How to get to J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival in Raleigh by car, shuttle or on foot
The Dreamville Fesival is back in Raleigh this weekend, and thousands are expected to descend on Dorothea Dix and the surrounding area.
The first festival in 2019 attracted 40,000 people. Organizers have not said how many tickets have been sold this year, but that they expect roughly 40,000 attendees to show up each day.
The event is curated by rapper J. Cole, a Grammy Award-winning rapper with roots in Fayetteville, and it will bring in some of the biggest names in hip-hop and rap.
Gates open at Dorothea Dix Park April 2 and 3 at 12 noon. Details can be found at dreamvillefest.com.
With big crowds comes the logistics of getting to and from the park, as well as potential traffic delays.
Here’s what you should know.
How to get to Dreamville: Parking, shuttles and more
There will be two entrances to the festival at Dix Park, according to event organizers. The West Entrance is off Barbour and Blair drives, while the East Entrance is off Umstead and Hunt drives.
▪ By car: There will be no on-site parking at Dix Park for the event, so those traveling by car should not enter the park. Instead, attendees can park at NC State University’s Centennial Campus, right across the street from Dix Park. But event organizers warned these limited spaces could fill up quickly.
Parking passes are available on the Dreamville website for $30 plus fees per day. Event organizers advise using Gorman Street, to Avent Ferry Road, to Varsity Drive to reach the event parking area.
Bond said those dropping off friends or family can do so at Dix Park via South Boylan Avenue, but said all other drivers heading to the festival should not use Western Boulevard.
▪ By shuttle: A downtown shuttle service will run from Moore Square to Dix Park over the course of the weekend. The shuttles will pick up attendees on East Martin Street and drop them off at the festival’s West Entrance, closer than the designated parking area at NC State.
Shuttle passes cost $20, but are good for the entire weekend. Event organizers said the shuttle will run from 10:30 a.m. until 1 a.m. each day of the festival, taking attendees to and from Dreamville.
Those driving to Dreamville can also take advantage of the service, parking in downtown Raleigh before hopping on a shuttle bus.
▪ By ride-sharing app and taxi: Dreamville has designated pick-up zones on Centennial Parkway, which will allow those traveling by Uber, Lyft or taxi to access the park.
▪ By bike/foot: Attendees can walk or bike to Dix Park, which is about a mile from downtown Raleigh. Those traveling by bike will need to lock it up at one of two designated bike parking areas, on the corner of either Centennial Parkway and Blair Drive or Western Boulevard and Hunt Drive.
Traffic warning
Raleigh officials have advised residents and attendees to be wary of traffic this weekend.
“The biggest impact that you will see is going to be the traffic,” said Capt. Dedric Bond of the Raleigh Police Department.
“We’re going to try to minimize the traffic impact and try to lessen the amount that the surrounding community is impacted,” he added. “But 40,000 people, there’s no way that we’re going to totally eliminate traffic impact.”
Officers will manually work some traffic intersections during the days of the festival in order to make “adjustments in real-time,” Bond said.
People traveling in the area should expect delays and allow extra time, he added.
▪ A community hotline will provide nearby residents with a direct line to report any non-emergency issues or complaints. Residents can reach the hotline at 919-295-6275, but it will only be monitored on April 2 and 3 between 10 a.m. and 12 a.m., Dreamville officials said.
How to get Dreamville alerts
▪ Dreamville will use a public notification system during the festival, with public safety, traffic and other alerts sent to anyone who signs up. Text “Dreamville” to 888777.
This story was originally published March 31, 2022 at 7:30 AM with the headline "How to get to J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival in Raleigh by car, shuttle or on foot."