WHAT IS OREGON ECLIPSE FESTIVAL 2017?

The SuperBowl of festivals. Here the teams play together to put on the best show on turf. And just like the superbowl, if you are not at the actual event yourself, you can always watch it on some great social media channels. Follow the main hashtags, or create your own, enjoy and be a part of the entertainment!

Oregon Eclipse 2017 is a destination event music festival created by 11 of the world’s best festivals for 30,000 people to view a Total Solar Eclipse.

Oregon Eclipse (aka Global Eclipse Gathering aka Symbiosis Gathering) is one of the most anticipated music festivals of the year: a collaborative effort by 11 of the best international festival brands in the world, spearheaded by Symbiosis Gathering- which is in our opinion, the gold standard of music festivals in North America.

Symbiosis achieves this praise because of their uncompromised attention to detail, awe-inspiring world-class art installations, in-depth educational programming and magnificent stage productions. All the physical structures and immersive environments are designed and built from scratch by master craftsmen and fabricators. We’ve never seen any other festival hide bathrooms behind large live-painted murals, but Symbiosis does. They then package all that visual perfection with value-added programming: functional workshops, educational lectures, health knowledge, yoga, movement classes, and a constant promotion of how to better yourself and the community around you. All of which leaves you with the impression that they don’t just know how to throw a heck of a celebration, but that they can also help you change your life.

In a statement, Symbiosis claimed that the Global Eclipse Gathering will “blow Symbiosis out of the water. Not downplay the magic that we create…” they said, “but Oregon Eclipse will be far and away the best event we’ve ever produced.”

And we believe them. The event will rival only Burning Man in production value, but will offer something even more rare and special: a celestial opportunity to witness an unobstructed view of the Total Solar Eclipse in the Oregon skies for the first time in decades. A shared time and space for something magical to happen. The festival grounds will be in that thin band of Oregon where sky-gazers can see the eclipse along its narrow ‘path of totality’ for approximately 1 minute and 54 seconds. It will then continue along a 70-mile-wide band that will stretch across America – from Oregon to South Carolina on August 21st. A Total Solar Eclipse has not happened in the contiguous United States since February 26th, 1979. The next won’t come around until 2108!

In this temporary twilight, known as the ‘totality’, temperatures drop and stars become visible, while observers on either side of the totality see only a partial solar eclipse, in which the moon somewhat blocks the sun but daylight still persists. You can read our article on what is a Solar Eclipse here STAR STUFF- What is a Solar Eclipse, by Valen Lambert.

Usually occurring in California, Symbiosis Gathering 2017 decided to occur underneath this path of totality and invite the collaboration of 11 other productions: SONIC BLOOM (Colorado), Bass Coast Festival (Canada), Envision Festival (Costa Rica), Hadra Trance Festival (France) Noisily Festival of Music and Arts (UK), Festival Ometeotl (Mexico), Origin Festival (S. Africa), Rainbow Serpent Festival (Australia), Re:birth Festival (Japan), and Universo Paralello Festival (Brazil) for what is sure to be the most imaginative and memorable festival experience of your lifetime.

After scouring the West Coast for more than five years Symbiosis found Big Summit Prairie Ranch, two hours from Bend, Oregon. A location that combines a 52 acre swimmable freshwater lake, rolling hills, wooded groves and a vast grassy plain – an idyllic container for the music, art, exploration and education that has come to define the Symbiosis experience.

During solar eclipses, festivals are often held to celebrate the special occurrence. And though people often attend to simply be part of the unique event, there is also a spiritual and ritualistic side to solar eclipse festivals dating back generations- often including psychedelics. Some mythology suggests that in this event the Sun marries the Moon in a quest for unity in consciousness. In the same way, many psychonauts and festivalgoers look to become one with the universe themselves and explore its synchronicity during the equilibrium of this cosmic event. It isn’t just psychedelics that are used, though; meditation, hypnosis, trance, dance and other techniques are also used to heighten the senses and become part of the event.

Symbiosis has a history with Eclipses, having held two events in 2012: Eclipse 2012 in Australia during a total solar eclipse and Pyramid Eclipse near Reno. Kevin KoChen, cofounder of Symbiosis Gathering said, “there are some amazing things to see in the world, from works of art, to vistas on mountaintops, to underwater preserves. But nothing can prepare you for the majestic spectacle of a total solar eclipse.” And most people in attendance will travel a great distance, from over 65 different countries, to make a great commitment to share in this experience.

It is this combination of shared intention, future-shaping educational programming, world-class musical environments, jaw-dropping installation art, 50,000 acres of pristine lake-side wilderness and the singular natural phenomenon that is a solar eclipse that will make Oregon Eclipse a truly once in a lifetime event.

Music is not the only experience to be had during Oregon Eclipse but it is one of the primary driving factors. Over 300 artists will be gracing the festival’s seven thematic stages, providing a musical assortment as vast as the participating cultures from around the world. Each stage will host its own unique atmosphere and lineup, intersecting the gathering’s common thread of celestial grandeur.

These seven stages are: Eclipse, Sun, Earth, Moon, Sky, Silk Road, and Big Top. Artists chosen to perform hail from all sides of the electronic and musical spectrum – from grungy bass, to techno, to psy-trance, to rap to folk lore. There will be something for everyone to enjoy.

When it comes to Psytance, the lineup is stacked. The Sun Stage will be the home psychedelic trance and techno featuring artists like Perfect Stranger, Tristan, 1200 Mics, Ace Ventura, and Protoculture, as well as a special 24-hour experience by Goa Gil and Ariane. You can read all about Psytrance in our feature article here: ‘What is Psytrance? The History of Psychedelic Trance’.

The main stage, Eclipse, will feature all things psybass, downtempo, jamtronica, and future funk. Come get low to the ground with Bassnectar, G Jones, Opiuo, and Thriftworks; rock out with two nights of both STS9 and the String Cheese Incident; groove into the nights with Papadosio, Phutureprimitive,  Shpongle, The Glitch Mob, Beats Antique and The Polish Ambassador.

At Sparked we delve deeply into why these types of non-corporate, selectively sponsored festivals are the best in the world and why they are the true nature of music festivals. These community-generated events focus on wellbeing, personal growth and connection. True wellness comes in the form of being balanced, and these festivals cater to that. There is an entire lineup dedicated to yoga and meditation and an area of the festival dedicated to children (Kidzbiosis), with creative workshops, classes and participatory programming for the entire family.  At the Wellness Oasis you will find the study of subjects that could truly give you a key to unlocking improved health. Whether you want to know what to pack in your herbal first aid kit, how to use cannabis for pain relief and healing, how to Feng Shui your surroundings, overcome money blocks, sing kirtan, breathe freely or quickly heal from a broken relationship, you will find a treasure trove of classes to choose from.

Prior to the start of the festival on August 17th, there will be five days of course offerings meant to focus on the artistic side of things. Students at all levels of experience will benefit from a uniquely personalized approach as they develop and improve their fundamental techniques in painting, drawing and conceptualizing from the wellspring of their imaginations. Another course will teach permaculture and how to become a responsible producer in a community. Teaching will include the importance of bio architecture, how to identify the different roles of organisms in our environment, how to compost and what it takes to create a successful home garden.

Oregon Eclipse’s The Village will house the main ethos-driving elements of the gatherings wide-reaching programming, offering attendees the chance to truly engage the backbone of this first of its kind event. Attendees may explore alternative methods of food production and energy creation at the Permaculture Plaza, honor the ancestral wisdom of Earth Arts, or wander through garden scapes of Edible Art and sustainable greenhouses built for Mars. Those seeking education may find themselves at the awe-inspiring workshops by Guerilla Science, 1Nation Earth Camp, the herbalistic Village Witches, the intelligent diet design of the Nourishment Lab, or countless other introspective offerings.

Also within The Village resides The Hub & Parlor, where a cornucopia of keynote speakers will cover wide ranging, fascinating topics. Headlining presenters include co-founder of NuMundo and Cosmic Convergence, David Casey- speaking on ‘Networking the Transformational Ecosystem’; botanical teacher Brian Wallace will speak on the practice of ‘Cacao Ceremonies’, CEO and scientist Bruce Damer on ‘Humanity’s Future in Space’, social entrepreneur Gordon Fuller on ‘Vision and ‘The Age of Awareness’’, award-winning vocalist Amikaeyala Fuego, along with activist Jasmine Fuego, on ‘Arts as Activism’ and many more movement leaders on various thought provoking topics.

The Village will also provide a sanctuary for deep meditation and focused movements, which will occur in the heart of the Yoga Shala. Some of the key classes include “Deep Exhale” with former Olympic trained platform diver and yoga master Cristi Christensen, to the underground house music of producer Marques Wyatt; “Deep House Yoga” with yoga veteran Val along with house DJ Alissa.Jo, “Sex, Drugs, and Yoga” with radical yoga teacher and Cirque de Soleil coach Gypsy Bast, “Jai Maa! Flow” with activist and award-winning teacher Hannah Muse,  “Art & Science of Aligned Movement” with Align Therapy founder and Align Podcast host Aaron Alexander, along with many more of the industry’s leading, movement and yoga instructors.

For all the fashion and festival costuming needs, The World Marketplace will be brimming with treasures brought to you from a curated group of internationally acclaimed artists, crafters, and independent, ethical designers. Everything from handcrafted leatherwork to elaborately detailed clothing, jewelry, home wares and accessories will be available to tempt and transform your authentic self. Don’t miss out on adding a stand out piece to your festival wardrobe.

One last cool thing to make a note of is hot air ballooning! If you want to experience the festival from above and watch the sunrise, Big Summit Prairie Rides will be offering 45 minute scenic rides, or 6 minute tethered rides in a hot air balloon.

The cofounders of Symbiosis once said, “we look at festivals as disaster relief zones”. So keep that in mind as you embark on this adventure. Be patient, respect yourself, respect others and respect nature. Pack out all that you have packed in, and leave no trace. It’s such a beautiful thing to do, and we should do all that we can to bring beauty into the world.

We end this piece with a quote from the Oregon Eclipse official web site …“Amongst the myriad of experiences to choose from over the 7 days of the Global Eclipse Gathering, there will be doors into delight, doors into mystery and doors into ourselves. At any and every moment we will be choosing which one to walk through, and then be witness to how that choice creates memorable cascades in our lives, not only while at Oregon Eclipse, but beyond.”

Enjoy the festival!