Julie and Chris Dinsmore were among the thousands of music lovers in attendance along the Camden Waterfront. The couple first attended the XPNFest in 2018, when they were dating; now, they’re married with a child whom they hope will someday become a festivalgoer.

Chris said the thing that made him keep coming back every year, besides the music, is the wide range of people the festival attracts.

“Older, younger, people with kids,” he said. “It’s a good crowd. Nobody’s trying to put on an image. Everyone’s just comfortable in their own skin.”

For Julie, she said seeing Chris in that setting is what made her realize they were meant to be.

“You get to see people for who they are, and it makes you see things in a different light,” she said. “You’re like, ‘Oh, if this is how you act around little kids, old women, you’re respecting everyone, like this is someone I could fall in love with.’”

The couple spent the weekend checking out some of their favorite artists while reminiscing on past lineups from their seven years of making the festival trip together. They talked about the experience of catching the next big band before they blow up — sometimes just a few feet away.

“The Lumineers used to come here before they got big and now they’re huge,” Chris said. “It’s cool to see a band before they really pop off and get famous.”