife to know if you weren’t in attendance this year, you’ll be sure to buy a ticket for 2013.

Twitter Highlights:

Swayze
2 days after #sweetlife and I’m still pumped #positivevibes

Nina Waysdorf
Just had my free salad for dancing at #sweetlife and it was #delicious. Sooo much fun at @SweetlifeFest @sweetgreen!

Avicii closing out the night

Katie Lancos
Scenes from the pit, Avicii at #sweetlife

Taylor Hagen
Chillin at the red rooster drinking a smoothie listening to a band #sweetlife #loveit

Luke’s Lobster Roll – yum

Muffulettas, delicious Sicilian submarine sandwich

Kid Cudi

Reliving our youth on the swing

The Sweetlife festival was all that and a bag of potato chips. No joke, it really was. While I could continue to recount the awesomeness of the day… from the almost girl fight witnessed in the porta-potty line, to the delish bites enjoyed at the Jose Andres food truck, to standing in the VIP pit when The Shins played, instead I’ll just close this post with the way the day began… FUN.

Tonight we are young. So let’s set the world on fire. We can burn brighter than the sun. 

BOOM!

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