MANCHESTER, Tenn. – The weekend of June 13-15, once again saw this tiny town become the music capitol of Tennessee.
For three days, 80,000 music-lovers invaded the small town of Manchester, Tenn., for the second annual Bonnaroo Music Festival.
More than 60 artists graced the stages and music tents of Bonnaroo, making a 600-acre farm a booming music metropolis for music-lovers.
Bonnaroo presented a range of music so diverse almost anyone could find something they liked among the bluegrass of Nickel Creek, the classic rock of icon Neil Young and Crazy Horse or even the funk and soul of rhythm and blues legend James Brown.
Music was only one of the many things festival goers were able to experience at the festival. In the camping areas, people bought and sold everything from t-shirts to veggie burritos and gave free high fives and hugs.
People of all ages attended Bonnaroo. Young children could be found on the playground or splashing around in fountains along side those who, despite their ages, felt like kids at heart.
The vibe present at the festival every year proves to be one of the main ingredients in the recipe that makes Bonnaroo a success.
“The whole vibe of the festival was so friendly, so open. Everyone was helping everyone else,” said Colin Wells of Big Hassle Media, one of the many companies that contribute to the production of Bonnaroo. “It’s great to spend a weekend in that kinda atmosphere.”
Bonnaroo also offered more than just live music. At the Bonnaroo Music Sharing Village participants were able to burn compact discs with music from artists performing at the festival. People were also able to attend yoga classes, sample hard-to-find beers, watch classic movies and play in a video arcade.
A press release from Big Hassle said 15,000 tons of rock were laid to build roads for the festival and 6,441,000 watts of electrical power were generated.
Clean Vibes, the Bonnaroo cleanup crew, worked to make sure that only footprints were left on the farm. They encouraged everyone to recycle by holding a raffle that included autographed merchandise from both the event and artists. For every bag of recyclables turned in a raffle ticket was given out.
And just like at the first Bonnaroo, the weather was hot, but the heat didn’t seem to stop fans from packing stages and tents and dancing to the music. Shade wasn’t the easiest thing to find, but mist tents provided relief from the blistering sun.
“It was hot, but sunscreen and water can work wonders. I hope I get the chance to go again next year,” Bonnaroo survivor Graham Stafford said. “All hardships aside … it was totally worth it.”
Superfly Productions and A.C. Entertainment also planned a Bonnaroo NorthEast in New York, but was cancelled. Plans for a third Bonnaroo are already in the works, so start getting ready for another jam-packed weekend of live music, friendly folks and a great story for the grandkids.