WHAT IS IMAGINE FESTIVAL 2017?

WHAT IS IMAGINE MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL?

Imagine Festival is an electronic music festival offering not only the music and entertainment, but also enriching workshops, circus act entertainment, a splash pool, camping, community building, and Silent Disco!

Image Courtesy of Imagine Festival

Mermaids?

Electronic music?

Bodypainting, dancing, community, festival fashion shows, good vibes?

Then you need to be at Imagine Festival 2017- An Aquatic Fairytale!

This year we travelled to 18 camping music festivals all over the Americas, determined to identify the best ones out there. Not to our surprise, the independent, privately run festivals moved us the most. We could see that what they were trying to create was a bridge between mainstream culture and transformational culture, and we support that wholeheartedly. And to bring the whole tour to an end then, is Imagine Festival- An Aquatic Fairytale in Atlanta, Georgia. And with a theme called “An Aquatic Fairytale’ we simply could not turn it down, especially when we found out they would be having a fashion show over the weekend. We are coming for you mermaids, and we want to take your picture.

Courtesy of Imagine Festival

At Sparked, we want to cover the whole range of festivals out there that are worth attending, not just a particular genre of the best ones. We had this festival on our radar for a couple of years, and every time we looked at it, it gave us a ‘Tomorrowland’ vibe. Yet it’s distinct from even that; it’s a festival unlike many others: a blend of transformational festival values with what is today regarded as an EDM festival culture (where the music features drops, big bass, and dubstep). But musically, Imagine has created a blend of electronic music over six stages, each with its own distinct musical focus and vibe, such as our favorite, the Disco Inferno stage, which will play the sexy, funkier, more rhythmic side of electronic music. Not to mention their Silent Disco, going late into each morning, providing 3 channels of differing sounds to choose from.

And all this happening inside a speedway! Located on 887 acres in Hampton, Ga., 25 miles south of Atlanta, Atlanta Motor Speedway is one of the country’s top entertainment facilities, including capacity for over 100,000 per day; grass fields for the festival’s new camping options; onsite parking; over 100 RV spaces with full hookups; premium RV spaces overlooking the festival grounds and more.

Since holding its first race in 1960, Atlanta Motor Speedway has become a premier facility for multiple forms of racing in addition to a wide range of other events which have included concerts, family gatherings, business conventions and the Georgia State Fair. For most of the 1990s and 2000s, the track boasted the highest speeds on the NASCAR circuit, with a typical qualifying lap speed of about 193 mph (311 km/h). Now, world-class DJ’s will come whip the track with their own version of racing: their beats per minute. And revelers of all ages will dash from stage to stage to dance to their favorite artist.

Have YOU ever been to a festival at a motor speedway? Neither have we. But we are very excited to find out what it’s like. The Electric Daisy Carnival at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the most famous electronic music festival held at a raceway, but Imagine Festival could easily become similarly regarded: a multi-faceted, visually-eyepopping, electronic music festival held inside the perimeter of speed track. However, though EDC is extraordinary in its décor and visual presentation, it does not offer any transformational elements like Imagine does, and that tips our hat. Imagine includes elements such as health knowledge, flow art training, yoga, how to be a more grounded person, how sound can heal us (yeah that includes BASS!) and generally learning how to be a happier more balanced person. I mean heck, meditation, and deep breathing are not to be snickered at, they well-known techniques dating back eons. And if using those techniques help you get sounder sleep, make better decisions, be calmer and have less anxiety in general, is that not worth practicing them? Especially when you are looking to make new friends and feel more at ease in large crowds at festivals. If festivals are just purely for entertainment, then you are missing out! Go to the ones that improve your life, and have just as much fun, like this one.

Courtesy of Imagine Festival

We understand festivals need to draw the younger audience, and EDM certainly does that. But frankly, if a festival doesn’t have a young audience, we would not trust it. The youth in our world are the ones that can mark a festival with a ‘truth’ stamp. They may not always understand the nuts and bolts of how a festival is put together, but they can certainly feel and connect to its spirit in ways most of can only strive to match. So give them knowledge as well! And ask their opinion, they are the best focus group out there. Last year, after the festival, the Iris Presents team issued a survey asking for suggestions and comments on how to improve the festival for the following year. Based on the response, they issued this graphic over social media.

At Sparked Magazine, we champion the worth of the ‘transformational music festival’: that being one which does not just entertain you, but one that offers the intangibles that change your life. We also champion festivals that care enough to ask you what they could do better. And Imagine Festival surely proves it cares. Yes, they are creating entertainment, but they are adding value, and THAT is what matters. The evolution of raving culture depends on it.

In future articles, we will go in-depth to explain the differences between the festivals on offer out there, from the purely commercial festivals to transformational festivals to EDM festivals, so that you are better able to distinguish between them. And where exactly Rave Culture fits into all that. For now, imagine a transformational festival as a well-rounded experience of learning from workshops and speakers, with soundtracks of music ranging in styles and genres both live and electronic, and with the exploration of ideas and insights into a better way to live through eating organic/quality food, caring for your environment, caring where things come from, eschewing that which is processed, and the discovery of your body through movement, dance and yoga.

In its 4^th year, Imagine offers us an amazing 4-day event for thousands of like-minded individuals looking for a weekend of dancing, connections, adventure, and self-discovery. We believe festivals are an amazing place for bonding and growth and Imagine certainly provides the grounds for all of those experiences.

Be dazzled by a visual spectacle of cirque acts and performances. Featuring The Sky Wheel, Sky Cycle, German Wheel, Aerial Acts, Sway High, Lollipop Lira, Water Acrobats, atmosphere performers and many more acts and aquatic characters that will stun our guests. And if all that inspires you to learn flow arts, don’t hold back this weekend because they have all sorts of training including a Beginners Hoola Hoop workshop, Slacklining, contact Fire Sword, How to play with your Balls, and more. Speaking of fire and fire play, if you want to see an example of ‘grinding’, where performers look like they are buffing their costumes as sparks fly in all directions, then don’t miss the highly visually entertaining show by The ILLuminautians!

Pause to reflect in a hammock or find your balance at a yoga class, there will be no shortage of rest and recovery areas helping to energize you for the next dancefloor appearance. Including a Splash Pool where you can cool off and check out the mermaids. Feeling sporty? Play Festival Football by SkyPitch while enjoying the music, and connecting with people you didn’t know before.

Courtesy of Imagine Festival

Local artists will have their booths setup left, right, and center across the festival grounds where you can absorb their craft and take a respite from the sun under shaded tenting. Mobile art installations and exhibits will further create visual pleasure all weekend long. Including ones by Mastro of Pineapple Paint, a bodyart festival production art installation collective. They party and paint!

Check out all the amazing transformational workshops in the Imaginarium at Imagine Music Festival. Learn Aerial Yoga, Acro Yoga, Permaculture, Aerial Arts, Flow Arts, Mastery of Life, Meditation, Yoga, Sacred Geometry, Consciousness, Mindfulness, Art, and much more. Workshops are free but limited spaces are available so sign up TODAY!!! Our recommendations include:

Poseidons Pavilion: ‘Psychedelics & Consciousness’, ‘Mastery of Life’, and ‘Mindfulness Meditation’

Temple of Soul: ‘The Art of Conscious Business’, ‘Music is Magic’, and ‘Connection & Compassion’

Neptunes Dome: ‘
A fashion show will break out over the weekend as well! The concept behind the event is that the models are not your average hired runway models, but festive people who “model” the ideals behind the event. The Festival Fashion Show inspires people to model festival ideals by beautifying people who live festive (Humanitarian, Artistic, Technological, & Spiritual) lives, as opposed to professional runway models.

Courtesy of Imagine Festival

From the organizers: “The ideals of the festival are only as powerful as their application outside of the event. At festivals, we profess Peace, Love, Unity, Respect, and Responsibility,(P.L.U.R.) but it is so easy to fall into destructive habits after leaving the event. Our models are the people who “model” festival ideals throughout their entire lives, who apply themselves and their powers for the greater good. They are not professionals and they never will be. They are doctors, teachers, mothers and artists who are looked up to as heroes for doing their best to make their community better. It is our intent to present clothing that will represent the models’ power to an audience so desperately craving empowerment. It is our intent that our audience feels empowered to co-create the greater good when they wear our designers”

Fashion beyond the clothing

Having an eye for style and a feel for clothing is integral to creating the outrageous characters that call the festival world home, but festivals can be about so much more than looking good. The inclusive community is what makes us come back again and again, so our show is predicated on highlighting attendees that are just as beautiful off the runway as they are on.

Beyond that, our mission is simple: make sure our guests have the time of their lives. With incredible music, our “mood enhancers” moving through the crowds, and mind-bending fashion; our guests will feel like they’re walking the stage themselves… and maybe we’ll even encourage them to!

Celebrity For A Day  

Self-expression is what the festival world is all about; and the more outrageous the better. The incredible models we carefully select will be supplied with amazing outfits and professional hair & make-up. 

We’re lucky to get to select such incredible people (and put them on stage!). After walking the runway, our models dance through the crowd as their true characters and show off their vibrant colors with the help of outrageous fashion.

Festival clothing is already redefining the fashion industry as we know it, so we’ve designed a fashion show experience that anyone can partake in!

Festival Culture is Festival Fashion 

Fashion & festivals go together like PB & J; helping the most outrageous of characters express themselves on a whole new level. While having an eye for style and a feel for clothing is integral to creating the mesmerizing characters that call the festival world home, we want to encourage attendees to take this beautiful self-expression into their day to day lives.

After all, the inclusive community is what makes us come back again and again, so our show is designed to turn you into rockstars for a day by choosing those that are living festival ideals outside of the event. 

Go say hi to Katya, owner of Plur Fest, she will have her boutique beside the main stage. She has dedicated her clothing and merchandise for Electronic Dance Music and Music Festivals. Find that unique piece to unveil on the Imagine dancefloor.

Exhale is a wellbeing destination — through a balanced combination of results-oriented spa therapies (massages, facials, acupuncture, nails, waxing) and high-quality fitness classes (barre, cardio, yoga, HIIT), exhale provides the answer to a stronger, healthier, better version of you. They offer a full suite of award-winning boutique fitness classes carefully selected to help you lengthen, strengthen, balance, sweat, recover — and get results. It’s more than a spa or fitness club — it’s wellbeing, healing, and fitness for life. Join Exhale in the Imagine Campgrounds for Yoga Sessions with DJ Ree De Lavega.

Imagine creates an all-encompassing, 360-degree sensory experience that blends music, circus troupes, performers, dancers, art, workshops, classes and more. Happiness and excitement know no bounds when surrounded by acceptance, world-class electronic music and a synergized festival environment. And Imagine meets that bill.

To get the latest information about Euphoria Festival, visit http://www.imaginefestival.com/,  and stay connected to their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

WHAT IS PERMACULTURE? From the Austin Permaculture Guild website …

“It’s a way of thinking that you can use to make major improvements in your quality of life: your home, your community, your work situation, and other areas of your life. It offers human beings a way to get our needs met without trashing the planet or harming other people (or other species).

Many people first hear of permaculture in a gardening or farming context. But the terrain of permaculture extends far and wide, to include all other areas of human activity as well. Transportation, energy, building, manufacturing, business and finance, social organizations — you name it.

Permaculture is a set of design principles for anyone to use. These design principles are based on how nature operates. Nature has a highly efficient and flexible way of getting things done. By imitating nature’s approach and applying it to the design of human stuff (homes, buildings, products, organizations, landscapes, and so on), we can make things much better, AND quit wrecking the planet that we depend on for life. And we don’t have to sacrifice the economy to do it! Though this may sound like some utopian fantasy, too good to be true, it’s actually very realistic and practical. And you can participate!”

Design that works against nature is all around us: in our homes, in our workplaces, in our communities. It wastes a lot of time, energy, and money. It’s costing the planet, and it’s costing us personally. And it turns out that we, everyday people, are the ones in the best position to fix things.