Insider tips if you're headed to a concert at Jones Beach theater

If you drive: Parking for all concerts is free in Field 4 at Jones Beach State Park starting two hours before the show begins. Don’t wait in line at the parking ticket machines. When Field 4 is full, Field 5 will be opened and parking there will also be free.

If you take public transportation: Nassau Inter-County Express — NICE, for short — has restored the N88 bus line that runs from the Freeport train station to Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater for concerts this summer. The service, underwritten by Live Nation, will run from 90 minutes before the show to 90 minutes after the show and costs $2.75 each way.

Security tips: There are. usually separate lines for people with bags and people without them. The non-bag lines move much faster. Also, bags that are bigger than 16 inches by 16 inches by 8 inches will have to be checked. You can bring in up to a gallon of water in a factory-sealed plastic container.

Hitching a ride: Need some help getting to the entrance? This year, Live Nation has partnered with QwikRide to provide electric shuttles to pick people up in the parking lots and take them to the entrances. Adam Citron, Northwell Health at Jones Beach’s general manager for Live Nation, says the venue’s staff will also ride in the shuttles, handing out trash bags and recycling bags to tailgaters to help keep the parking lot cleaner.

Live Nation has been focusing on upgrading its food and drink offerings in recent years. “It’s always about the guest experience,” Citron says. “And we have some new food destinations that we are really excited about.”

Dan Doyle, regional chef for Legends, which provides the food vendors for Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater, said they looked to add tasty food with “street appeal that is easy to eat.” They also leaned toward vendors that had a link toward entertainment.. This year’s additions include:

Questlove’s Cheesesteaks: The drummer from The Roots and respected cook has created his own twist on the staple from his hometown of Philadelphia. His cheesesteak is vegetarian, made from the plant-based Impossible Meat.

Art Bird: Celebrity chef Art Smith is bringing his famous fried chicken, which counts Lady Gaga and Michelle Obama as fans, to Jones Beach. The fried chicken, served boneless to make it easier to eat, also comes with biscuits and Southern sides like macaroni and cheese.

Tim Love’s BBQ: The celebrity chef behind Lonesome Dove Western Bistro and the CNBC show “Restaurant Startup” will not just bring barbecue to Jones Beach; hissetup will feature an outdoor grill and smoker so people can see (and smell) their food as it’s being made.

Trejo’s Tacos: Actor Danny Trejo ("Spy Kids") offers his take on classic taco truck offerings.

Dog Haus: The national hot dog and sausage chain will serve up sandwiches with entertainment tie-ins like the “Reservoir Hog,” kielbasa topped with chili and coleslaw.

Music-related alcohol: You can grab a shot of Bob Dylan’s Heaven’s Door whiskey or a glass of Hampton Water rosé from Jon Bon Jovi’s son, Jesse Bongiovi.

The Cove: The lounge area that sits right before the main entrance opened last year and gives people a chance to relax and grab a drink or some food before they go into the venue or pick up their tickets at will-call. It also gives parents waiting to pick up their kids after the show a place to meet them.

Taste of New York: The bar under the stands is a nice stop at any show, serving beers and wines from New York and offering concertgoers an air-conditioned place to hang out on black leather couches. And check in with the Yankees and Mets games that are usually airing on the TVs. But when it’s raining, as it was for the Bob Seger show in May, suddenly Taste of New York becomes the most popular spot at Jones Beach. “This is the perfect place to stay out of the rain,” said Kate Gaenzle, who was visiting from York, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Todd. Their friends Gary and Beth Dieterich, of Babylon, clued them in on the bar.

The Oasis: The lounge area farthest from the entrance has been popular for years thanks to the food trucks and alcohol kiosks. But this year, it has an important addition — 39 individual bathroom stalls that concertgoers can head to when there are long lines for the main restroom.

Quick escape: Nicole Herley, of Seaford, didn’t really want to give this tip up, but she’s hoping it won’t catch on. “If you park close to the exits, you’re the first one out after the show,” she said. Most people will try to park closest to the entrance so they don’t have as far to walk. But that puts them at the back of the line when it’s time to leave. If you park closest to the exit, you get to skip the post-show traffic jam. (This strategy works at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum too, by the way.)

Cheap tickets: Every year, usually the first week of May, Live Nation celebrates National Concert Week, when it offers $20 tickets to most of the summer’s shows. Sometimes, once you’re on site at a Jones Beach show, Live Nation will sell reduced-price tickets, often for $20 or $25, for upcoming shows.

Standing out: Matthew Dickhut, of Brentwood, always flies a big, beautiful American flag on his truck when he’s tailgating before a show so that his friends can find him.