What started as a 60 band 2 day Gainesville fiasco in 2002 has evolved into an annual pilgrimage of indie and punk bands to the bearded mecca. Known just as The Fest, the now 3-day festival boasts over 200 bands every year and thousands of attendees. Arguably every punk rockers “favorite weekend of the year” is fast approaching with the dates for The Fest 8 secured as October 30th – November 1st this year. Past performers include Against Me!, Hot Water Music, Mastodon, Ted Leo, Bouncing Souls, Naked Raygun, and this years lineup boasts acts like Snuff, Samiam and Strike Anywhere.

We at Vertical Merch end up working with a lot of bands that need t-shirts and other apparel for tours, so we thought we would do our part to bring some attention to the hard-working musicians that keep us in business. There are still tickets available, but the Fest has been notorious for selling out in past years. So snag your tickets, purchase your flight and reserve a hotel room and get ready to watch some excellent bands and have a great time. For more information go to The Fest 8 website and check out the list of bands, ticket prices, etc.

We will start getting busier at the shop the closer we get to The Fest, so make sure you plan ahead to get your merch in time! As always, if you need anything at all you can contact us by emailing verticalmerch[at]gmail[dot]com or call 813-489-6144. You can also submit artwork and your order online at Verticalmerch.com.