Our Story

CAMPGROUND JAM
Northeast's most intimate Music Festival
SEPTEMBER 18th-21st 2014
LANDERS ~ NARROWSBURG NY

Our Story, SPREAD the LOVE in LIFE. LOVE is worth SPREADING

Campground Jam was inspired by an unplanned gathering of what someone later labeled The Refugee Peace Train at Lander’s Campground following the temporary Postponement of The New York Harvest Festival and Freedom Fair (Harvest Fest) this past October. When a tragic death during the setup of Harvest Fest ultimately led to the festival being postponed on the very day the crowd was set to arrive, it caused many hundreds of festival-goers, many whom had traveled from downstate and out-of-state, to be displaced. With much of their crowd already in transit, Damn Sam Productions, who puts Harvest Fest on, diligently tried to move the festival to another location in less than a day. Understandably, these valiant efforts were still not enough to accomplish that monumental feat.

Through social media communication, we organized and guided others from Landers as our Safe Haven and ultimately found ourselves as part of a group of some 200+ people who we guided and directed to Lander’s Campground in Narrowsburg, New York. This was the Refugee Peace Train. Lander’s welcomed us with open arms. Aside from simple displacement, we all shared a common determination to make the most of what was otherwise a heartbreaking incident. The overall attitude was not to disregard what had happened, but to have something positive in spite of it. Surely something happened that weekend for many of us there. The atmosphere was organic, and there was a sense of intimacy and neighborly hospitality that many of us have never experienced at a festival before.

Just as when survivors of larger devastation, natural disasters for example, band together to help each other overcome a common struggle, we adopted a similar mindset. Not expecting to camp, most were unprepared. But we shared everything from food to fire to alcohol and more. Lander’s had a small stage area already, so those who were equipped played music for us. One person even did some fire dancing. Someone handed out free grilled cheese sandwiches, which was reminiscent of Wavy Gravy and his Hog Farmers at Woodstock. At Woodstock, which took place in 1969 approximately ten miles from where we were that weekend, the Hog Farmers gave out thousands of free sandwiches simply because they knew people needed it. There was a sense that weekend at Lander’s that THIS was how it was supposed to be.

Aside from the amazing vibe, this experience was a distinctive mix of actual camping and festival camping. One of the major advantages was that campfires were permitted. Aside from the logistics of keeping warm, the fire fostered a sense of camaraderie. People passed by our campsite for a bit, and many stopped for hours on end as we gathered around the fire. Among our guests were a few “OG Hippies” who’d been around for Woodstock in 1969. In exchange for our hospitality, a warm seat by the fire and a bit of booze, they shared with us hours of the kind of personal anecdotes you read in history books. They played guitar and sang songs with us. It was a firsthand connection to where it all began. But still, we could not help but think how the experience would be perfect with a main stage off in the field. How great would this be as a real festival?

The idea for Campground Jam was born out of this experience with the intention to create the Northeast’s most intimate festival. Campground Jam is based on the idea of people coming together with this common desire to bond. This experience will be based just as much on the people you meet as on the music. So often, people shy away from larger festivals because they have lost intimacy, giving way to commercialism. With the increasing popularity of festivals, prices soar, bands demand higher prices and it becomes about business. In the process, you see how this limits who can attend.

Campground Jam is a festival thrown by festival goers for festival goers, and as such we believe we should still be able to have a great time for an affordable price. For the same price you might pay to see one band for just a few hours of one night, you deserve a whole weekend full of entertainment. As the producers of Campground Jam, this festival is just as much about throwing a festival WE will enjoy as it is throwing one you will enjoy. Above all, our goal is to create something that will make an impact on you.

We are the organizers, but this is your festival. More so than any other festival, you can have a direct hand in the outcome of this. Like any festival, we need volunteers of all kinds. Feel free to reach out to us and share your input on Facebook. Speak to us. Let us know what’s important to you. Help us promote. Helping spread the word will ultimately mean a better festival for you. Even taking advantage of our early bird pricing will improve what we can do for you. But aside from that, the one thing every person can and should do, the one thing that will guarantee a great experience, is if you come with the intention to bond and spread positivity.

LOVE your FAMILY ~ LOVE your FRIENDS ~ LOVE YOURSELF
SPREAD the LOVE in LIFE

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