Woogie Recap
When there’s a new kid on the block there are various amounts of lingering questions that are wondered about. Who are they? What do they stand for? Where did they come from? In the music festival world there are the big names, the top dogs that draw hundred of thousands of people from all over the world and then there are festivals like Woogie Weekend drawing around 5,000 people for three days which truly challenge the idea that good things come in small packages. Woogie weekend was inspired by the infamous Woogie stage featured at the Lighting In a Bottle festival. Fans adored the stage so much that the Do LaB decided to give the people what they wanted, which was a full weekend of all things Woogie.
Woogie Weekend in itself was small and simple compared to the other music festivals I have attended most recently - Coachella. There were two stages - the Beat Nest and the Hive - that were approximately a five-minute walk from each other, various clothing/jewelry vendors, food/drink vendors to choose from, and yoga to participate in the morning. My first day there was Friday and I was passionately curious about what Woogie had to offer. I had heard nothing but good things about Lightning in a Bottle so I was eager to jump into all things Woogie.
What I first noticed when experiencing Woogie Weekend was that it was for the people. Woogie catered to the festival goers by offering restorative morning yoga after a long night of dancing, a slip n slide to cool down with when it was too hot to bear, live art to watch, organic (and the most delicious) food vendors to choose from, and helpful hands whenever someone needed it. The lineup also featured artists who were there to help the people get their groove on and who also were not shy to share their smiles and enthusiasm while playing a set which was not only comforting to watch from the crowd but also unique to see.
The thing that stuck out the most to me however was the people I encountered that weekend. Not only was everyone accepting of the person next to them but also everyone was being himself or herself. From funky dance moves to singing on the top of their lungs everyone embraced their inner Woogie. But what so beautifully supported this movement was the absence of judgment or question from others. I noticed that it did not particularly matter what someone was wearing or how they were dancing, or that the rain took over a part of the weekend, all that mattered was that you had a good time and that you had a smile on your face. I watched as numerous strangers danced, laughed, and inspired each other. It was freeing in itself to watch the love takeover.
The Do LaB did a wonderful job with bringing Woogie Weekend to life. They understood the concept of bringing people together in a healthy and adventurous way. They truly grasped how to create a pure and genuine festival where not only love and acceptance for others was supported but also radiation for self-expression was encouraged. It is safe to say that good things do indeed come in small packages.
Sophia Mitsos, Intern