I never thought I’d ever go to a music festival. The thought of going to something like Coachella in California or Summer Jam in New York City was a very vivid dream of good being surrounded by nothing but great music. It was something I wanted to do once I heard of festivals like Woodstock. That dream came true last weekend when I visited GrassRoots.

Located on Trumansburg Fairgrounds in Trumansburg, NY, Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance is a 4-day music festival that happens every year in late July. The festival features an assortment of genres ranging from alternative to reggae and offers a selection of shops, food stands and exhibits. It keeps you busy and it was good because I had no service which meant no contact to the world outside of GrassRoots and no Pokémon Go.

There were acts such as Sophistafunk, The Sim Redmond Band, Giant Panda and countless more. The exposure to different genres of music was refreshing and a learning experience. Being surrounded by it all was even better because no matter where we were, we could hear music. The camping grounds were close enough to listen to the stages closer to the boundaries. There was never a dull moment.

From the very first moment the tires of our cars hit the fairgrounds, the good vibes were rolling. Everyone walking to and from campsites and the entrance into the festival with smiles on their faces. There was energy radiating from everyone.

The group I was in made the entire experience even better. All thanks to one of our good friends, Noah Richelson, who rallied a bunch of Otterbein kids to his favorite place in the world and have this experience with him and his family.

Our group became more than just a group over the 4-day period. We acted as a family and it soon became true–– we are a family. Camping together was something that brought as all together because were always together, especially in the crowd of many shows. That was the other thing–– the music.

Being surrounded around the music from the festival and our own playlists brought us even closer. Since it’s something that we could all relate to, it only made sense that it would create a bond between us all and I am very happy to be a part of such another great supportive group that I can call my family.

The experiences that I gained from visiting GrassRoots are some of the best I’ve ever had in my life and I will always think back to them. It’ll be relived through the music we listened to that weekend, on repeat, for however long we want.

From my new family to you, Happy GrassRoots!