The music festival that babysits your kids

'Tis the season of outdoor music festivals, which is great, if you're kidless. Al fresco jamborees from Coachella to Sasquatch may be a worthwhile venue for discovering new artists, flexing some glitter body paint and day-drinking into sunburned bliss. What they're typically not are great places to bring the offspring.

At a working farm on the outskirts of Portland, Ore., there's an annual exception to the rule. Pickathon, Oregon's best yearly musical showcase, not only tolerates the little ones; it encourages them. With interactive shows designed specifically for youngsters, foam bow and arrow lessons, plant identification workshops, animal tracking and even a "chill zone" sponsored by the local Waldorf School, the festival is a utopia for children and parents alike. And families are taking note: roughly one in eight attendees are teens or younger. If they're under twelve, they get to enter this Shangri-La for free.

Pickathon is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and though it has evolved over time, among the founders' key philosophies is creating a community event. Most adult attendees are hip to the ethos and keep a watchful eye on the kids in their vicinity, related or no. This takes-a-village vibe allows beleaguered parents to focus on local food from James Beard award-winning restaurants, dancing to their favorite bands and banking the proceeds of babies-turned-buskers, and collecting coins for trailside performances from hand-built cigar box guitars.