Raleigh, N.C. — Hopscotch Music Festival, the event that draws thousands to downtown Raleigh for three days of live music, is Sept. 5-7, 2013. That may seem far away in the distant future, but now's the time to start thinking about the festival, because tickets go on sale this Friday!

VIP passes and discounted three-day wristbands will go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. They can be purchased online through Etix. Slideshow     Hopscotch Music Fest: Saturday

Three-day wristbands are just $95 dollars, and all taxes and fees are included. There is a limited number of these "early bird" wristbands, and after they're gone, the price increases to $105 – so it's in your wallet's best interest to just get them on Friday.

The VIP passes grant priority access to all the shows, along with entrance to the exclusive opening night party. The VIP passes are $180, including fees.

One-day wristbands will go on sale in late June, along with tickets for single City Plaza shows. Slideshow     Hopscotch Music Fest: Friday

The show lineup will be released in late April; however, you can expect about 180 bands at dozens of venues throughout downtown Raleigh over the course of three days and nights.

Basically, Hopscotch is one of the best music festivals out there, and it's right in your backyard. Out & About highly recommends it!