If you haven't already heard of it, The Governor’s Ball is New York City’s favorite music festival. With a line-up comprised of heavy-hitters like Tyler the Creator and the Strokes, a menu packed with cheese pulls, and a panoramic view of America’s prettiest skyline, Gov Ball 2019 is already guaranteed to be the weekend of your dreams. And, as summer starts to heat up, our pals over at the festival are leveling up. That’s right— Gov Ball is introducing three new food and culture initiatives this year. Start the weekend off right with a slice of breakfast pizza from San Matteo, cure your mid-day munchies with a stop at a bodega, or skip the headliners and party with the city’s premier drag queens all weekend long. Either way, Gov Ball 2019 is shaping up to be one for the books... or at least our Snapchat memories.
All the new, exciting additions to Gov Ball may seem overwhelming, but don't worry—Spoon is breaking down all the newest features so you don't have to.
The Brunch Program
We get it—You love brunch and live music. You’ll love them even more when paired together at Gov Ball. In addition to the festival’s dreamy food lineup, they will be offering a brunch program. Every day from noon until 3, crowd-favorite vendors will offer exclusive brunch inspired twists on their standard menus. Some dishes to look forward to include fried chicken donut sliders from the Doughnuttery & The Nugget Spot, Cacio E Pepe pizza from San Matteo, Austin style breakfast tacos from King David's Tacos and rainbow bagels to mark the beginning of Pride Month from the Bodega, a replica of NYC's famous corner stores.
#SpoonTip: Are you 21 or older? Mazel Tov! Festival attendants over the age of 21 can enhance their brunch experience by sipping on a fresh and fruity Aperol Spritz with their pizza or noshing on donut skewers courtesy of Jameson Whisky in the “Best Kept Secret” area.WorldPride
While being an ally is anything but seasonal, June marks the start of Pride Month, an international celebration of queer culture and the vibrancy it brings to our daily lives. This year, Gov Ball is getting in on the action, so pack your favorite rainbow accessories and prepare your Charli XCX playlist, because this year’s festival is about to be a veritable Pride party.
WorldPride kicks off on June 1st, and Gov Ball is commemorating the month-long celebration in style with its very own Pride parade on Day 2 of the festival. Helmed by three of the city’s campiest drag queens, including Miss Stonewall 2018 winner Hibiscus, a parade led by the trio will take the crowd to the South Liquor Garden for an afternoon full of top-notch performances. Get ready to lip sync for your life and legacy with a rainbow bagel in one hand, and a limited edition Bud Light Pride bottle in the other.
For festival goers who are 21+, Bud Light will be celebrating PRIDE with an aluminum rainbow bottle perfect for any Instagram feed. An added bonus? With the purchase of any bottle, Bud Light will donate $1 to GLAAD, an organization committed to winning LGBTQ acceptance everywhere.
Thanks to Gov Ball, being an ally has never been so easy or fun.
Bodega
Modeled after a real street corner bodega, the Gov Ball Bodega has everything you need to survive the weekend. Phone dead from snapping too many pics of your festival outfit? Bodega’s got you. Rushing out the door to get front row spots at Tyler, the Creator’s set and forget your sunscreen? Bodega’s got you. Have a crippling craving for an authentic New York bagel after almost dying during “Mo Bamba’s” chorus? Bodega’s got you. It’s like your mom’s purse on steroids.
Fitting in with its superhero status, Bodega is also the hub for the festival’s on-site recycling program. During Gov Ball, festival attendees can pick up a festival sponsored bag from Bodega, fill it with any littered recyclable items found on festival grounds, and trade them all in for an official reusable Gov Ball NYC water bottle. So get saving and earning!
Just as you thought this festival gem couldn’t get any more epic, Bodega colorfully delivers. In honor of WorldPride on Saturday, June 1st Bodega will be serving iconic New York City rainbow bagels to festival attendees. So stop by to celebrate and add some color to your life.
With the festival just two weeks away, be sure to download the Gov Ball app to start planning your weekend. More information about the weekend's schedules, lineups and festivities can be found on the app. However you choose to spend your weekend, we hope it's full of Instagrammable brunches, quick Bodega shopping sprees, and carefree partying with drag queens. Until then, see you on the island.