Friday and Saturday: two different lineups, two separate tickets
Anaheim Plaza Hotel, Anaheim, CA
Free parking for concert attendees!
HOTELS
Stay at the Anaheim Plaza Hotel, where the event is happening, and you can walk 50 feet from the festival to your room! As of this writing the Anaheim Plaza still has rooms left, but hurry, as they will sell out before the festival weekend.
The hotel is directly across the street from Disneyland and one block from the Anaheim Convention Center. It is clean and well-kept, with 300 rooms on nine landscaped acres, an Olympic-size heated swimming pool, wireless internet in the rooms, a business center, a video game room, and a lobby bar.
The Guitar Geek Festival will be held in the Celebrity Ballroom on the ground floor.
FULL CASH BAR--2 bars inside the ballroom and one out front in the lobby
FOOD AVAILABLE--The hotel restaurant will stay open late the evenings of the festival
FREE PARKING--400 spaces available at no charge
Other hotels within walking distance:
Del Sol Inn: 1604 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim, 888.686.1122
Castle Inn: 1734 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim, 714.774.8111
Other hotels close by:
Days Inn Anaheim West: 1030 W. Ball Road, Anaheim, 714.520.0101
Motel 6 Anaheim Maingate: 100 Disney Way, Anaheim, 714.520.9696
Courtyard Mariott Anaheim-Disneyland Hotel: 2045 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim, 714.740.2645
Hilton Garden Inn Anaheim-Garden Grove: 11777 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove, 714.703.9100
Discount websites such as Orbitz, Hotwire, and Expedia may have some great deals, especially at the last minute.
DINERS/COFFEE:
In the Anaheim Plaza Hotel is Mi Casita Bar and Grill, a family restaurant with a breakfast buffet and late-night dining. It will stay open late the evening of the festival.
Within a 10-block walking radius there are dozens of family restaurants and fast-food options, including:
IHOP: 1560 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim
Millie's: 1480 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim
Mimi's Cafe: 1400 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim
McDonalds: 1500 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim
Del Taco: 213 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim
Taco Bell: 1600 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim
Taco Bell: 1212 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim
Cowabunga Coffee Shack: 1650 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim
Starbucks (inside the Hilton): 777 W. Convention Way, Anaheim
Starbucks (inside the Marriott): 700 W. Convention Way, Anaheim
Starbucks: 1200 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim
ABOUT ANAHEIM:
Anaheim is one of the premier vacation destinations in the United States. It was originally a German settlement known for its orange groves, but Disneyland changed everything when it opened on July 17, 1955. The Magic Kingdom still brings in the most tourists, but Anaheim is now home to several vacation destinations, including the Anaheim Resort, the Disneyland Resort, Disney's California Adventure, the Honda Center, and Angels Stadium. Nearby attractions include Medieval Times, Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios, and many beautiful beaches.
Anaheim is also the home of the Anaheim Convention Center, where the NAMM music trade show happens in January of each year. The NAMM Convention draws in every music manufacturer, retailer, and wholesaler as well as thousands of related music events (such as Deke Dickerson's Guitar Geek Festival).
WEATHER:
Average climate for January is between 45 and 69 degrees F (7-21 C). In past years it's been sunny and warm on the day of the festival.
ALSO HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND:
Are you completely guitar crazy? Then hit the Los Angeles World Guitar Show the same weekend as the Guitar Geek Festival! This is the biggest vintage guitar show of the year in Southern California, and a short drive from the Anaheim Plaza Hotel. It takes place at the Orange County Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa, just minutes down Harbor Boulevard (it isn't affiliated with the NAMM show). Lots of foreign buyers and American store owners as well as celebrities have shown up at this event in past years.
FAQs
(If your question isn't answered here, email the Guitar Geek Crew.
Q: Is the Guitar Geek Festival an "open jam" that everybody can join in on?
A: No, the Guitar Geek Festival is a concert performance.
Q: What is this NAMM you keep referring to?
A: The reason why we have the Guitar Geek Festival in Anaheim in January is because of the immense NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) trade show that goes on the same weekend across the street at the Anaheim Convention Center. With more than 100,000 people attending the NAMM show from across the globe, it SEEMED like a good idea to have the Guitar Geek Festival there.
Q: What is this whole "guitar geek" thing all about? Isn't that a putdown or an insult?
A: We don't take ourselves too seriously at the Guitar Geek Festival. We jokingly refer to ourselves as "geeks" because so many of us, from the people who put on the fest to the players, are just plain obsessed with guitars. The Guitar Geek Festival is not about posing, or shredding, or giant 30-minute jam sessions. It's about having FUN, and calling ourselves "geeks" is one way to get everybody on the same page-- that it's really all about having a good time. Also, "geek" rhymes with Deke, so it was a natural thing to name the festival Deke's Guitar Geek Festival.
Directions
Driving from John Wayne Airport:
Start out going northeast on Airport Exit/Airport Way toward MacArthur Blvd. Turn Left onto MacArthur Blvd. Merge onto I-405 N toward Long Beach. Merge onto CA-55 N toward Riverside. Merge onto I-5 N toward Los Angles. Take the Katella Ave exit toward Disney Way. Turn Slight Left onto Anaheim Way. Turn slight Left onto Disney Way.
Driving from LAX Airport:
Start out going east on World Way/Center Way. Take the CA-1 S/Sepulveda Blvd South ramp toward I-105. Keep left at the fork in the ramp. Stay straight to go onto ramp. Merge onto S Sepulveda Blvd/CA-1 S. Take the I-105 E/Imperial Hwy West ramp toward Imperial Terminal. Merge onto I-105 E toward Norwalk. Merge onto I-605 N. Merge onto I-5 S toward Santa Ana. Take the Harbor Blvd exit. Keep right at the fork in the ramp. Merge onto S. Harbor Blvd.
Note: The Orange County airport is closer to the festival, but it may be much cheaper to fly into LAX.
FREE PARKING AT THE EVENT! (400 spaces) Just ask for a free parking pass at the front desk for worry-free parking.
Note: Parking around the hotel during this weekend is a real nightmare due to the NAMM trade show going on at the Anaheim Convention Center. We recommend you park at the Anaheim Plaza Hotel, and if there are no spaces in the lot, park in the parking garage for the nearby Anaheim Garden Walk mall (one block east).
Bus and train:
Bus lines, train routes, and trip planners for both can be found here, although we have to say, Southern California public transportation isn't very reliable. We strongly recommend renting a car.
Taxi services:
Anaheim Yellow Cab: 714.226.9691
Anaheim Taxis: 714.621.0219
Airport shuttle (from LAX or Orange County/SNA): 800.733.8267
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