By Julio C. Reyna, October 2017 Issue.

This fall, you’re cordially invited to lose yourself in your own backyard. Created by Superfly, of Bonnaroo and Outside Lands music festivals fame, this inaugural three-day experience pairs the celebration of all things local with an eclectic lineup that features some of the hottest names to play this year’s music festival circuit.

From Oct. 20 to 22, Lost Lake Festival will transform Steele Indian Park into a desert oasis that promises not only 40 music acts, performing on multiple stages, but also locally centric elements, including food, drink and art, that will highlight the best the Valley has to offer.

Led by Chris Bianco, Pizzeria Bianco owner and James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Southwest, Lost Lake Festival’s culinary experience, Phoenix Flavors, will include more than 30 top local chefs, restaurants, and breweries representing Phoenix’s vibrant food and drink scene, with local eats.

In addition to Phoenix Flavors, the festival culinary experience will include The Lava Pit, an unparalleled BBQ experience, the Brewpark, an area for craft beers and backyard bar-games, and Nectar of the Gods, an agave experience featuring mezcal and tequila cocktails and tastings.

In between sets you can stop by The Lost Playground for a larger-than-life gaming experience that includes oversized versions of your favorite childhood games (and when the sun goes down, the games light up with colorful LED and glow-in-the-dark features). But if playing a life-size Connect-4 does not seem appealing there is Art of the Valley that will showcase work from local favorites as well as emerging artists and Found: The Lost Lake Marketplace will include a carefully curated selection of crafts, jewelry, clothing and more from regional makers and creators.

Continuing the celebration of local favorites, Lost Lake Festival has also launched Sound of the Valley, a contest that more than 3,000 bands from across Arizona submitted their music for a chance to play a festival stage. The Ricky Fitts, voted the winner of the contest, will join a few other bands with local ties, including Bogan Via, Kongos, Luna Aura and Playboy Manbaby.

HAIM

The thing about this group that makes them so likeable live is that its members genuinely seem to love every single moment they are on stage. A few things to expect, other than the weird faces that Este makes while playing, is they tend to stick to a set list that ranges from nine to eleven songs. They keep things short and sweet with their hysterical banter between one another and the audience. This is also a band that does not like the crowd to be still, so get ready to dance.

Major Lazer

This will likely go down as the wildest set of the weekend. Always ready to bring the party, Major Lazer’s sets tend to be your typical dance fare, including plenty of lights and extreme visuals. They usually have a stage full of dancers and CO2 cannons will rarely stop going off. There is 99.9 percent guarantee that Diplo will lose his shirt and this will happen whether it is hot outside or not. No Major Lazer set is complete until he hops into a zorb ball and makes his way through the audience – and the audience will be just as crazy as the on stage antics.

The Killers

The band has not missed a note these past few years and, if their recent festival run is any indication, this set will not disappoint. Brandon Flowers and Co. are the type of guys who are so confident, that they will likely start their set off with the biggest hit, “Mr. Brightside.” Something most tend to forget about The Killers is the amount of hits the group actually has. If you are struggling to think of something other than “Somebody Told Me” or “Human,” half way through their performance you’ll be hit with the realization that you have not stopped singing along. This is a band that has the type of front man and catalogue that is meant to play to a huge crowd.

Odesza

This will be a set that everyone is talking about. This is a group that has exponentially grown their fan base over the past few years and now warrant the type of headlining spot that typically merits a huge production featuring a visual feast. This also means you may want to plot out a spot early on. One thing to expect during “Bloom” is that the band has recently started bringing out a full drumline for the song. Being that this performance will take place well after the release of the highly anticipated follow-up album, A Moment Apart, also expect plenty of new cuts.

Lost Lake Festival has been a long time in the making and if other Superfly productions are any indication, we are in for something really special that this city will be able to claim as its own. The amount of effort behind every detail – from the celebration of all things local to the star-studded music lineup – will culminate in a positive experience for everyone who’s ready to lose themselves.