Bonnaroo

Every year Coffe County, TN more than doubles in population from about 50,000 to 130,000 for one week. It is here in Manchester, TN where the title "Best Festival", given by Rolling Stone, has been bestowed on Bonnaroo. What can be said about one of 50 moments that has changed Rock and Roll History, that continually brings fans of all walks of life from all four corners of the United States and beyond, and for the past 6 years and counting? That it is the creation of a unique and diverse city that breeds unity.

You will here it over and over again from veterans and first timers to this festival, "It is the most amazing experience I have ever had". But how can the general consensus of 80,000 people be so similar when everyone is so different. Imagine a city where every corner has been strategically created for fun, where every block has something for everyone. Where the faces of people you pass don't look away with frowns but share knowing smiles of what surrounds them. This is Bonnaroo.

Bonnaroo has grown tremendously since its inception in 2002, to become one of the most over the top festivals anywhere in the states. With over 156 acts, with musical genres ranging from Americana, jazz, gospel, hip hop, world, electronica, reggae, bluegrass, indie rock, and the list goes on. And if the music isn't enough there is a comedy tent, an arcade, internet café, kidz zone, cinema tent, yoga classes, and a brewer's tent.

It is this variety of music and activities that draws such a varied crowd. Where else can fans of Metallica, Jurrassic 5, Willie Nelson, the Police, Jack Johnson, Sonic Youth, Trey Anastasio, Bob Dylan, and Beck all come together with the pure intention of enjoying the music, each other, and the experience for four blissful days on the middle of a farm?

This is where the beauty of such a festival comes from. That for a moment every year in the summer people from all kinds of backgrounds, cultures, regions, ages, beliefs, and tastes hang out and have Bonnaroo, the Cajun slang word meaning "a really good time".

So many lives are touched by the creation of this event. And it is the great diversity inherent in this festival that has gained it such high accolades from everyone. The media, the artists, the fans, and everyone in between all speak of Bonnaroo with great regard. It's more than just a festival where cliché' hippies run around dancing. It is a place that connects people to other people they normally would not be exposed too, too nature, and to that in explainable thing that is greater than all of us.

Somewhere after the first day of running around, exploring, dancing, walking, and laying in the hot summer sun something amazing begins to ripple through the campsites and the crowds at the countless shows going on. Camaraderie is being built. Adventures are embarked upon with total strangers. Sounds that have never been heard echo. And new experiences beyond the imagination are reached. But what makes it so amazing is that amidst the 80,000 people there you know for sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are not the only one.

And after the countless hours of waiting in traffic with the same caravan of cars, when you are standing in line at the restroom or waiting for a cold bag of ice, are in a dash to one of 5 main stages, are laughing in pure joy on the swing sets, bouncing from random 3am jamm session to 5 am dance party, or roaming through the 530 acres of farm you begin to see yourself in all the faces you pass. You begin to become apart of this large community that has been created. You become united to your fellow camping neighbors, concert buddies, and random people whose paths you cross. And somehow right there in the most diverse of all places in Manchester, TN a sense of unity is born.