Harvest Festival is an experience like no other. A merry group of us gathered through fate to road trip together from Toronto to Burk's Falls area for the unknown and out of this world festival only one of us had attended before. The experienced self proclaimed 'raver' we picked up to fill an extra spot & pitch in on gas for the adventure, was well over 45 and of european decent. He told us we were in for the best time ever, that he trained his body all throughout the year for the marathon of dancing that is Harvest.
Harvest is undoubtedly an electronic music festival but has a very eclectic mix of performers and attractions. With fellow Torontonians streaming in by bus on Friday, the festival is highly accessible for those who don't drive. As you enter the grounds there is a tent city around the first bend after you exit the parking field. Here is where you can find the vendors, amazing grilled cheese sandwiches, delicious body warming soup and more foodie delights, demonstrations of blown glassware by Al Wilkinson, souvenirs and more. This is also where you can find an impromptu burlesque performance at anytime by chance. As well, here, you can go down into the ravine where the Zero Gravity Circus put on their Greatest Show On Earth at one of the most special places on Earth just after dark on Saturday night. Complete with all kinds of cool cats doing acrobatics, clowning, fire feats, the only kind of animals they didn't have performing were the four legged kind.
As you round the next bend, there are lovely giant dreamcatchers of mixed mediums. Further along the path, you find a graffiti wall, which was worked on consistently the entire time we were there. Now you can see the new massive Pyramid tent, a brand new addition which had people talking even after the event. Later in the night it had flames thrown out the top to the beat of the music. The Pyramid was home to Dubstep and much more diverse mix of DJ's. To get across to the Pyramids, you can take 'The Barge', a large raft/boat with benches to hold many happy revellers, while a barge-keeper tows the rope to pull the beast from one side to the other. It is a simple but amazing ride which brings folks closer together.
From here you can go on down the path, past Gerodie Lishman's moving sculpture of a Pegasus, where he would later in the evening create on request otherworldly paintings with a unique technique using spray paint, pot lids, and other items & the buyer's ideas incorporated. Here is where the entrance is to the Forest/Techno Tent, a very popular stage it was decked out chandeliers and one kick butt sound system as were all 4 stages. Now the path winds past the lake, to the main camping area which is a sprawling field on a hill flowing down to the forest and the next ridge ahead. There is more than enough room for the 1500 or so in attendance to camp out just how they like. There are big camps with flags, signs, coolers and camp stoves, and little tiny tents ready for a quick rest at some point in the weekend.
Costumes are a theme here, there is however no theme to the costumes! You could wear & see anything from Cleopatra to Sparkle Suits, from Glowing Skeletons to Pixies. The ages are varied here, almost surprisingly. There are children and families, some under 20, some over 60, but mostly a mix of 25-50. The camping field hosts the Trance Tent where a crowd was still dancing, hula hooping and enjoying a festive mood as we left around 2 pm the next day. They were at also hopping still at the Pyramid as well~ don't forget your earplugs if you intend on sleeping!
A laser art installation over the lake was a favourite for many, as were the planetary orbs of light that were hanging over the entire festival- huge balloons with lights that changed colours and patterns. Hundreds of tiny white lights on the ponds added a quiet mystery.
Harvest Festival happens on the magical lands of Midlothian Castle, around 240km north of Toronto. The Castle is the home and creative outlet for retired schoolteacher Peter Camani, an artist and sculptor of acclaim with his paintings already hanging in such places as Vatican & Buckingham Palace Castle. Peter told us candidly, that this land, complete with the Castle itself, and the sculpture garden of 'screaming heads' has such a healing and wondrous feeling because it is mostly free of stress. He said that he himself is free to build and create, without worrying about finances and the rest of the trappings. He says that the organizers Irving and David from Promise, Justin from alieninflux and himself have a great relationship, and work hard each year to create something new and amazing, adding on to the base from the year before. He told us his next project is to build a clan of Giant Cyclops with laser eyes like fireflies on the ridge by the entrance to the property.
The beautiful people, the land itself brimming with energy and illumination, giant fires and heads and hands of healing gave me a spiritual present. They let me leave a big part of my chronic physical pain behind there, I faced the next day and time since with a feeling of lightness I haven't felt in years. Thank you Harvest from the depths of our hearts.
~Melissa Johnston