Basic HTML Version
47
thePeorian.com
T
hroughout the years I’ve
seen Summer Camp grow
from a few hundred in the
crowds to thousands. No matter
the number in attendance, there
always seems to be a common
theme. A congregation of the
masses all for one purpose:
Having fun.
Summer Camp is consistently a
physical struggle. From random
gatherings in the parking lot, to
the moment when you’re at the
show with your best friends, to
when you’re giving your last
hugs and waving goodbye to
them. Hauling the gear takes
about an hour or three depend-
ing on your camping needs. The
seasoned campers either pack
light or have a wheeled cart of
some kind. About half the carts
seem to be homemade with bike
tires, pvc piping and string
carefully balancing a piece of ply-
wood. The first walk in is always
entertaining. After the bag checks
a band is usually there greeting
campers, for me it was the local
band Easy Riders. If you plan on
camping out in the field be sure
to look for the tractors hauling
wagons. They’ll take a load off,
and you can high five people as
you go. You must plan on being
there early to find a good spot
in the woods. They fill up fast. I
knew I was taking two trips from
the car to the campsite so I took
just my tent and essentials for the
first load and I walked it. After
passing one of the general stores
and the Campfire Stage you get a
good look and smell of the food
you’ll be eating at some point of
the weekend. The best sights are
people’s attire. Everyone gets out
their best stuff for these festivals.
Humorous t-shirts of political
nature and/or cartoon characters
of the past. Body paint. Every
version of tie-dye. Hair strings
and feathers. Cool hats. Angel
and fairy wings. Impressive
facial hair. Sunglasses with fake,
hanging mustaches attached. And
the list goes on (however the best
stuff is worn at the shows). I saw
a sign at a show the day after that
sums up the feeling I got walk-
ing in. The sign was two sided:
“scamp 2012” and “Welcome
Home”.
It’s almost ceremony to crack a
beer from the general store once
we reach our campsite. Whenever
I’ve camped at Summer Camp
I’ve been in the field. This year
was no different. I’ve seen it
grow from a few dozen groups
of tents to a sea of canvas and
tethered cords. Some campers
erect flags or lift balloons to help
find their site. It was a bit windy
in the field to put up the tents this
year. A couple chases and high
kicks were needed to stop the
half erected tents from whisk-
ing away. I’m not even going to
talk about how hot or dusty it
was yet. Thursday night offers
a variety of entertainment not
to mention the general excite-
ment for the weekend ahead. My
group decided to take it easy,
Summer Camp has a lot to offer
and it takes a large amount of
energy to get the most out of it.
Conserve energy for now. A bit
of wandering included a “sound
check” that was really two songs
performed by Umphrey’s McGee,
and a few jams on the Star Shine
stage by Cornmeal.
Summer Camp Music Festival
2012
By Stuart Clubb | Photos by Michelle Reed