A kid wearing a tuxedo made of dollar bills, dancing in 80-degree July weather.

Hundreds of high-schoolers dressed in their most random attire, walking across Waterfront Park in search of a favorite artist.

This is the Forecastle festival. High school students are infatuated with this bizarre and unique festival.

First off, a little history about Forecastle. The festival started in 2002, and began with local bands and musicians performing in Louisville’s Tyler Park in front of very small crowds.

It has slowly grown since, turning into a national attraction and bringing in more than 75,000 people annually. Today, Forecastle is a three-day festival in the summer where people of all ages can get together and listen to good music. 

It seems as though the festival continues to become more popular every year, not only bringing in more people, but also getting more popular artists to perform.

If you were to attend the Forecastle today, you would see loads upon loads of teenagers. Why is this?

According to Trinity junior Ethan Vanlandingham, “Forecastle, especially for kids in high school, gives us a chance to hang with friends and vibe out to some good music. It’s like nothing else.”

Mercy Academy junior Abby Hans said, “ I didn’t realize it was so popular until I saw hundreds of people I know raving about it on social media. It seemed so cool, and I knew I didn’t want to miss out on the next one. That’s why I already got my tickets for the 2018 festival.”

Forecastle recently released a lineup for the 2018 festival that tells people which artists will be performing (https://forecastlefest.com/lineup/#/) .

This sparked many reactions, both positive and negative.

When asked about the lineup, Trinity junior Matt Gadd said, “It’s all right. It really depends on your taste in music. I’ve heard a lot of people say this is the best lineup yet, but I’ve also heard this is one of the worst.”

Of the lineup, Hans said, “ I love it! There are so many artists that I like, and I’m super pumped to see them.”

Which artists are people most excited about?

Gadd said, “Definitely T-Pain, because he has so many classic songs that are even better performed live.”

Vanlandingham had a similar answer: “ T-Pain for sure. He’s the G.O.A.T., and who doesn’t like 2000s hip hop?”

Despite the headliners, T-Pain seems to be the heavy favorite as the artist teenagers are most excited to see.

Although it can be easy to get caught up in the music, Gadd reminds people what Forecastle is really all about: “(Forecastle) is not really about the music. Last year at my first Forecastle, I didn’t know what to expect. I met a man who told me that Forecastle isn’t about the music or the outfits or anything like that. It’s about the good vibes and the people you meet.”

At the end of the day, this event is one way teens can escape the busy and stressful life of high school and act like they don’t have a care in the world.

Gallery • 6 Photos

photos by LC Newton

The Forecastle Festival has grown in popularity among teens.