Summer Fest-imonials Part 1- What The Festival

July 12, 2017

This summer Our Siddhi is embarking on an exciting new adventure filled with endless hours of outdoor yoga, super-natural nights set to incredible music, yummy food, new friends, ultra-brilliant vibes, and so, so, much more. To guide us along the way we've teamed up with the sensational Katie Mcquaid (@bosskatie) to bring you all the best from some of the season's biggest festivals. Along with her band of beautiful gypsy spirits, she'll be dancing, flowing, and photographing her experiences in a series of fest-imonials and lookbooks that are sure to make you sweat! So here we go!

Ah, What The Festival. Such a unique and extraordinary experience. Located on Wolf Run Ranch in Dufur, Oregon, this is the place I like to call home. It was my first transformational festival three years ago, and just so happened to be the one that completely changed my life. This year I am excited to embark on a new journey which I hope will build on my past experiences and elevate me to whole new level, one on which the love of Our Siddhi can be spread to and felt by all of the souls that I'm fortunate enough to connect with.

Siddhis (Sanskrit); spiritual, paranormal, supernatural, or otherwise magical powers that manifest as by-products of spiritual advancement through Sadhanas, such as yoga and meditation. Or in my case, festivals.

Yoga is an important part of my festival experience. There is so much stimulation happening between the music, art, people, food, etc. that it becomes crucial for me to step away and remember why I came. For me, it’s not about the party. It’s about connecting with myself and digging deeper into the meaning of life. It’s about finding ground in a world where it’s easy to get swept away. It’s about the supernatural.

What The Festival offers a variety of yoga and movement classes all weekend long. The yoga classes are held in the forest, and whether you like vinyasa or yin, you are bound to find a class that really speaks to you. If you’ve never experienced forest yoga before then you’d be in for a treat. The breeze pushes through the leaves creating a sound that influences your entire body to relax. Within the branches are dreamcatchers that sway above and may just take you to a place inside yourself that you have never been. This peace and tranquility help set the tone for the entire day, getting your body and mind ready for the adventures to come. What The Fest also offers several types of dance and movement classes for you to explore if you’re willing to try something new. I highly recommend it!

“Laugh my friend, for laughter ignites a fire within the pit of your belly and awakens your being.”

—Stella & Blake

COEXIST. It's a word and theme you'll find floating around in abundance at any festival worth it's Himalayan pink salt and this weekend is certainly no exception. What does coexistence really mean though? We live in a world that focuses so much attention on individuality and self-sustainment, that we’ve forgotten what it means to have true community. In festival culture, all is one. We all contribute to each other's experience and we are open to sharing conversation with one another. Real conversation. We are free to express ourselves fully in a non-judgemental, loving environment. We help our neighbors and support our friends. In festivals, we coexist in an environment where everyone is equal, and everyone is love. Coexistence exists, and unity is attainable if we can learn to become our fullest expression of selves, and allow this freedom to one another.

And what better time to share than over a delicious snack…

...because a friend in the food truck biz is always a good idea.

So good food, yoga, sunshine and pool party… what more could you ask for?

Oh, and cute butts ;)

Sunsets of Wolf Run Ranch are breathtaking. Every time I cross the field as the sun goes down behind Mount Hood, I feel connected to my breath and I remember why I’m here. Then, as day finally turns to night, the party starts. There is a definite shift in energy from daytime pool party and yoga to the numerous nightly dance parties that happen around the festival grounds. The main stage hosts the larger acts (my favorite this year was Cut Copy), and then you’ve got the Effin’ Stage which houses the house music, and the Groove Qube in the forest where you’ll hear the drum and bass drop. If you’re looking for a more ethereal music vibe, you’ll find smaller performances such as folk bands and comedy at the Easy Speak stage. Oh, and let’s not forget the epic Silent Disco under the epic Disco Ball! Tune into your preferred DJ on your noise canceling headset and get groovy. The DJ with the most tune-ins takes the cake!

Looking back now, What The Festival has so much to offer. For me, this year really ended up being about new friends and new beginnings. It’s incredible how much support and sense of community we can develop over a short weekend spent next to strangers. So if you’re looking to branch out into the festival world, take my advice; no matter where you end up, allow yourself to be there fully in the present moment. Let the environment soak into your soul and don’t be afraid to meet new people. Cultivating new relationships and leaving a positive impact on the lives of others is what draws me most to large-scale communal events like this, and it's that heart-stirring festival culture that I hope to carry with me beyond the limits of these short but shaping days back to the “real” world, all in the hopes that when we eventually cross paths we can more easily blend both of our brands of magic and spread the loving power of Our Siddhi together.

Hi, my name is Katie McQuaid and I have plans to shake up the world. My experience in transformational festivals has grown into a burning passion to spread love, positive energy, and compassion beyond the boundaries of these epic gatherings and into the "real" world. At festivals, all is one. You check your baggage at the gate, put on your brightest jumpsuit and fuzzy boots, and for one weekend you are free to express yourself without a care or judgment in the world. Making friends is easy because everyone has their guard down and is receptive to meaningful conversation. So, my question is why can’t we take this communication and unity and apply it to our daily lives? Well, I believe we can. It begins with acknowledging the soul's desire to reach full expression and then learning how to release the fears and insecurities that we all have. Festivals are so much more than a party or a weekend getaway. To me, they are a catalyst for change and should be experienced by every single person on the planet. Let’s heal ourselves, each other, and our planet, AND have let's have an unimaginably fun time doing it. Sound good?