Although festivals in Australia are all year ’round, there’s something quaint and magical about the festival season in Winter. The air is nippy which means your body is ready to gorge on different delights to keep it warm. Cold weather also means you’ll have more energy to shop around for longer as heat and perspiration typically wears you out faster.

If you think that you can go into these festivals without a solid game plan: think again. To ensure safety, sanity, and fun, here are the basic winter festival survival tips you should know:

Parking

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Don’t leave parking to chance, plan it out and look for the nearest airport car parking venues to the event for convenience. If you’re the type who forgets where you parked your car, snap a photo of it (and any notable landmarks or signs nearby) with the lot number and letter (if any) and save it to your phone. Turn it into your temporary wallpaper if you must. There’s nothing more stressful than needing to wade through a sea of cars, trying to find your own after having such a good time. Don’t leave on a sour note and know your parking!

Try Not to Go Alone

Whether you’ll be with your partner, family, or friends, there is always safety in numbers when it comes to these events. Emergencies happen and you don’t want be in one (or you wouldn’t want your family in one) without the ability to contact people (or have them contact you) because your phone died.

Designated Driver

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Most of the festivals will have some sort of wine, lager, cider, and more. Most will probably be locally made and delicious and you really wouldn’t want to miss out. If you’re the drinking type, make sure that you assign a designated driver for the day. Perhaps a friend who’s allergic to alcohol or doesn’t have an affinity for it? Make sure he or she has gotten plenty of sleep the night before and is responsible enough to get you home safely.

Don’t Drink Like A Fish

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Even if you and your friends have a designated driver for the day, you still have to pace your drinking. One, there’s nothing more unsightly than having you puke and/or pass out in a public event with throngs of people to see. Two, you wouldn’t want to bother your designated driver too much with the task of needing to drag your inebriated behind to the car and to your couch. Three, getting drunk without your friends nearby poses as a danger to you. Although Australia is considerably much safer than most countries, you still wouldn’t want to risk of someone with ill intentions trying to take advantage of your drunken state.

Dress in Layers, Not in Thick Material

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The winter season is the perfect excuse to wear all the lovely, chunky jackets and coats you don’t get to wear the rest of the year. Although they are fashionable, they’re not very practical especially during festivals. If the weather is chilly, you’re better of sporting layers of clothing than going with a thick coat out. Remember that as you walk around the festival to shop, eat, and drink, your body will get warmer. The level of temperature comfortability is always dependent on the individual so allow yourself some leeway for adjustment. Multiple layers means you can gradually increase or decrease warmth that your clothing provides.