Hinterland, a music festival in St. Charles, Iowa, that happens every summer, has recently become more mainstream than ever, allowing for fans from all over the Midwest to attend.
This year, the festival took place during Aug. 1-3 with headliners being Tyler, The Creator, Kacey Musgraves and Lana Del Rey. Some other notable performers were Clairo, ROLE MODEL and The Marías, who all brought attention to the event.
Fans from places like Nebraska or Iowa were thrilled seeing big-name artists show up somewhere that wasn’t Los Angeles or New York City for the hundredth time. A music festival this big being so close not only allows for easy accessibility for locals, but it brings in people who maybe would have never thought to visit rural Iowa.
Many Central students were also able to attend Hinterland, one of whom being Lucy Puls, a senior at Central. She went to the first day of the festival with her three best friends, seeing Clairo and Tyler, The Creator. “I’ve literally said it’s the best day of my life for like the last month because it genuinely was,” Puls said.
Despite the positives, Hinterland’s location does have its flaws. During late summertime especially, the Midwest is known for its humidity and heat, making standing outside without water unbearable. Festivals are notorious for having awful water distribution and this one is no different.
“They gave out free water bottles and stuff but like in the crowd [they were just] chucking boxes of water from the side and I just got hit. I wasn’t the only one that got hit around me either,” Puls said.
Other than the stereotypical issues, Hinterland is actually praised on social media. Fans point out how watching an artist like Lana Del Rey in a cornfield in the Iowa countryside rather than a major city stadium adds to the aesthetic.
While Hinterland may not be as big as Coachella or Lollapalooza, it has potential to work its way up there. Even last year artists like Hozier, Chappell Roan, Noah Kahan, Lizzy McAlpine and Vampire Weekend performed, bringing attention to the small town in Iowa yet again.
“That was my first year, but we’re planning on going like every year and making it a tradition,” Puls said.
