July Festivals
Dates: July 9-14
Location: Wisteria Campground, near Athens Ohio
Cost: 245 as I write this, probably more at the gate. Weekend passes also available, at both full adult and student prices. (Aren’t we all students in some way?)
Names: Byron Ballard, TOM SWISS, Rev. Ivan Stang, Ginger Doss, Ian Corrigan, Taliesin Govannon
If there was ever a place where I felt like “I’d made it” in the Pagan world for the first time it was at Starwood. Two quite magickal events stick out for me in my life. The first was when Ian Corrigan invited my wife Ari and I back to his campsite for a drink. I don’t know what I had, but I know Ari had a Guinness. My favorite part of Starwood for many years was always the “devival” led by the Church of the Sub-Genius’s Ivan Stang, and he’d often open up his bit by riffing on the program book and lightly poking fun at the presenters and workshops listed within. When Ivan made fun of me, that was the second time I felt whatever “it” is.
So yeah, I have this love for Starwood that I don’t have for a lot of other festivals, even though they’ve never said “hey Jason we’ll fly you out to speak at our festival like you used to do when you lived closer.” Does that sting a little bit? Yes, but just a little bit, and sometimes a sting or a spank can be a good thing.
Led Zeppelin Song: One thing I love about Starwood is how otherworldly it is. Unlike a lot of the other Pagan festivals on this list, Starwood is only nominally a Pagan festival. It was originally a festival Pagans went to, not necessarily a festival by Pagans for Pagans. Anyways, I remember my first year there and this guy who was camping near us chatting with me near our tents and he said something like “I’m here for the workshops about channeling aliens” and I went “Well then, OH!, cool” and I meant it. I love the workshops that make everything feel like it’s the late 60’s or early 70’s again. This is a long way of saying RAMBLE ON stirs those feelings too, especially with the Tolkien references.
WITCHSFEST USA
Dates: July 13-14
Cost: Mostly free this year by the look of things.
Location: Broadway & Lafayette Streets, Manhattan, New York City
Names: LILITH DORSEY, COURTNEY WEBER, Don Lewis, Kenya Coviak, Starr Ravenhawk
If you scroll down to the next event you’ll see that Lilith Dorsey is also scheduled for Mystic South. I’ve always known that Lilith was quite the accomplished person, but apparently she’s going to get up in the morning and speak at WitchsFest and then get on a plane to Atlanta, or perhaps she’ll teleport. I don’t know, but I’m tired thinking about it.
This festival doesn’t quite meet my criteria, but New York City isn’t normal. Due to NYC’s size and influence this event sneaks onto my list! Is New York the greatest city in the world? I’ve never thought so, but it is one of the world’s great cities, I’ll give it that. (I really like my Bay Area, and London, I love London.)
Led Zeppelin Song: I’m going to give this two day street fair event a WHOLE LOTTA LOVE, a song Zeppelin loved playing live, just like they loved New York. It was one of their favorite stops on every tour and where The Song Remains the Same (movie/soundtrack) was recorded in 1973, at Madison Square Garden of course.
MYSTIC SOUTH
Dates: July 19-21
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Cost: 100 bucks in advance, day passes available
Names: JASON MANKEY, LILITH DORSEY, JOHN BECKETT, ANNWYN AVALON, SONJA SADOVSKY, THORN MOONEY, CYNDI BRANNEN, HERON MICHELLE, Amy Blackthorn, Ivo Dominguez, Patti Wigington, Sangoma Oludoye, and oh yeah, Byron Ballard.
Let’s just call this festival what it really is, Mystic Patheos Pagan 2019! That’s not really true, look at all the awesome people there who don’t write here, but there are a lot of us going to this thing. And what’s crazy is that people from Brooklyn, California, Texas, Washington, Florida, North Carolina, and Canada are all converging in Atlanta Georgia! That speaks volumes about this festival, or perhaps it means that none of us like tent camping and are happy to be at a conference with beds. You can choose for yourself what you think it means.
My wife is even going to this festival with me, and she doesn’t get to a lot of stuff, but she and I had a really good time here in 2017. Part of it is because I was raised in the South (see May festivals) and I will travel several thousand miles to get a proper sweet tea. I’ve never understood people drinking their tea without sugar.
Led Zeppelin Song: Rolling Stone magazine called DANCING DAYS filler while reviewing 1973’s Houses of the Holy, but Rolling Stone never knew what to write about Led Zeppelin. Dancing Days is a perfect summer song, and this will be a perfect little summer getaway, especially since it’s inside, which is sort of a must for Atlanta in July.
SIRIUS RISING
Dates: July 22-28
Cost: 230 dollars for the week, and then sliding scale by day.
Location: Brushwood Folklore Center, Sherman New York
Names: JASON MANKEY, LILITH DORSEY, Diana Paxson, The Mickeys, Brian Henke, Dragon Ritual Drummers.
This is the 25th Anniversary of Sirius Rising, a festival that I’ve been going to since 2003. I went eight years in a row when I lived in Michigan, and have been back twice in the last seven years since moving to California, and I’m really excited about returning in 2019. Brushwood is one of my absolute favorite places on earth, and when I was younger I had dreams of spending entire summers there. I just assumed as a Pagan author I’d be able to afford such luxuries. Boy was I wrong! As a Pagan author I’m lucky when I can afford a sandwich. It’s just not that lucrative of a career. Still, there’s something to be said for doing what you love!
The week before Sirius Rising is the SanKofa festival, and if I weren’t at Mystic South first I’d be at SanKofa. I like festivals that have another smaller festival in front of them. It’s like a build-up sort of thing, and you can feel the energy and the intensity increase as each day passes.
When I lived in Michigan I used to get to Sirius Rising several days before most of my friends (and my wife) and one year a friend and I were camping on a big field mostly by ourselves. In anticipation of our friends showing up we had rented a giant canopy for shade and socializing that was about the size of a small circus tent. He and I would sit under that thing by ourselves drinking cider and reading most mornings and it was so much fun. People thought we were really odd for having this giant pavilion for just two people, and someone literally asked me if my propane grill was a weather controlling device too, so yeah Sirius Rising is always an adventure.
(Also, this could be the Summer of Mankey, but July is the month of Lilith Dorsey. She’s doing three events back to back to back, and two of them are on the same day!)
Led Zeppelin Song: Speaking of adventures, no song captures the spirit of adventure better than OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY. Hills is a rousing mix of acoustic and electric guitar along with a lyrics that all sound like riddles (Many times I’ve wondered how much there is to know . . . .) Gods I can’t wait to go back to Brushwood.
EIGHT WINDS
Dates: July 18-21
Location: Lagunitas, CA, Samuel P. Taylor State Park
NAMES: PHOENIX LEFAE, GWION RAVEN
Eight Winds is nominally an ADF Druid festival but they always bring in Witches to talk, so that makes it a more universal sort of Pagan event. I went to Eight Winds last year in this location and it was really great. There were cabins for people who don’t like tent camping, flushable toilets, and hot showers. It was about all I want at a festival. Also, the woods out near Lagunitas are so beautiful. It just sort of made me feel Pagan in a way I don’t usually feel these days since I spend so much of my days sitting in front of my computer.
Also, Phoenix and Gwion are going to be there! I love Phoenix and Gwion! Both of them have Amazon books coming out next year too, and I know from reading Phoenix’s that it’s really freaking great. So yeah, if you get a chance to listen to her talk you totally should. I love Gwion and he’s fine and all, but Phoenix is where it’s at. The Bay Area desperately needs more festivals and gatherings, and this is a great one. If you are near by give it a chance.
Led Zeppelin Song: I like to tease my Druid friends but they really have ALL MY LOVE. Interestingly enough, All My Love is one of two Led Zeppelin tracks without a writing credit by Jimmy Page. This song also has the word “wind” in it (“to chase a feather in the wind”) like the festival!
MOON MEET
Dates: July 19-21
Location: Forest Home, Healdsburg, CA
Cost: 100 to 120 dollars depending on when you visit, includes five meals
Names: Mark Green
This was in August last year, and has now been pushed up an entire month. This is not your typical festival since it primarily caters to Atheo-Pagans but they welcome anyone so it makes the list. I’ve always wondered if I went to this as a Theistic Pagan would people there observe me as some sort of a curiosity.
“Why are you pouring that wine on the ground.”
“Offering to Dionysus.”
“Seems like a waste.”
I doubt that would happen since most Atheo-Pagans are really nice when I talk to them face to face. I do think we speak past each other in the blogosphere with some frequency, but up close and personal things seem better.
Led Zeppelin Song: I always feel like I’m never alone as a deity worshipper, but let’s say I didn’t believe in deity and was sitting alone at a coffee shop, well then I’d be having TEA FOR ONE. See what I did there?
PAN PAGAN FESTIVAL
Dates: July 24-28
Location: Rising Sun Family Campground; Monterey, Indiana
Cost: 80 to 100 dollars depending on when you register, day passes
Names: Bell Book and Canto, Ginger Ackley
This was in August last year, which means they’ve moved the festival up an entire month, or a week if you want to be less dramatic. Doesn’t “Rising Sun” make a great name for a campground? Imagine this conversation:
Friend: “Where are you going this week?”
Buddy: “I’m off to the Rising Sun . . .”
It’s just lovely and poetic. If you keep your Pagan events private, this works even better! So pretty awesome. I may be a bit loopy from sitting here for six hours working on this list.
Led Zeppelin Song: I’m going to pick a Zeppelin song most Zeppelin fans don’t even know exists, SUNSHINE WOMAN, in honor of the campground of course. This was broadcast live in 1969 and later showed up on the band’s BBC Sessions two disc set, and only the recently re-released version. John Paul Jones’s electric piano really shines here even if the track isn’t of the best quality.
LAURELIN’S LUGHNASADH
Dates: July 31-August 1
Location: Bethel, Vermont
Cost: 100 dollars for all five days (less if you register early), sliding scale for less days, meal plans available
Names: Bernie Sanders?
I have never been to Vermont, but it’s always sounded like a nice place to visit in the Summer or the Fall (less so in the Winter). I know absolutely nothing about this festival other than it looks like a great way to get outside for five days and enjoy some nice company and some nature. And really that’s enough.
I also like that there’s a festival with Lughnasadh right in it’s name. I’ve always felt like Lughnasadh was the ugly-duckling of sabbats and it should be this much bigger thing.
Led Zeppelin Song: HEY HEY WHAT CAN I DO, which was the B-side to the Immigrant Song back in 1970. Why Zep thought this lovely acoustic romp was a throw away track baffles me. It’s a really fun song and just has this gentle laid back vibe I can imagine existing in Vermont.
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