This year, it was from February 3rd-5th. Incredible artists such as LSDREAM, String Cheese Incident, The Floozies, Justin Martin and many more took the stage this year. All in all, Gem & Jam is an experience that is good for the soul as it opens up childlike wonder through the gems, art, music, workshops, and so much more! You inner child may want to experience this festival!

Here’s why your inner child wants to go to Gem & Jam:

The Music 

The music ranges from dubstep to funk to psychedelic to house to jam band and everything in between. There’s music for everyone to enjoy! This is the perfect festival to attend if you like to chill out and listen to jam bands in the day and then rage at night. Check out the lineup below to get an idea of what you might be in for in 2024! 

The Vendors 

So many incredible vendors come to sell their gems, jewelry, clothing, foods, elixirs and more! Shopping around and exploring what the vendors have to offer is half the fun! You’ll never know what you might find.

Gem & Jam is for everyone

This festival is family-friendly! If you have a child under 16, they can attend while being accompanied by an adult. Kids under 6 years old can attend for free. With that being said, this festival goes above and beyond to nurture and promote a safe and conscientious environment. It carries a “we’re all family here” energy!

You can bring whatever you need

You can even bring in your wagon! That’s right, Rave Mom & Rave Dad! You can bring in a wagon to hold your belongings safely, day or night. Pack your wagon to your heart's content with blankets, water bottles, backpacks, jackets, hula hoops, squishmallows and anything else that brings you comfort!

It's a learning experience

There are workshops and activities during the day that also fuel the soul! This year there were workshops involving sound healing, yoga, meditation, education, flow toy classes and so much more. LSDREAM even did a LIGHT CODE set filled with soothing sounds that were perfect for centering oneself and relaxing. Time to let the inner child out with heart-opening activities!

Shop the looks: Babycakes Puffer Pants, Rolita Couture x iHR Astral Angel Mini Skirt and Butterfly Kisses Wrap Top

Great food

The food and drinks bring so much joy! No matter your dietary preference or restrictions, there is something here for you! Nourishing your body is key when you’re grooving! Camping at a festival can take its toll! But in order to keep you hydrated and energized, Gem & Jam does not fall short on food and drink options. There’s even fun shops offering elixirs filled with delicious herbal remedies, vitamin concoctions, and electrolytes. 

Great vibes

Gem & Jam is hosted at the Pima County Fairgrounds. Although the fair rides are cleared out to create the venue space, the good vibes are felt through and through! The energy there is playful and exciting!

Unlike most AZ shows that are an Uber ride away, you'll have to make a 2-3 hour drive South of the Valley into the Tuscon desert if you want to attend this one-of-a-kind 3-day camping event. For those who have been blessed to attended Gem and Jam, you already know how incredibly intricate and thought out each aspect of the festival is. With a focus on the art and healing side of what music festivals have offer to our community, there are so many hidden gems to discover here that you can't find anywhere else.  

Shop Liquid Tripp here

New Artists

I have to be honest, The Sponges were not even on my radar before attending Gem and Jam. A few friends in our group said we HAD to go, so of course we put it in our list of "must-sees" for the weekend. To my surprise, their set was easily one of my favorites! It was the perfect blend of classic groovy disco and modern funky house to vibe to on the last night of this 3-day camping festival. These "Dukes of Disco" definitely brought some of my favorite groovy throwbacks that everyone knew the words too.

The Gem and Jam lineup consisted of so many up-and-coming artists that I had never heard of before and I loved that I had new jams to add to my playlists when I got back home.

Something Yummy

I'm a BIG festival foodie. As a vegetarian though sometimes my festival food options are slim, but definitely not this weekend. At the top of the menu this "Veggie Burger" consisted of items I'd never thought to pair together. An organic root veggie patty wrapped in Swiss chard (strange) with aoli. It was no surprise that this interesting combo of veggies did not disappoint! Maybe it's just me but you can never go wrong with a good aioli. This burger made the perfect mid-day festival meal to enjoy on our walk back to camp.

@daisy_dewdrops

The BYOC Bar

Now this is a concept that I truly love! At the "Bring Your Own Cup Bar" the options are actually endless. You have the opportunity to either choose one of their pre-made crafted beverages or if the herbalist who helps manage this cocktail lounge is available, he will handcraft you an incredibly unique tincture cocktail based on your individual needs.

The only catch is that you have to bring your own cup! I was thrilled because I just happened to come by the BYOC Bar as the herbalist was in and I had my trusty "camping cup" on hand. For me, this was such a special experience to have at a music festival. It combines what I love about the unique quirkiness of festivals and sustainability. I happily came back multiple times over the weekend to support this unique venture and relax in the artist lounge space.