It was time for the 50th annual National Rainbow Gathering, this time taking place in northern Colorado in a national forest. To get there, you had to leave a paved road, take a dirt road for about an hour and a half, park your vehicle and walk the rest of the way. The Gathering is a week long event scheduled during the first week of July. This blog is going to be a little different from my usual ones; it is particularly geared toward those who might be curious about what a Rainbow Gathering is like.
What is a Rainbow Gathering? It’s a little community created deep in the woods–essentially a bunch of hippies getting together in nature for a week, with the purpose of spreading peace and love. The Rainbow Family Of Living Light work together to make this event happen, with no one person in charge. It’s a free event with an open invitation to all peaceful beings.
As you walk into the gathering you hear a cheerful “welcome home!” from almost everyone you pass. You also hear echos of “loving you”. People you’ve never met call you family. It’s almost impossible to feel like you don’t belong because everyone is so warmly received.
At this Rainbow Gathering, the walking trail off the dirt road into the woods was a 3 mile loop. Along the loop there was a front gate and back gate, 1½ miles apart, along with many side-branching trails. To say the least, there was A LOT of walking. In the center of it all was the “main meadow” where “circle," or the main gathering was held every evening.
Most people camp out in tents in the woods, often making a few different trips with multiple items stacked high in their hands. It’s often easy to find a friend, and everyone is your friend, to help you carry gear.
What does everyone do for food? All the food at a gathering is provided by fellow gatherers or donations. Multiple kitchens are located throughout the woods, with each kitchen fully run by volunteers. Whoever runs the kitchen normally shows up early to build it. Mud is used to make ovens, and dead trees to make counters and whatever else they may need.
Each kitchen is normally making food all day, every day. Coffee, pancakes, danishes and pastries, pizzas, pork roasts, chili and many other random items are made for any hungry passerby. Each kitchen has its own name and theme. We camped by Casual Encounters, which was a chill little place to hang out, and I was thrilled when I found out it happened to be a gluten free kitchen! I did a little volunteering in that kitchen. Near us was another kitchen called The Library, which as it sounds, had shelves full of different books. The Library was a popular hang-out favorite for many. Other kitchens were named Bare Necessities, Granola Funk and Fat Kids Kitchen.
There was also clean drinking water provided. I don’t know the full details of how it was done, but there was temporary PVC piping laid out that brought water throughout the entire event from surrounding springs.
If you didn’t feel like going around to the kitchens to find food, then there was food served at Main Circle every night. Main Circle started right before sunset. A conch shell horn was blown to signify the start, and when a lot of people showed up, everyone yelled “circle” in unison. A few thousand people normally showed up every evening. Multiple kitchens would bring giant pots of food they had made. Each individual had to bring their own “bliss,” which is what they called dish-ware. Someone from each kitchen then walked around serving. There were so many people that we would each get quite a small portion, but with so many kitchens, there were multiple foods, and by the end you were left full every time. It was also a great time to meet people and find friends. There was absolutely no cell phone service so if you became separated from a friend, good luck finding them.
There was always a trade circle going. Whoever wished to, could set up a blanket covered in whatever they were willing to trade. There were instruments, crystals, pins, and practically anything you can imagine.
Although The Gathering lasted a week, the main event was on the 4th of July. The morning began quietly with no talking as people reflected on, or prayed for, world peace. Even with the ten thousand estimated people there, the woods were silent.
At hippie-noon, which is everyone trying their best for noon but often running late, the crowd silently met at Main Meadow. People joined hands in a giant circle, which was surrounded by other, larger circles because there were so many people. The silence was broken by a parade led by the children. Once they arrived, everyone began chanting “om" in unison.
The “om" continued for a while as people started dancing and twirling about. Those who didn’t want to dance stood with their hands raised to the sky. Eventually the chanting turned into music as people began to play guitars and drums.
Except for that silent morning, there were always drum circles going on during the gathering. You could hear them through the woods at all hours. There was also a stage constructed where talent shows took place, entertainers performed, and musicians played. Whether you preferred to keep busy or just to hang out and relax, there was something for everyone.
One thing I get asked a lot is “where do people go to the bathroom?” The answer isn’t pretty, but I’ll share. Number one, there’s always the woods– you need to pee, go pop a squat. For number two, trenches are dug. There are multiple “shitters” placed throughout the gathering. They are holes dug six feet deep. You straddle them and squat. They had toilet paper in a coffee can beside the hole, hand sanitizer, and a bucket of ash to dump over your dump. It seems like it would stink, but the ash contained the smell. The trees provided some privacy, but there was always a chance someone could walk up on you. There isn’t much privacy at Rainbow.
Cleanup at the end of Rainbow is one of the most important parts. Each individual is expected to clean up their own camping space. As people start to leave, there are multiple others who stay behind as a cleaning crew. Each kitchen is taken apart, the wood is burned, and everything carried in is carried back out. They go through and bury every shitter and reforest the area. Fire pits are also buried, any left-behind trash is taken out, bridges made of sticks and mud are taken apart, the stage is deconstructed, and previously raked up leaves are spread back out. Everyone does their best to make it seem like we were never there.
And just like that, The National Rainbow Gathering ends. People leave, carrying love in their hearts, which is then spread to the rest of the world. And throughout the year, in different parts of the country, smaller, regional gatherings are held to keep the momentum of spreading peace and keeping love alive
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