The 8 People You Meet In The Forest
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The 8 People You Meet In The Forest

Now that Electric Forest 2017 has come to an end, lets recap on the most memorable people.

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The 8 People You Meet In The Forest
Matt Urban

As weekend two of Electric Forest 2017 comes to an end, all of the Forest Goers are left in a state of euphoric hangover. We are stuck wondering what it would be like if we were still at the Forest, wildly dancing with thirty to forty thousand strangers, spending time in communion with people who--for no reason at all--truly and honestly care about your life and wellbeing. But mostly, we are replaying all the conversations we had, all the exchanges of compliments and high-fives and "Happy Forest!," every show we saw and all the people we bounced into on accident because the crowds were so tight and we were having so much fun that we just didn't notice that they were there.

In the Forest, you meet so many people, too many to possibly fit in seven or eight cookie cutter archetypes. However, amidst the array of beauty and individuality that the Forest highlights in each person, there are always a few kinds of people that always show up in everyone's memories of the weekend.


1. Hula Hoopers

The community of performance Hula Hoopers is as vast as they are talented. Among this community are performers that come readied with hula hoops that light up with different colors and in different designs. Despite their tight-knit community, they are approachable, caring, and always looking out for others. Many people remember the hula hoopers towards the back of the crowds, hooping away, putting on performances just as mesmerizing as the artists playing.

2. Hammockers

Electric Forest isn't just a cute name for an EDM Festival. The trees that take up most of the event spaces provide perfect space to create a sea of hammocks and their owners. Whether the hammock serves as a home base for a group of friends, or is the mid-experience napping place for a single Forest Goer, every turn you make you're going to run into a hammock. Hammockers are a special community of Forest Goers that want you to make sure you're pacing yourself. The Forest is a place to enjoy every second, and sometimes that means taking a nap or laying down for a quick rest--this community is one that will make sure you do just that.

3. Butterfly Queens

A popular theme amongst the Forest Goers is to dress up (or down) in extreme ways. That means wearing spectacular costumes to look like superheroes or creatures from nature or it means wearing as little clothes as possible (for some at the first weekend, this meant a fanny pack and an elephant thong). Among the creatures you'll find throughout the weekend, the Butterfly Queens are some you'll always find. In some cultures, it is believed that butterflies are the reincarnations of our ancestors. Whether you're getting to spend time with the queens at the Nest during the real Butterfly Release on Sunday or you're just watching them flutter by with their shimmering wings the Butterfly Queens are a staple of what it means to experience the mystical attitude of the Forest.

4. Bluegrass BassHeads

Electric Forest brings a whole lot of people out of all the different crevices of North America. And of course, it is a music festival so many musically inclined folks tend to bring their instruments into the forest with them. A large population of these folks tend to also be a slew of folk/bluegrass/rock musicians: thus, the Bluegrass BassHead. These folks are always trying to bring a smile to your face, bouncing around the paths, playing their banjos and acoustic guitars wildly, and singing as loud as they can. There is never a dull moment in the Forest and these folks make sure that there is always music playing too.

5. The Rosies

Now, The Rosies are a special group of women. This community lives in The Hangar stage at the back of the Forest, and is the only community of people paid by the Electric Forest organizers that you need/want to spend ample time with. The Rosies offer people free car buffers, temporary tattoo application anywhere on your body, and an array of twenty-five cent candies and a great bar of cocktails. But besides what they're paid to do, the Rosies are also Forest Goers and once they are off shift they want just as badly to be front and center at Sherwood Court to see Jai Wolf.

6. Newly Weds

While I'm not the biggest fan of marriage as a monogamous construct, the slew of proposals and marriage ceremonies that happened during the weekend definitely made my heart grow at least three sizes. While everyone else dreams of the perfect beach wedding, BassHeads and EDM fans are dreaming of the perfect Electric Forest Wedding. Processional through the main forest path, into Reincarnation Village, with the Vows being said in the Nest. The Reception held at the Observatory and the afterparty at the Forest stage in the sea of Hammocks and Hula Hoopers.

To those who haven't been, it probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but trust me, it's a dream we all have.

7. Your Best Friends

The Forest has a way of bringing out the most authentic version of ourselves. The side that is so honest and true that you don't show anyone. And when everyone is experiencing that at once, no matter who you came to the Forest with, you'll always leave as the best of friends.


8. Cops doing their job


Lastly, the police officers and security. For a festival that is focused on people being able to live their best life and have some fun, cops and security seem like the last people you'd want to run into. But here's the thing, when police officers are strictly doing what their job entails (intervene should violence break out or should someone need medical attention) then they aren't so bad. It's not that the police officers and security "don't care" that you're breaking rules of the Forest or federal/state laws. It's just that they aren't being paid to intervene in everyone having a good time. If your life or someone else's life isn't at stake, why ruin a good time?

The Forest is a benevolent place, where you are welcomed and encouraged to find your inner peace. Not a single person wants anything but happiness for every other festival goer. While not everyone fits into one of these seven categories, when you go you'll definitely meet all seven of these people.

Electric Forest 2018 is a year from now. If you weren't able to go this year, now is the time to save money for your ticket to next year. And to all my Forest Goers that have been before or went this year, I hope you had the time of your life. Remember, you are limitless.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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