Becca R. from Pennsylvania was the winner of the Propeller experience to "Win a Trip to Experience Sad Summer Fest as a VIP in Philadelphia" that took place in August 2024. Below are some of Becca's highlights from the experience.
We had a great time at Sad Summer 2024! I cannot say thank you enough to Properller for such an amazing and unique opportunity.
Hurricane Debby tried to stop us, but nothing stops punk rock! We arrived in Philadelphia pretty late the first night due to Hurricane Debby causing some delays. Once we arrived at the lovely Aloft Philadelphia Downtown, we immediately settled into our accommodations. The room was surprisingly big for a city hotel and the hotel staff were all wonderful. Even at almost 1 am, they were all very helpful and understanding. We quickly changed into our PJs and went to bed.
The next morning, we woke up to more rain, unfortunately. Debby was really trying to make this experience even more unique! Sad Summer was at the Mann Center which was about a 15-minute drive from our hotel.
With the VIP tickets, we were provided private bathrooms. We also had access to a private bar, hangout room, and VIP seating with super comfortable seating. We sat dead center of the pavilion and had the perfect view of the stage! While the earlier acts were performing, we relaxed, listened to some new bands, and enjoyed some of the venue's food options.
Later that afternoon, we were off to meet the Maine! My best friend has been listening to them for 16 years and I have been listening to them for about 6 years. In that time, we have seen them many times and always describe their shows as "a warm hug" (iykyk). It was an absolute pleasure to meet the guys from the band and chat with them for a few minutes. The guys and their management were truly wonderful and genuinely nice people! We took a few pictures with them and then headed back to our seats. Shortly after this, we saw them perform and they were fantastic!
We also saw some of our favorite bands such as Knuckle Puck, Mayday Parade, the Maine, and the Wonder Years. The universe worked some magic that day and since the Wonder Years are from Philly, they made it their hometown show and held the headlining spot that evening. It was absolutely mind-blowing seeing the pop-punk community come together to experience live music in such a special way.
Before we departed the city of brotherly love, we had some time to explore the city. We grabbed a coffee from the Starbucks next to our hotel and headed to the Mutter Museum. Pictures are not allowed inside to respect the deceased, but it was so fascinating! If you are interested at all in human anatomy, this is a must-see. After our walk through the museum, we stopped for lunch at Emmy Squared and had one of our favorite foods, the Big Ang! Right around the corner was a thrift store called Philadelphia Aids Thrift (PAT for short) and we spent almost 2 hours exploring the store. After this, we packed up and headed back home and back to reality.
Thank you again to Propeller for this experience and for supporting and representing so many important causes! We'll see ya when we're lookin' at ya!
- Becca R.
