Have you ever been on an adventure that leaves you hungry for more? After the second weekend of Electric Forest, that’s how I feel. I have never had an experience so wild until now.
Our drive lasted about 13 hours 30 minutes, and in the end, we were all anxious, tired, stressed, and strangely hyper while completing our Walmart trip. We drove through the campsite one day early hoping to be placed close enough to the festival gates and luckily weren’t that far at Camp Distortion. Our campsite was 5 feet from porta-potties, two minutes from a 24-hour food/ice vendor, and five minutes from the marketplace. I realized this place was all about friendliness when we parked at our campsite, and the moment I stepped out the neighbors walked right up to me and greeted me as if they had known me for 10 years. Everyone around us helped each other set up camp and it was all done within 15-20 minutes.
I definitely had some spots in the Forest I enjoyed discovering for the entire weekend. Everywhere I walked there was something new to find in the various pathways and trees. Without further ado, my list of the hidden gems of Electric Forest 2018.
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The Piano/Organ:
Surrounded by tall trees I found a piano with organ pipes sitting on a platform. Lights are spinning and reflecting off of the dark trees, and everyone is relaxing nearby. During the entire weekend, people come and go, taking turns sharing their musical talent. This is a place where you can come and rest, get lost in the music or even sing along with the crowd.
Photo Courtesy | Alexander Leandry FMF
The Observatory:
My favorite stage in the Forest all weekend, and there was always something to groove to whenever I stopped by. The best set at the Observatory was Justin Jays Fantastic Voyage. Funky House music that had the whole crowd dancing. The Observatory was a small area that included an upper viewing deck facing the stage.
The Hangar:
Far back at one end of the Forest, I found the Hangar, a tent where once I entered I felt like I was in another time zone. They put together so many great activities like a barber shop, a game room, massage parlor, and a travel agency. Further back I entered a huge room that looked like an old-fashioned nightclub and there was a burlesque show in progress. I would not expect to see something like this at a festival.
The Chapel:
Towards the end of day two, I was making my way towards the Tripolee stage to check out Jauz. On my way there I passed a colorful white church with rainbow paintings all over it. Something about it, probably the loud yelling inside and a clown standing at the door pulled me inside. I walked in and there were pews on both sides, and a stage with a DJ and dancers all dressed up in their own clown themed costumes. There were four “contestants” sitting in the edge of the stage waiting to be picked by the show host. Each contestant was required to tell their worst sex story, and right after an interpretive dance group created a whole dance based on the story. What an experience!
The R.V. camp:
Every night during Electric Forest, I stayed up till six am dancing at the R.V. camp. Wednesday night began with only two buses throwing down sets and every day more continued to show up. By Friday night, there were over six different R.V. groups keeping campers awake and dancing. Saturday afternoon was one of the hottest days and I wasn’t able to endure the heat to see the Mau5trap lineup during the festival until the sun went down. Luckily, I found out some of the Mau5trap artists were going to show up at the Panky Rang bus for after-hours dancing. This may have been the longest night for me because to my surprise, Mikey Lion showed up at six am for a secret set.
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Photo Courtesy Alexander Leandry
The Marketplace:
Nearby my campsite we found the marketplace, an area full of food vendors and fun activities. I found vendors selling their handmade crafts and clothes. I am pretty sure I was at the marketplace every morning for those Island Noodles. I loved hanging out at the Brainery, where anyone can go up on stage and jam together or read poetry. One of the most chill spots in the marketplace was the cereal bar, where you could order cereal with a big range of toppings. Right behind the cereal bar, there was a flat screen television set up streaming cartoons. Most nights on my way back to the campsite I stopped by here and ended up watching Rick & Morty until 6 am with people I had just met. Another great area was a DJ booth surrounded by poles available for campers to set up their hammocks all weekend.
The Library:
In the middle of the forest to my surprise, there was a library with books and couches to chill and read. I sat here one night while exploring and began to talk to random people who were taking a break from dancing. Somehow the people I decided to hang out with were also from New York. This is something I noticed the entire weekend, even with people coming from all over I still managed to end up meeting all the New Yorkers. I wish I had brought a book or two with me to trade in one of the bookshelves. Next year!
The Giving Tree:
I had visited the giving tree multiple times over the weekend. The giving tree is a tall tree with shelves around it and anyone can take an item they find there, as long as they leave behind something they treasure. Even though I didn’t go back and leave an item each time I just went to see what types of items people left behind. There were a variety of items from love notes, bracelets, and cool hats. At the giving tree, I would be looking at all the treasures and end up having a long conversation with someone about how their weekend was going. Giving is incorporated into the vibe at Electric Forest that it brings joy to watch the gift exchanges. To some, Electric Forest is better than Christmas.
Ranch Arena:
One of my favorite places at Electric Forest was the Ranch Arena. A big stage facing a big field of grass for everyone to sit on, surrounded but food vendors. I came here to rest between sets or to meet up with people. The best part about the Ranch Arena was watching The String Cheese Incident on Friday and Saturday. I felt nothing but good vibes from the crowd during there performance that lasted over three hours. The best sets at Ranch Arena for me were Zhu, String Cheese, and Griz. What I loved about this stage is that I could find a place to sit anywhere and watch any performance that was going on.
Tripolee:
The main stage as soon as you enter the gates of Electric Forest, Tripolee held some talented acts. The first day of the festival I lost my mind during Get Real, basically, my top favorite set all weekend. Saturday during the Mau5trap takeover, we watched Chris Lake throw down his funky house goodness. Even though I had no contact with any of my friends because of poor cell reception, we all found each other here at the same time without expecting it. Tripolee was a great stage to hang out during the night because there were no trees, so the cool breeze after sunset woke the crowd up. No matter how much I wanted to come here and rest, it was impossible because of artists like Claptone and Testpilot.
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I can say Electric Forest was definitely a new, positive experience for me that I did not expect. Having no contact with anyone on social media the whole weekend made the adventure so much more exhilarating. Somehow I ended up in the same place at the same time as all of my closest rave family. Without a doubt I will definitely be returning to the Forest next year, the adventure isn’t over.
