Joyful crowds celebrate food, wine along with music at Outside Lands
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) -- Day Two at the Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park brought crowds comparable to pre-pandemic times.
"It's just nice to see it grow and we get to see people really enjoy our food," said Triza Brion with Restaurant Abacá, one of the vendors at the event. "We're definitely seeing it much more alive again this year."
The Filipino restaurant opened last year and the team has exhibited at Outside Lands before, excited to showcase their cuisine first introduced at a pop-up but which now has a permanent location at Fisherman's Wharf.
"I'm happy to see everybody come out and finally feel comfortable to be amongst each other," said Danica Aviles who is also part of the Abacá team.
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Other vendors included beer and wine suppliers, with some joining the festival for the first time this year.
"It is excellent exposure for our brand and it is personally my first time being at a festival of this caliber," said Elliot Davis of Brick & Mortar Wines. "I think getting to come out and just really get to express your personality in a safe, welcoming environment is just something we've all been craving for a really long time."
Drivers were encouraged to avoid the west side of San Francisco all weekend and anyone attending Outside Lands should avoid bringing their own car to the area around Golden Gate Park. Those who were close enough to get to the festival on their own said it was an easy experience.
"I rode my bike. I live out in the avenues, this is only a mile for me," said Michael Brenner, a San Francisco resident who has attended several times.
First-timers said that even using public transportation was overwhelming at times. Signs and roadblocks in the streets immediately around Golden Gate Park limited car traffic all weekend.
"That was really crazy, we went on the bus today -- it was jam-packed," said Leonice Cole, a Vallejo resident who attended the festival with a friend.
Cole and Breanna O'Connor were still glad they were not trying to get out of the park by car Friday night. They showed up early on Saturday.
"It was pretty packed but we took the bus so we don't have to worry about parking," O'Connor said.
Business owners say the festival brings lots of first-time customers.
"We still get a lot of good support from the community and events like this help us build our following," Brion said.
