Every year an estimated 40,000 people travel from near and far to attend Electric Forest. Many come for the music and the lineup, some come for the art, but a whole lot of people come for the magic and the secrets of the Forest.
One fan-favorite spot in Electric Forest is the Hangar. The Hangar is quite literally an airplane hangar decorated with a 1940s feel. It’s filled with multiple different bump-out tents and scattered activities, and it’s made to be the perfect spot to hang with your friends and catch some shade between sets.
If you plan on going to Electric Forest this year, you can find the Hangar to the left of Sherwood Court, just behind the Jubilee Stage. The bump-out tents include:
The Barber Shop, which is fully functional and provides haircuts and hair braiding.
Rosie the Riveter Recharge Station, where people can get full body buffs and massages from characters dressed as Rosie the Riveter.
Tattoo Shop, which provides temporary flash tattoos to upgrade any rave outfit.
Betty’s Pin Up Booth, which acts as a set to an old-fashioned magazine cover and offers dress-up clothes to model and pose in for pictures.
Game Room, where friends and strangers alike can get competitive in mini-golf, ping pong, pool, bowling, and foosball.
Probably the best place to get lost in the Hangar, though, is the neon-painted, circus-themed Carousel Club. The Carousel Club is located at the back of the Hangar and includes a stage where undercard artists will headline. When musical artists are not on the stage, the Carousel Club will host performances from aerialists and other circus-themed acts.
On the surface, the Hangar seems like a fascinating place to hang out, have some fun, and recharge but secretly it is so much more. The Hangar is filled with secret rooms and experiences that people stumble upon throughout the weekend.
One of these secret rooms is the Poetry Brothel. The Poetry Brothel is said to be a secret back room where ‘ladies of the night’ will invite you to their ‘brothel’ and perform a reading of a sexually natured poem.
The Poetry Brothel is all in good fun and their poems and artwork will be available for purchase after the experience is over. People generally get invited to the backroom on accident by sitting on a special couch or stepping into the photo booth at the right time; it all just depends on the characters!
Another secret room in the Hangar is the Captain’s Lounge, which is essentially a speakeasy bar. It’s rumored that one can become part of the “mile high club” by presenting a captain’s pin or by speaking the secret password to various Hangar employees.
The possibilities of obtaining the secret password or pin are endless. Some have traded their goods at the Trading Post for a pin and some have reported answering one of the Forest phones when it rings and being told the password.
Personally, I was gifted a captain’s pin in 2019 after chatting with a stranger in the crowd while we were waiting for Alison Wonderland’s set to start. Where she got this pin is still unknown.
If you happen to be lucky enough to receive this pin, make sure to keep it safe and present it to a Hangar employee for entrance to a speakeasy bar and secret shows.
There are tons of secrets and surprises sprinkled amongst the Forest. Hanging out at the Hangar is a must-do and I also recommend taking advantage of whatever the Forest has to offer.
If you hear a telephone ringing, answer it. If you see a random door or curtain, it’s probably not random, go open it or knock on it. Buy candy from the candy shop; trade something at the Trading Post. Get involved and interact with other festival goers and characters in the Forest, because you never know what is hiding under the surface.
Electric Forest 2022 will take place June 23-26, 2022, at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Michigan. Tickets are sold out.
Images within the article were provided by Novahan Productions.
Featured image provided by Electric Forest via Facebook.
