“I don’t think people are looking for the meaning of life so much as the experience of being alive” – Joseph Campbell
Festival season is upon us, and that means fans around the country are preparing themselves for an epic journey through the sights, sounds, and smells of whatever event they are attending. Whether you’re heading to an urban center like Miami for Ultra, a sprawling campgrounds like Coachella or Electric Forest, or just simply driving to a single or even multi-day event, here are some tips as to how you can participate more in our gigantic EDM community and make it that much more fun and exciting for everyone involved. After all, festivals are about the amazing experiences and people you meet just as much as it is about the music.
1) Be as unique as you want
Plan your outfits in advance and make people turn heads with them. The last thing you want is to be scrambling the day of an event trying to figure out what you want to wear. The more planning and the crazier the outfits the better. Many people start creating their EDC outfits months in advance, especially if they’re going to wire them with LED lights or coordinate to match with their rave families. You want a conversation piece so that when people ask to take a picture with you, you make a new friend in the process.
2) If You’re Camping, Go All Out
And if you are camping, odds are you’re spending a good portion of your festival time hanging out and partying with your neighbors You want to be the hub. I suggest LED lights to string around your campsite, flagpoles to show your spirit, colorful blankets and rugs, and a bumping sound system (make sure to turn it down when people are trying to sleep though.) People will flock to your hub and it’s a very simple way to have more fun than just rolling out an air mattress in a tent.
3) Totems, Flags, or Signs
This one tends to be a little controversial, but if your event promoter allows them in, I say go for it. Make something funny, make something tall, or make something that represents you and why you love being there. This is one of the more creative ways to express yourself at a place where it’s all about expressing yourself. I suggest going to your local hardware store and buying a tall PVC pipe and decorating that with LED lights or poster boards and I’ve even seen stuffed animals on there. Make them sturdy and tall so that you can hold them well if there is a strong breeze and so it doesn’t distract the people behind you. This is my personal favorite way to have fun with other people at festivals, just be considerate of those around you :)
4) Fans and Misters: The Real MVPs
You want people to love you eternally? Bring hand fans or spray bottle misters to cool down your fellow festival goers, or better yet, bring ones to pass out. We’ve all had these people pass us in the crowds and cried when they sprayed us once and left. Be those people. We need more of them.
5) Pick Up an LED Art
The tricks that glovers, orbiters, poi manipulators, and hoopers can do (I’m probably missing some) will blow your mind. They add to the whole aesthetic feel of a festival and bring a unique wonder that sometimes we miss. Of course some of these items are not allowed at certain venues or festivals, so make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. That being said, I’ve picked up orbiting and it’s a great way to meet new people and have a shared entertaining experience. I’d start here if you’ve never had any: EmazingLights.
6) Dance with a Stranger
Just do it. I’m not explaining this one. You’ll thank me later.
7) Help out a Stranger
This one I will explain, but you know what I mean. We’ve either been those people or seen those people who have had a little too much fun a little too fast. Don’t be afraid to bring those people water, or sit down and make sure they’re ok if they look alone. This is a community of millions but at the same time a community of one. We all need help here and there. Help someone out — who knows, it might change your life.
