Electric Forest

Electric Forest is a music festival set apart from all the rest – and anyone who has been there knows its enchantment. This fest is a magical manifestation brought to life by top musicians, inspiring artists, talented production teams and adoring volunteers. Caitlin and Danielle look forward to festival season all year. Anything can happen at a music festival… anything! You may find your new favorite music artist, you may find love, and most importantly…you may find yourself.

Tens of thousands of fans travel from all over the country for the music and camping adventure of a lifetime. It’s rare that you can be in one place, and every single person there is overjoyed at the path that lies in front of them. The people make this festival so magic, and it’s evident all around.

When you walk through Sherwood Forest, your eyes can’t help but glisten. The natural beauty of Pure Michigan is carefully integrated into themed environments with creative art pieces, colorful interactive characters and story lines blend with eclectic performing artists and musicians.

Walking through the forest, you may see someone taking a nap in a hammock, participate in a gong healing meditation, stumble upon a secret dance party, meet a gaggle of themed performers, witness a marching band, you may even witness a crowdsourced marching band led by our favorite saxxy DJ, GRIZ.

Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It’s a way of understanding it.”― Lloyd Alexander

Caitlin and Danielle are frequently on the go, two Dolls setting the pace in the big city of Chicago… We are grateful and honored to live a life we love. Pursuing our dreams means that we are always on. It involves deep mental focus, time and preparation. We are constantly connected – checking phones for emails, keeping up with social media, planning our next event, follow- up, follow-through, project after project. Although the Dolls do an exceptional job keeping the magic alive in everyday life, sometimes we all need to disconnect to reconnect.

In the middle of the forest – tall and proud – stands the Goddess. A new monumental sculpture this year. Caitlin and Danielle looked at each other and knowingly said,

Welcome Home.”

Electric Forest is a music festival but so much more than that, it’s the ultimate FREEing experience. The forest is intentionally designed to unbalance your senses and open your heart, thus creating authentic connections to souls around you. There is a true community here filled with love and respect. It is beautiful… Upon entering Electric Forest, you will witness 50,000 people giving themselves permission to let go, change scenery, change environment and ultimately change their perspective on life.

In the forest you are not defined by your career, your past, your present or your future. You are able to live in the present moment – the NOW. Every direction you turn your head, you’re surrounded by light, sound, unique creation and most important of all, LOVE.

The art in Electric Forest encourages us all to be the change. Looking around the festival, you have never seen a concert venue so clean. Everyone picks up after a show. Art installations use upcycled materials with an underlying message – Keep Our Earth Beautiful.

What is one day like in Electric Forest? You’ll wake up at your campsite and have breakfast with your Forest Family, reminisce about the night before and get your lineup ready for the day. You can start the afternoon off with yoga, chill out in a hammock and begin the dance party with live performances from everyone from Coleman Hell to Porter Robinson (who dropped new music at EF) to Marian Hill to Bassnectar to Adventure Club to Flosstradamus to Gramatik to Beats Antique to STS9 and String Cheese Incident.

Every stage offers a different experience – a different genre of music. You may even stop at some point to take a hot air balloon ride or a spin on the ferris wheel.

The festival has officially wrapped its sixth year, and having attending for five of those years, we can attest to the culminating vibe each year brings. Electric Forest is brought together by one of America’s most significant independent bands, String Cheese Incident. Freedom rings each night this headliner takes the stage. You’ll watch the sunset and kick off your shoes and start to boogie to the beat. When night falls, the jellyfish start swimming and the party really gets down. Saturday night is legendary, with fantastical surprises each year. Giant unicorns bounced around the crowd, golden spheres rocked our world, and fireworks light up the sky.

To blow your mind even further, you’ll walk back through Sherwood Forest after the night draws. It’s been transformed since you last visited to an illuminating oasis.

At the far end of the forest, you’ll stumble upon Sherwood Court, and maybe even a lazer light show for yet another mind blow.

The Dolls recommend taking time for you and exploring something new. Music festivals may not be for everyone but you should definitely try it sometime. Find out what helps you stay free and do it often.

Until next year, Forest Family!

All images, unless otherwise noted, were taken by our fantastical photography, Josiah Thorngate. Special thanks to Josiah to coming on this journey with us (and for allowing us to glitter his beard)!