Main Stage
Over the past 5 years the music festival “scene” has grown exponentially. Whether you think this is good or bad for “the scene” it is happening right in front of our faces. Ultra Music Festival, Camp Bisco, Gathering of the Vibes and Wakarusa just to name a few, dominate the east coast with 10,000+ in attendance. These festivals are amazing, and I encourage anyone and everyone to attend, but they didn’t just start out harboring thousands of crazy festival goers. They all started out small, under 1,000 people. These smaller festivals fly under the radar for the most part. As a member of Wookie Post I had the opportunity to attend the smaller, first year start up festivals, along with the enormous large scale ones too. As a journalist I take interest in the different cultures of each and every festival as they all have their own unique atmosphere. CampBarefoot was no different.
August had finally come around, and summer was slowly beginning to end. The Summer of 2013 would never be forgotten. The second to last stop on the Wookie Post festie tour had taken us to the wild and wonderful world of West Virginia. Camp Barefoot 7 was the destination, located deep in the mountains of the Appalachia, outside a petite little town called Bartow. Little did I know this would be an unforgettable experience filled with colorful memories and overwhelming good times.
Late Night Stage
The sun was shinning bright with not a cloud in the sky as we arrived early Thursday afternoon. I took this as a sign that the weekend would be as close to perfect as one could get. Right from the start people were introducing themselves and asking if we needed help setting up our camp or if we wanted to chat over a frosty brewed beverage when we finished. From the moment we entered the festival you could feel the positive energy sweeping over your body like a drug, instantly high, pupils dilated, and of course that euphoric sensation we all pursue. The smell of the fresh mountain air along with the feeling of soft, healthy earth beneath your feet was enough to make even the most heartless person affectionate. Embracing this mood was subconscious. You became part of the festival as it had already, unknowingly, become part of you. This feeling would last the whole weekend.
For those who have not had the chance to experience a small scale festival, your time is running out. These festivals are “a last of a dying breed” according to an original CampBarefoot attendee. He claims, at Barefoot especially, the culture of the smaller festival is bound to become extinct…but how and why? Who would want to destroy such a beautiful and peaceful experience? The answer is us. All of us. We help create the environment and the atmosphere. We pay for the tickets to get the bands and help recruit staff to make the festival function. So why do we abuse it? The simple belief that someone else will take care of it for us. We the patrons have to be accountable just as much as the staff. Take control of YOUR festival. Spread the good vibes and help others reach the same enlightenment that kept you coming back year after year.
CampBarefoot was the first time I felt at home with my surroundings and with the people I was with, whether I knew them or not. That weekend turned everyone into family, Camp Barefoot 7 family. The experiences I shared with friends and acquaintances will not be matched again for the rest of my time here on earth. Not only was the music incredible but so too were the people, the staff, the vendors, and the venue.
General Camping in the valley
I write this as a warning and I write this to encourage the positive outlook I acquired through my time at Camp Barefoot. An outlook I will apply for the rest of my life. I believe every festival has the opportunity and the ability to be as intimate and as passionate as Camp Barefoot, it’s up to the attendees to believe and pursue this outcome. “Too weird to live, yet too rare to die.”
Kloc
wookiepost 