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Wassup ya'll, Wish[Paus3] here! A few weeks ago we were telling you about a yoga-arts-music festival in New Jersey called EvolveFest. Being a few years in existence already, this festival has a nice following, and the following is full of open minded, spiritual, and quite flexible people. It was here that the community aspect I always talk about really came to light, this festy really hit home for me.
When we first pulled up to the festival grounds, you could see the camp sites already popping up from the main road. Last year we heard it was at another more secluded location, so The Warren County Fairgrounds was a new spot for all the return Evolvers. It was a cozy size with multiple stages and locations for workshops. Everything was nicely set up, with the majority of campers set up in a field, a vendors' row, and more places to explore such as where the Green Bus was parked and the old barn houses.
This festival is known for it's yoga workshops and spiritual lifestyle attraction. It was interesting to see the combination of EDM and this part of the community. The music was diverse, featuring some awesome talent that really blew us away. We checked out Karmic Juggernaut, Telesma, Consider the Source, and Mercury Landing... just to name a few. The music wasn't only on stages, it was pretty much everywhere you walked. There were drum circles in the fields throughout the day and around bonfires at night. Guitars, didgeridoos, drums and other percussion instruments were no strangers to the festival grounds. Everywhere we walked there were different sounds and music playing.
Karmic Juggernaut
Mercury Landing
dude.
Telesma
Now the main reason I fell in love with this festival was how open people were. The sharing of energy, conversation, knowledge... it was truly awesome how close I felt to everyone. It was easy to walk up to any tent, hammock, workshop, vendor, really anybody at all and start talking. As we spoke to more people, we created many connections. I mean, the ability to get over initial judgements and see people for who they were was extremely refreshing. Zodd and I met healers, yoga teachers, musicians, promoters, dancers, singers, bakers, artists... all these different people with different skills and life experiences. It was pretty awesome to hear everyone's stories in this wholesome environment.
This was a first for us and 100% not the last. To be able to connect with our friends the way we did and meet and connect with so many other people was truly a beautiful thing. Check out the pictures on our Facebook, and see all of them fly by in our Pictorial Walkthrough's and even this crazy drink called AhhMigo, check it out below.
This weekend will mark one the busiest weekends for NYC this summer, especially because Electric Zoo will be bringing in the a-c names in electronic music. It is because of that festival that I am making sure to trek to Jersey and experience an entirely different festival that is one of the biggest of it's kind, Evolvefest.
Evolvefest is a four day festival running this Labor Day weekend, August 31 - September 3, 2012, in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. It looks to be very spiritualistic and quite majestic, that's split between music, nature, meditation, art and education. It is hailed as one of the top ten yoga festivals in the world, it's family friendly, and it's very close to New York City and Philadelphia. Let's take a look into what you can expect at Evolvefest and the top three reasons I'm most excited for this weekend!
We are so used to there being music pounding out the beats almost 24 hours a day, and in some cases this was true to an extent (Camp Bisco 11). However, there are multiple stages of multiple activities. There are two music stages, with some awesome acts performing both live bands and DJ/producers, such as Telesma, Bad Buka, Outersect, or Consider the Source. The music plays pretty much all day, 9am-11ishpm.
Then There's the Yoga Stage. There you can not only participate in what might be the largest yoga pool of people you've ever been in, but you will also be learning and involved in sessions with seasoned instructors such as Sara Gallmann, Stephanie Sirico, and Beth Filla. Oh, what's this?! It's a music stage as well! You can catch acts like DJ Inanna, and DJ Knowledge!
That for the stages, don't forget about all of the workshops that are being offered as well. A few that caught my eye include Beekeeping, Kung Fu Movement, and Sacred Geometry. All the workshops are held at one of four different camp ground locations, to give you an idea of the size, in fact check out this nifty map!
Made Extra Large for those Hard of Sight
The Community Aspect:
The fact that this environment is family friendly says a lot. To be able to bring your kids and have a safe place for them to enjoy themselves, as well as being exposed to so much art and culture is really a wonderful thing. There are sure to be many vendors as well. I'm hoping to see more on the side of homemade items, as well as certain specialties, and less of the main line of merchandise. There is also going to be a ton of art and art of all forms. Whether it's paint or dance, I can't wait to see all the live art, the opportunity to sit down and take a minute to actually write, fire spinning, drum circles, story telling and so much more... it's all very exciting to see how everything will pan out.
As a whole collective, their is a very large community behind these events. The biggest picture is covered under "EDM" with every event from Sensation to Camp Bisco, or Burning Man to Electric Daisy Carnival, the music is the initial focal point for gathering. In this festival, there is a much different focus aside from the music. The music comes into play with a higher sense of being. Yoga, meditation, art, these are all forms of expanding one's mind and using a more creative side of our brain. This festival garners more peaceful vibes, I don't think the getting pushed out of the way while dancing will happen here.
This is the 6th annual Evolvefest, there are sure to be many return campers as well as new comers such as myself and Z. It will be a different turn from the pounding dubstep and hardstyle nights spent in the warehouses and mainstream festivals. It is highly anticipated by us both.
Participate!!
Ticket prices aren't going to kill you, and fr what you get this will make for a great getaway from your average event. Get your tickets now, and come join us for what is going to be a beautiful weekend! Find more info here:
