Welcome Home- Electric Forest

Growing up I always looked forward to vacations on the beach. That is what I thought ultimate serenity was. Nothing ahead of you but the vast sea while you lay on the beach with the only care of when will high tide knock over my sandcastle.

But as an adult, nothing compares to the serenity of Electric Forest. Nothing ahead of you but the sea of thousands of your closest friends spread across miles of land you will soon trek while you lay in your hammock between the pines and your only care is in the back of your mind knowing that you eventually will have to leave this place.

Photo by Tori Atkinson Electric Forest 14

This was my second venture to Rothbury, Michigan and it will be a tradition I hope to carry on for the rest of my life. I have been to a handful of different festivals now but nothing compares to this one. Each section is like a different magical part of some adult-like CandyLand.

The camping area becomes your home and the people who happen to pitch their tents next to you become your family. The walk down main street is a spectacular sight. In the real world, *cringe*, it's hard to even wave or share a smile with a stranger without being looked at funny. At Electric Forest we hug, high five and ask, "How's your forest" to every passerby.

Once at the main gate you have butterflies in your stomach. Move over, Disney World, you are about to enter the most magical place on Earth.

Main Gates- Electric Forest 14- Photo by: Kristin Palaniuk

Tripolee stage is the first stage you come across. You see the Ferris Wheel nearby but rumor has it to wait to ride it at night. Each afternoon this area held meditation and yoga. What a wonderful way to start the long Michigan days. Laying on the grass stretching in the sunlight with hundreds of others and hearing reassuring and soothing words from the yogi on stage, you have no idea how completely opposite this area can turn once the sun sets. Still soothing but in such a different way.

Photo by: Sinead Byrne Electric Forest 14

But don't worry. The sun hasn't set. In fact, not that we're looking at the time while we're here, just remember the sun doesn't go down til almost 10:30 in north western Michigan. And the artists don't stop performing til almost 4 in the morning. Time doesn't exist here. It's best to experience this place by putting your phones away and living this life through your eyes not the lens of a camera.

Photo by Tori Atkinson Electric Forest 13

Venturing on over paths and passed a lake we head towards the Ranch Arena. A few people are shouting for their lost friend Carl, but I'm sure he found his own path or maybe he is hanging out with the elusive Daniel Cooper.

The smell of the delicious food vendors fills the air and the cheeseheads find their place amongst the pines in their hammocks near the stage. Here is where I noticed people of all ages and backgrounds come to this event. Put your norms away because there is no normal here. Open minds are only welcome. Barefoot, topless and painted bodies slide next to you to get a spot in the crowd. Children holding hands and dancing alongside their parents. This is what it's like to truly be free.

Photo Cred: Joe'l Molina Electric Forest 14

Continue walking down the path under the homemade lanterns and you are about to enter Sherwood Forest.

Photo By: Meghan Zuniga Farr Electric Forest 14

For those who attended Electric Forest, can't you agree it's almost impossible to describe what this place is like to someone who has never been? Each time you walk through the forest it's different. Every person you see is unique. You honestly never know what you will see. Without ruining any surprises, let's just say Sherwood Forest is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Take what your childhood imagination conjured up about the most fantastic fairy tale and amplify that by a thousand.

Photo By: Kristin Palaniuk Electric Forest 14

The people of the forest ditch their rubber soles to find their souls. They forget about their 10 story city apartments for real stories. They forget about bills and are more concerned about the whereabouts of Carl.

Photo By: Meghan Zuniga Farr Electric Forest 14

Once we've TRIED taking in all the forest has to offer, it's time to venture out the other side and see what's happening on the Sherwood Court stage. Acts as diverse as STS9, Umphrey's McGee and SchoolBoy Q graced the stage while the diversity in the crowds blended together like a beautiful glowing melting pot.

Meeting strangers is my favorite part of Electric Forest. They might be strange, but they definitely aren't your every day connotation of the word "stranger." They are people like me and you with hopes and dreams and real life jobs but this is their escape. Before coming to Electric Forest, I joined a Facebook group with about 16,000 others who were going to this event. One day, someone posted in the forum "What do you guys do for a living?" Doctors, scientists, authors, stay at home mothers to strippers and burger flippers are among us in the forest. But here our labels are removed.

Photo by: Kristin Palaniuk Electric Forest 14

Inhibitions are lost and soul mates are gained here in the forest. There were at least two marriage proposals during the festival and there is even a page dedicated to the missed connections of the week. I read on the Facebook group that a man and a woman conceived their first child at the forest last year and they brought their baby this year and each year it will be a family tradition for them. Staying up all night talking to someone you just met but it seems like you've known them for a lifetime as the sun is rising and lightning strikes in the distance is among the more beautiful small treasures of Electric Forest. We are nestled together as a forest family and we keep the connections we've made here for a lifetime.

Photo by: Halee Ireton Electric Forest 14

These four days were all about positivity and light. However, you can't escape some of the negative things that happen at music festivals. But you can work to change them. That is my end goal. To travel to these diverse festivals and prove that human connections are at the highest levels at these gatherings.

One negative outside perspective of these festivals is the use of illicit drugs within their gates. In the Facebook group, I came across a young lady who would be selling wristbands within the festival that said "I hate heroin" for $1 to help with a family incident involving the drug. She got over 800 responses from people saying they'd buy one. I'm sure she sold more than that at Electric Forest.

Just when it seems like the sun is playing tricks on you, the air gets a little cooler and the sun begins to set. This is where the real magic of the forest comes out. The place lights up as do the faces of everyone inside. The real world is black and white and this place is in full blown technicolor. 

Photo By: Madelyne Espinoza Electric Forest 14 

Costumes are as beautiful as the sunset. The smiles are almost as bright as the lights that shine. The music is the perfect ambiance for the way we are all feeling. The hidden treasures within the forest such as the silent disco and the giving tree are as bountiful as the smiles you see.


Welcome home. This place is better than any dream. 

Photo by: Joe'l Molina Electric Forest 14