3 reasons to pop by the Popped! Music Festival

The lineup is killer

You’ve probably heard the big ones coming through: The Shins, Foster the People, various Roots ensembles and Girl Talk, among others. But there are also some lower-key gems to listen up for, such as those on Popped! founder Alexis Rosenzweig’s must-see list: Pretty Lights, Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr and Charles Bradley.

It’s rain or shine

We were really psyched when Popped! was scheduled to go down at FDR Park. So was Rosenzweig, who had been eyeing up her dream venue for years: “I’ve been trying to get the festival in Fairmount Park for the past four years — that was always the plan,” she told us. Thing is, between this weekend’s storms and the summer’s record rainfall, FDR’s lake was becoming less of an asset. They switched things over to the Liacouras Center last night — because nobody likes that muddy guy.

There will be tacos

No gross arena cheese fries for you — the Popped! Food Bazaar is serving up everything from tacos to gelato from local restaurants and food trucks. “I wanted to be able to highlight what’s going on in the culinary world here in Philly,” says Rosenzweig, who has made sure to include plenty of veggie options. “And that’s one way you can create a really great festival experience while showing what’s great about the city.”

Follow Monica Weymouth on Twitter @MonicaatMetro.