With summer time finally coming to an end, it can feel like options for affordable, entertaining weekends are limited to the Statesboro area. Luckily, that doesn’t have to be the case.

If you’re looking for adventure and excitement in your weekends, then you should look into attending a music festival.

“A festival is a place for people to come together, dance, hangout and party and not be judged because everyone is there to have a good time,” Naomi Nikolas, senior marketing major and seasoned festival goer, said.

Most would assume attending a music festival requires months of saving money for tickets that could cost up to hundreds of dollars as well as paying camping fees.

That can be true for popular festivals; however, there are some less popular festivals in the southeastern area that are significantly cheaper and sometimes even free.

Coming up is the inaugural edition of the Ghost Alley Music Festival in Savannah. Taking place on September 24, the Ghost Alley Music Festival is an all-day event that starts at noon and will be held at Dollhouse Productions.

Not only is this upcoming festival nearby, but it’s also cheap. For only $15, one can spend the whole day listening to different local and touring bands, including Statesboro-based band Birdperson.

There will also be food trucks and beer from the Southbound Brewing Company.

Another festival which will be happening in the fall is the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance. This festival is not free but not too expensive either.

Right now, one can get tickets for only $114 for the four-day festival, which runs from Thursday, Oct. 6 to Sunday, Oct. 9. It is affordable and a good opportunity to experience a smaller festival community whilst camping in Pittsboro, NC.

If you intend on going to a festival, it’s really important to plan ahead. For example, If you are going to a festival where you can camp then you should make sure to have a supply list to ensure a stress free weekend.

“The more you prepare, the more fun you can have,” Nikolas said.

Ideally, that would include a tent, tarps, a bag of clothes, food, snacks and lots of water. It’s also essential to organize a reliable and fun group of friends to accompany you for the weekend.

Festival grounds are typically quite large. It can be easy to get caught up in the crazy energy of your surroundings and feel lost, so having trustworthy friends with you is an important way to stay safe.

“Pick friends you’re comfortable spending multiple days with and know they will be a good time,” Nikolas said.

Another way to ensure a fun and safe weekend is to make sure each person in your group has a map of the grounds with the location of your campsite marked for future reference.

Even though it’s important to focus on proper planning and safety, music festivals exist to create an enjoyable and memorable experience.

Nikolas said, “Everybody should go to a festival once in their life, it’s really eye opening and it’s a great experience. You may not be able to go when you’re older so go while you’re young.”