“STARSWIRL MUSIC FESTIVAL, WE HAVE ARRIVED!”

Pinkie Pie’s face is pressed against the window of Rarity’s sparkling glamping RV, looking out at the colorful sea of tents—the festival campground. Laughing, Sunset Shimmer peels Pinkie’s face off the window with a suction sound. Sunset beams. “Just think, Pinkie, in a few short hours we’ll be front row for—”

“PostCrush, we know!” Applejack finishes Sunset’s sentence for her. “Y’all haven’t stopped talking about them the whole way here.”

Sunset and Pinkie roll their eyes in unison. “Well, they’re only the greatest pop-rock dance duo in recent-memory-slash-history and this is their huge reunion show, so yeah, we’re gonna be talking about ’em!” Sunset elaborates the way only a superfan can. “Kiwi Lollipop, also known as K-Lo, is the cool one. Her favorite color is holographic purple. Favorite hobby: collecting enamel pins.”

Pinkie continues, “And Supernova Zap, aka Su-Z, is the zany one! Favorite color: polka dots. Favorite hobby: long walks on the dark side of the moon.”

Sunset nods. “Name a more iconic duo—I’ll wait!”

Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle just stare at them.

From the driver’s seat, Rarity pipes up. “Iconic duos? Ruching and draping. Sequins and satin. An old classic with a modern twist. The list goes on! But I’ll spare you the details because”—the RV lurches to a halt—“it’s time to set up camp!”

Night has fallen, and the atmosphere at the campground is electric. Distant laughter and thumping bass lines float on the air with the scents of fried food and the surrounding trees. At a neighboring campsite, Zephyr Breeze sets up a slackline between two trees and takes a few wobbly steps across it. The Mane Seven huddle around a campfire, toasting marshmallows.

“What are you guys most excited to do at the festival?” Twilight asks brightly. Without missing a beat, Rainbow Dash and Applejack cover Sunset’s and Pinkie’s mouths, muffling them. “We know what you guys are looking forward to most.”

Applejack tosses her hat onto a nearby stump. “I’m fixin’ to win some carnival games. There’s a giant stuffed animal with my name on it in there.” She shoots a competitive glance toward Sunset. “Bet you a front-row seat at PostCrush you can’t beat me.”

Rainbow Dash scoffs. “Carnival games? This is a music festival, my friend. It’s about the bands! Deviant Septum is playing, and their guitarist is the fastest on record! Of course, I’ve personally never been timed, so who’s to say I’m not faster?”

“Tut-tut!” Rarity chimes in. “What is a festival without fashion? Vintage markets with every poncho, parasol, and platform shoe you could want!”

Twilight Sparkle adds, “Don’t forget the art installations and food trucks and rides—”

Sunset can’t hold it back, bursting out, “And PostCrush!”

“Yes, and PostCrush.” Twilight sighs. “But before then, we’ve got to get a good night’s sleep!”

Inside the glamping RV, Sunset’s snuggled into her ultra-plush bunk, drifting away to sleep. Pinkie sticks her head down from the bunk above. “I’m too excited to sleep!”

Sunset smacks her lips, barely awake. “Well, try, Pinkie. In the morning, we’re gonna start the most perfect day ever.”

Pinkie nods, going back into her bunk. A second later, “Is it morning yet?”

“No.”

“How ’bout now? Or now?”

“No and no.”

“’Kay, but it’s definitely morning now, right?”

In unison, the rest of the Mane Seven sound out from the dark: “GO TO SLEEP, PINKIE!”

A few hours later, Sunset’s eyes blearily open to see Pinkie Pie’s eyes an inch away. “IT’S MORNING!”

“Yeah, I noticed.” Sunset laughs.

Rarity twirls, showing off her beaded poncho. “I’ve finally decided on my Starswirl day-one look! Or, wait, should I switch out the wide-brimmed hat for a flower crown? So many festival-ready ensembles, but so little time!”

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie is talking a mile a minute. “I can’t believe Starswirl day one is already so much fun, even before we’re inside the festival. Starswirl morning one for the win!”

Later, under the watchful eye of a serious security guard, the Mane Seven scan their wristbands and head into the festival. Beep! Beep! Beep! They’re in!

The spectacular wonderland of Starswirl unfolds before them. A giant Star Swirl the Bearded balloon, friends laughing and waving giant inflatable flowers—even a girl on stilts! The Mane Seven’s mouths hang agape.

“What surprises lie ahead?” Pinkie wonders out loud.

POOF! A confetti cannon bursts forth, sprinkling them with joy.

“THERE’S A CONFETTI CANNON?!” Pinkie shrieks.

Sunset wipes the paper from her eyes, determined. “In just a few short hours, I’ll actually be in the presence of K-Lo and Su-Z, breathing the same air, under the same stars!”

Pinkie nods. “But until then… the fun of Starswirl day one! What do you wanna do first, Sunset?”

Sunset furrows her brow. What should she do first? As Rarity would say, there are so many activities, but so little time! Sunset spots some promising art installations nearby, but then a bar overflowing with ice cream and human-size toppings catches her eye. Not to mention that PostCrush has a meet and greet scheduled for this afternoon.

You decide what Sunset does!

To check out the festival’s art installations, CLICK HERE.

To investigate the giant ice-cream bar, CLICK HERE.

To get PostCrush’s autographs, CLICK HERE.