Editorial: The Magic of Harmony Park

By: Shelly Stern

My body is buzzing with increasing anticipation as I make my way to the stage. The whole weekend led up to this moment, and you can practically feel the electricity in the air. You can see it in the flurry of LED lights —  the smiling faces everywhere you look, people are rushing to gather their friends. You can hear it in the increasingly loud hum of the collective voices, in the hurried conversations as you walk past lit-up tents. Their shadows scramble as they yell out excitedly:

“Hurry, they start in 10 minutes!”

“Where’s Amanda?”

 “I have to pee first!”

 “Does my costume look ok?”

“Let me grab another beer!” 

The vibes are high and about to get even higher.

I quickly stop by all my friends’ tents that are along the way, checking if they are ready. I am high-fived by a man whose face I cannot make out in the dark. Two strangers are sharing a moment without the need for words. As I get closer to the stage, I can see the tops of a thousand heads, the massive crowd growing by the minute. I am greeted by some friends who grab me to join them. We weave our way through the crowd.

Everyone’s faces are turned forward eyeing the large black curtain that shrouds the stage in mystery. Getting closer to the front now, I look around and can’t contain my smile as I notice half the people I am surrounded by are my friends. No, we’re more than friends, we are family. And we have come “Home” to see Wookiefoot light up Harmony Park once again.

Minutes later, a beautiful reverberating chord begins to echo out and is joined by the sound of the crowd simultaneously releasing their excitement. Then, the rhythmic tribal drumming begins and the crowd packs in even tighter. Suddenly, the curtain drops, and the roar of the crowd is amplified as we finally get what we came for. Wearing reflective jackets and face paint, the band is surrounded by a dizzying array of fire, lasers and color. The crowd erupts with unbridled glee as the next few hours go by in what feels like five minutes.

This is even better than Christmas morning. And we still feel like children, as Wookiefoot inspires us to “Be Fearless and Play.”

They say Harmony Park is “Home,” and I knew it was true within minutes of arriving at my first festival four years ago. It was like I was adrift on the ocean and suddenly found a secret island filled with people just like me. They were wild, happy and free — and I was hooked.

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This is the place where everybody knows your name, where people got your back. You can show up alone, with nothing but find everything you need. In an instant, a new friendship is formed as you look over and make eye contact with the person dancing next to you. Healing tears are brought forth as you hear the exact lyric you were meant to hear from a musician you have never heard of. After the show, you thank them and hang out for a few hours because here there is no division between the artists and the fans.

This is a place where magic truly happens. Fall, and you will be carried. Dance, and you will be free. Love, and you will be loved back. Be yourself, and no one will judge. Let the music find you, and you will be healed. Hug, and you will be hugged back. Go on a nighttime adventure around the loop and explore the campsites transformed into psychedelic wonderlands. Celebrate music, love, art, friendships and healing. Let the good vibes flow. Lay under the oaks and let their magic wash over you. 

And welcome home.

Photos by This Is Perfect Harmony LLC team
Editing by Brittany Innes and Alycia Grace

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