ENTER THE PORTAL.

Written by Anna McFarland | Photographed by Anna McFarland and Talia Sigurdson

Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival is sure to transport you. We had the pleasure of attending the four-day camping festival located in Sunshine Grove, Florida, and it was a magical experience.

Cage The Elephant, Anna McFarland 

One of the main focuses of the festival is the music. With three stages in the central area of the festival grounds, reminding festival goers of their titles to “Be” “Here” “Now,” there are also four other performance spots, mainly for EDM-focused and smaller artists. This also doesn’t account for the random pop-up stages throughout the grounds. 

All Images taken by Talia Sigurdson and Anna McFarland

Even between the two of us, there was more music than we knew what to do with, with some kind of performance going on somewhere all the time from when the festival grounds opened in the afternoon all the way through sunrise. This is a great problem to have for a four-day festival, and attendees are sure to never be bored. From Rainbow Kitten Surprise to T-Pain to Fisher to The Lumineers to even more artists than can be touched on here, there is something for any kind of music fan to enjoy at the festival. Even if you had no idea of an artist before attending, you might be able to find your new favorite artist just by taking a chance and exploring what there is to offer.

Beyond the music, the festival is full of art installations and side quests for the attendees. Guests can experience the wonders of circus life and gamble in Frick Frack Blackjack, hang out at the T-Lounge or explore the books of the Liebrary, visit the Aquachobee beach and take a ride on the ferris wheel nearby, have a drink at the Speakeasy, or take part in yoga or a 5k before the festival grounds open. 

The 800 acres of the festival are filled with activities, as well as people, lovingly dubbed the “Okee Fam,” and no matter what is going on onstage or the side quests you experience the people are what make the festival. No matter where you are, people will strike up a conversation, trade you little trinkets or Kandi, and dish out compliments while passing by. While not just a rave, the idea of “PLURR,” or Peace, Love, Unity, Respect, and Responsibility, occupies the unspoken Okeechobee rules. The Okee fam full of music and art lovers, but above all, it’s a community.

Multiple engagements occurred over the weekend from artists, such as one of the members of SNACKTIME, to regular Okeechobians. In a similar vein, there was even one social media post someone made about spreading a late friend’s ashes at the festival. It’s a testament to what this festival means to people, and the feelings of love that swells all around you while at Okeechobee. There are families with small children running around and sitting on shoulders to watch the artists, lovers swaying to the rhythms of each stage, groups of friends screaming lyrics to each other, and people going solo where the stage lights reflect in their eyes. Everyone is welcome and accepted at Okeechobee.

This weekend was filled with the best kind of chaos; the kind where all you have to worry about is waking up with the sunrise and when you have to catch the next set. It made us want to come back in the future, as well as convince all of our friends to make the trip. It will be worth it.

Until next time, Okee Fam. And next year, we’ll see you inside the portal.

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