Squeezing 15,000 people into a few square blocks of downtown Modesto isn’t easy. But that’s what happened July 19 for Xfest, the 209’s biggest party.

And everything went smoothly.

Lines moved fast and there was always something going on. Different genres of music could be heard on nearly every street corner.

Performers included Simple Plan as well as N2Deep, Blake Lewis, Candlebox and Eve6. Clubs were constantly busy with fans checking out DJs.

Needless to say, it created an energetic feeling in downtown. Bands gave great performances that got the crowd hyped.

The event was particularly crowded once the sun went down. Fans were still waiting to get into the event at 10:30 p.m.

Still, the atmosphere remained friendly, thanks in part to a sizable police presence.

Only one complaint – there was no information about who was playing on what stage when. A program, map or even a sign at each stage would’ve been helpful.

But that’s a minor criticism considering that overall, the event was very well run. I’m already looking forward to next year (and buying my tickets in advance).

209Vibe editor Ian Hill contributed to this story.

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