Summer Camp
Chillicothe, IL
May 22 - 24
Amongst the many festivals happening on Memorial Day Weekend this year, there is just one that is going above and beyond the typical festival norm. Summer Camp, now in its fifteenth year, is now boasting 20,000 attendees, 100+ bands, 7 stages and 4 days of endless fun. Headliners include an array of music, spreading across genres from jam-bands such as moe., Widespread Panic, STS9, Twiddle, and Umphrey’s McGee to oldies favorites the Steve Miller Band and Violent Femmes, to huge names in electronic music such as Big Gigantic, Claude VonStroke, GRiZ and many more. Summer Camp has totally nailed the lineup this year, bringing unique acts to their stages rather than focus on targeting a specific type of music lover.
However, their sheer numbers aren’t what’s the most impressive - its their dedication to ‘making a difference’. SCamp’s ‘Make A Difference’ campaign is an all-encompassing attempt to promote good-heartedness, worldly awareness, and a collective consciousness through workshops, environmental preservation, and spreading that good love. In fact, Summer Camp has created a nifty little list explaining just how to make a big difference in a small way.
10. Check out a nonprofit and learn something new
9. Recycle and compost your waste properly
8. Bring a reusable water bottle
7. Participate in the MAKE A DIFFERENCE RAFFLE
6. Participate in the Treasure Hunt
5. Clean up your cigarette buts, or someone else’s
4. Clean up any trash you see lying around the beautiful grounds
3. Participate in a Drive to Make a Difference
2. Join in on a recycled or environmental art project
1. Spread the word to Make a Difference!
Festival-goers can head to the Soulshine Tent for a list of incredible workshops thrown by the ‘Make A Difference’ campaign. Workshops in the past included topics such as hooping, yoga, permaculture, glass blowing, art, and more - all you have to do is use your imagination. All these activities are 100% hands-on, inclusive, and inspiring. The Soulshine schedule for SCamp 2015 has yet to be released, but Bass Feeds the Soul has no doubt that these workshops will be note-worthy.
As the Summer Camp Music Festival scene grows, the hard-working people who put the festival on are striving to stay true to their roots as a community-based fest. It is impossible to attend this festival and feel excluded, put-out, weird, or even unsure. Summer Camp’s message brings out the best in people from all walks of life, from farm country to city-livin’. For these reasons and a plethora of more, SCamp should definitely be your destination for Memorial Day Weekend 2015.
Written By: Jaelyn Kohl