When summer turns to fall, many people’s main focus is school; for others, it is the coming of apple season, but for a select few thousand, this time of year stands for one thing: festivals.
Every year, a multitude of people head to San Francisco, Grass Valley, Sacramento, the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, and now even Auburn, for festivals. Outside Lands, Power to the Peaceful, World Fest, Jewish Heritage Festival, and The Burning Man Project all draw in thousands of people to create a sense of togetherness.
“I enjoy good music and the atmosphere the festivals create. I like the atmosphere of sharing, loving, caring,” stated Placer High School senior Elia Rivas. Rivas has attended both Power to the Peaceful and Jewish Heritage Festival.
Power to the Peaceful is put on every year by Michael Franti and Spearhead, the dynamic duo that released the hit “Say Hey” that plugged up the airwaves in late 2009.
Their main goal: to encourage people to help empower and improve the lives of others. Each year, around 50,000 people gather in the center of Golden Gate Park for the free festival to not only see Michael Franti and Spearhead perform, but also artists such as Ziggy Marley, Alanis Morissette, Rebelution, and many others. They also offer a morning yoga session as well as a Brazilian Dance Workshop.
“I loved singing and dancing with like 10,000 other people,” explained Rivas. The main reason she went to the Jewish Heritage Festival, other than to see rabbi-turned beat boxer-turned reggae artist was to “[see] people that I know from other Jewish events…I felt like I was connecting to my roots.”
Another attention-grabbing festival is The Burning Man Project, a week long rule-less gathering in the Black Rock Desert, a place for artists to express themselves and showcase their work. 48,000 artists like Placer art teacher Red Johnson venture there every year.
“There’s always something to do,” stated Johnson. “You never get bored.” To Johnson, it is a place to meet new people and artists.
Johnson first heard of this festival from his friends in 2000. He went the following year, not knowing at all what to expect.
“I intend to go next year for the 10th consecutive year,” Johnson affirmed.
This festival, along with most other festivals, is a haven for some people; for others, it is a place for release.
“The atmosphere is just really chill…it’s super laid back and nobody judges you,” Placer senior Damian Borja recollects from his visit to Outside Lands. “Everyone is connected, all singing the same song. It’s amazing.”
Festivals have become so popular that they have even spread to Auburn with the Auburn Hip Hop Appreciation Festival.
Whether it is a gathering of artists, of music enthusiasts, of social activists, or people of a certain religion, festivals bring people together, creating a sense of belonging and a sense of unity.