Wakarusa Music Festival, June 5-8, 2014, returns to Mulberry Mountain in Ozark, Ark., for its 11th year with four days of new-age art, music and a collectively conscious community. For years I have heard that Wakarusa is one of the most genuinely amazing, community-driven music festivals with one of the best lineups every year. This year, STS9, Bassnectar, The String Cheese Incident, The Flaming Lips, Lettuce, EOTO, The Floozies, Wick-it the Instigator and over 100 more artists hit the six woodland stages with many of the artists playing more than one set. New festivalgoers can can join the 20,000 and more Wakarusa guests this year with the affirmation from past Waka attendees that this is not only a music festival but a journey for the soul.
Wakarusa 2014 offers general admission camping included, new amenities-provided “glamping” (luxury camping) from partnership with ConTentment as well as the Wakstar tour bus package offering a first-star tour bus for up to 10 friends and family. While at the festival, guests can see artists like The String Cheese Incident, Black Joe Lewis, Ott. and more at the six stages: Budweiser Main Stage, Technaflora Revival Tent, Woodchuck Hard Cider Backwoods Stage, Grassroots California Outpost Tent, TheUntz.com Satellite Stage and Riverside Stage, surrounded with original art installations and live art. This year the festival map promises activities such as fishing, disc golf, morning yoga class, morning hooping lessons, Sunday morning drum circle, Conscious Alliance food drive, Friday night costume parade and music bus rocks.
TheUntz.com Satellite Stage features Interstellar Meltdown, showcasing some of the hottest electronic dance music (EDM) artists and winners of the Waka DJ Classic. Waka DJ Classic returns for its fifth year, allowing DJs to compete for the chance to perform at Wakarusa 2014 and win a cash prize. One winner will be selected from each location along the Waka DJ Classic Tour. Interstellar Meltdown staff will select artists based on “originality, musicianship, ability to inspire booty-shaking and fan feedback” with the finalist based on audience votes. DJs interested can visit interstellarmeltdown.com/dj-classic.
This year Wakarusa adds new, one-of-a-kind art to some of its already mind-blowing creative pieces on the mountain. Hundreds of artists and performance submitted their works for the First Annual “Mulberry Mountain in My Muse” art-grant program. Sixteen finalists, artists and performance troupes were chosen: Maizz Visual, Astral Gypsies’ Giant Puppet Troupe, Easily Distracted Art Collaborative, Intrinsic Arts, VibeTribe of KC, STL Hoop Club, The Amazing Giants, Slack-Librium, Houston Hands, Mulberry Huts, the Homegrown Collective, BuddhaBonesArt, Nature Dreamweaver, Dakini Circus, Social Napping Network, The Geodome and Funktion Forms. And be on the look for Moon Puppies, “The Asstronauts”, whom hope to inspire dance by “getting funky” at some of your favorite shows. Expect slackline workshops, fire circles, hooping, meditation, giant-size 3D animations, “larger than life” puppets, a giant pyramid to rest in, strips of wood which are woven together to create large interactive domes with LED lights, live art, glowing and floating art, dancing, yoga, arts and crafts, hammocks and more.
One of the Wakarusa 2014’s featured nonprofit organizations is We’re hEAR For You, an Athens, Ga., nonprofit that helps spread the word to the music festival community about hearing loss, hearing loss prevention and awareness for using earplugs. Their brilliant and caring work helps supply music venues and recording studios in cities like Athens, Ga., and Nashville, music festivals and select artists like Pretty Lights, Bassnectar, Phish and Lettuce.
String Cheese Incident.
(Top) Sound Tribe Sector 9
As to be assumed, Wakarusa 2014 encourages everyone to be “green friendly” and live sustainably whist at the festival (and home). Every full bag (bags provided) of campsite recycling brought to the Recycalusa Booth earns guests a free prize such as a Recycalusa T-shirt; help volunteers sort your campsite recycling for a free raffle ticket for a grand prize of Wakarusa 2015 tickets. Wakarusa encourages everyone to bring sunscreen, comfortable footwear, toilet paper, dank food/snacks, water and of course, good friends.
There is no doubt in my mind Wakarusa 2014 will be one of the best festivals of the year. As I have heard many people say in the past, “See you on the mountain!”
For more information on Wakarusa, visit wakarusa.com, facebook.com/wakarusa or Twitter @wakarusafest.
