The Big Up 2013

I am ecstatic to attend The Big Up this summer for the third time since its inception back in 2010. Here’s why:

I am ready for another Use Your Head family forest takeover
The festival was absent last summer and it was easily one of my favorites the previous one
The music line up is diverse and stacked with talent including but not limited to Eskmo, Gaudi, Thriftworks, Higher Organix, lespecial, Eitch, The Egg, and Ian Stewart
Secretly I prefer seeing the cosmic creatures of the Northeast dressed to the nines in full on rage regalia as opposed to ornate feather pieces, leather, and barely there Burner ensembles (okay, maybe not so secretly)
I love smaller festivals, where an emphasis is placed on quality over quantity
The greening initiatives and creative contests offered this year are truly next level awesomesauce
It is hosted close to my stomping grounds in the good ol’ state of New York

The aforementioned and more are responsible for the anticipation I feel when I think about stepping foot on the grounds of Hemlock Hollow Farm in Claverack, NY the second week in August. I know that for many of the returning attendees, this one is going to feel more like a Welcome Home party or a Family Reunion than a raging music festival centered around what’s on the menu that day.

The Big Up returns this year from August 8th to August 11th with even more wooded camping, plenty of car camping space, an array of workshops/activities ranging from music production to the trendy topic of hands-on sustainable living, large-scale multimedia installations, theme nights, greening initiatives, yoga, a farmer’s market, and collaborative art. For all the ballers out there check out the VIP amenities being offered this time around: private port-o-potties (for you and four friends to throw down on… Legit!), stylish concert field cabanas, and your own dance spot for you and a friend to keep it movin’ on the main stage!

Activities & Amenities at this year’s Big Up!

Rock Star Karaoke with MUN

What do you get when you combine fun, unadulterated karaoke with your best friends in the world, and the tunes of an electronic-dance-psychadelic-jazz-funk-and rock back up band? That would be LIVE BAND #‎KARAOKE‬ with ‪#‎MUN‬! Yes UPstronauts, we are pumped to announce our good friends MUN are hosting live band karaoke on Saturday for you and your friends, where you can take center stage and let out your inner rockstar! Get those ideas going and join Wiley, Andrew, Doug, and Bryan at The Woods Stage for the craziest and coolest karaoke show you’ve ever been to.

Rage Gear Theme Nights!!! (A Lost in Sound favorite)

Mandala Creation

Zachary Nolin is a visual artist living in Boston. His work ranges from intricate mandala drawings and multi-layered psychedelic painting, to editing techniques used to make music videos, commercials, and short films.

Come learn, practice, and collaborate in the art of mandala making! After a brief history lesson on how mandala’s have been used by different cultures, as well as how they are a tool for spiritual growth, you will learn useful tips for successfully creating your own mandala. This workshop will have you making your own mandala, as well as creating one big group mandala through out the weekend that will be on display for the rest of the festival!

Variety of workshops & spiritual practices hosted by [dear friend & LiS supporter] Sheawei Pidd ❤

♠ Daily Morning & Evening Yoga

♠ Daily Guided Relaxation & Meditation Workshops

♠ Hoop Dance Workshop (co-hosted w/ Lauren Sullivan)

Top Chef: UPstronaut Edition @ the Philmont Farmer’s Market Booth!

On Friday @ 2PM, teams and judges will meet at Philmont Farmers Market booth in the campgrounds and do a one-course cook-off. The teams will use pre-selected ingredients, with main elements coming from the Philmont Farmer’s Market, and all others from packaged food. The purpose is to showcase how to use certain ingredients – natural versus packaged. The winners will receive limited edition Big Up posters!

How it works:

Four teams of two (two natural foods vs. two packaged)
Occurs after lunch
Teams are supplied ingredients by The Big Up and are asked to make the best dish they can in 30 minutes
Judged by very special guests! If you would like to participate with your friends please email mary@thebigup.com

Announcing: The Big Up Festival Survivor!

Complete all four challenges and you & your friends could win tickets to The Big Up 2014.

Carpool Challenge: We challenge you to carpool to The Big Up with three or more people! All you need to do is ask your ticketing agent when getting your parking pass to put the special carpool sticker on it. You MUST* request a sticker from your ticketing agent upon arrival. Bring this sheet with you to our non-profit recycle-managing tent in our campground-vending field, Saturday @ 3PM.

Cleanest Campsite: The greenest and cleanest campsites are judged on being trash and cigarette butt free!
On Saturday, simply sign up at our non-profit recycle-managing tent in our campground-vending field that you would like your campsite checked. Saturday @ 3PM.

The Semi-annual Cig Butt Competition: Fill up as many coffee cans/bags with cigarette butts. Bring to the non-profit recycling tent in the campground-vending field all weekend and earn stickers for every filled up can!

Recycle Challenge: Collect as much recycling as possible! Stop by our non-profit recycle tent in campground vending row and get garbage and recycle bags all weekend. Fill up your bags and drop them by the booth – earn specific stickers for every bag you drop!

*Please note*

In order to participate you MUST print out a festival survival sheet (one sheet per group of three people). All sheets must be turned into the non-profit recycle-managing tent in the campground vending field by 3PM on Saturday. Good luck, and keep it green!

The Big Up is also offering 10% off on Big Up merchandise if you shop local prior to arriving, so pop by one of the amazing local businesses below and bring a receipt from a purchase in order to receive your discount!

Gabriel’s Pizza
Cumberland Farms
The Berry Farm
The Main Street Public House
Crimson Sparrow Restaurant
Vanderbilt House

GROUND RULES:

Maintain a positive attitude with those around you. Respect yourselves and respect your neighbors. Have a great time, but please take care of each other and yourselves. Drink plenty of water and remember The Big Up is a marathon not a sprint!
Gates will open at Noon on Thursday, August 8th and will close on Sunday August 11th at Noon
No illegal substances or activities will be permitted
All onsite vending must be both licensed and registered with the event. Illegal or unauthorized vendors will be removed from the venue
Weapons are strictly prohibited – firearms, knives over 3″ blade, baseball bats, axes, hatchets, and any other items that can be reasonably construed as weapons will be confiscated
Fireworks are prohibited
No nitrous
Please bring all beverages in cans or plastic – glass is not allowed
You must have a photo pass in order to bring in professional camera/video gear. Professional cameras will not be allowed in without a press pass
No fighting. If you are involved in a fight both parties will be asked to leave – keep it mellow
No open fires. This includes camp fires, tiki torches, and any other exposed flames
Grills are OK in some camping areas (not including Woods Camping), but you must have a certified ABC fire extinguisher!
No spray paint
NYS DOH mandates a 5′ separation between camp sites without grills and a 10′ separation between grill sites. Please follow the direction of parking, security, safety, and camping crew to ensure that we maintain the separation. If you plan on grilling, you’ll be placed in a special “Grill Car-Camp Area.”
No pets of any kind will be permitted. Any service animal must be accompanied by notarized certificate, service card and a designated service vest to be worn at all times – sorry, no exceptions
Due to NYS regulations no outside alcohol will be permitted within the concert area. A reasonable amount of alcohol for personal consumption is allowed in the camp grounds. A case per person is the general rule – a keg is not a reasonable amount and is not allowed. Absolutely NO sales of alcohol by patrons is allowed: Just don’t do it!
You must obtain an over 21 wristband with a government issued photo ID to drink alcohol on the property. Underage drinking is not permitted – zero tolerance
Lost or stolen tickets and wristbands cannot be reissued. Wristbands must be worn at all times. Anyone found trespassing will be subject to ejection and/or arrest
Under 16 must be accompanied by a legal guardian. Child and guardian will be required to leave contact information and be photographed at ticketing
Kids 12 and under are free when accompanied by their parents
All persons, vehicles, and possessions will be searched upon entry and reentry
RV’s require RV parking passes per vehicle in addition to your camping ticket(s). Due to constraints in the parking areas to keep safety lanes open, any vehicle with a combined length (including a trailer) over 25 feet will require an RV parking pass and must be parked in RV parking
Generators are prohibited, except with vehicles with RV passes in designated RV parking areas
There will be on-site security at all times as well as first aid stations open 24/7
Feel free to bring your own food and beverages into onsite camping, but please remember no glass
Campers are expected to behave in a manner that is courteous to other campers and neighbors
All general car and tent campers are permitted to visit each others’ camp sites
By entering the event you agree to be photographed and/or video taped
All cars are charged a $10 search and processing fee. Please note this fee will be applied each time your car enters the festival grounds. Please carpool and keep as much traffic off the roads as possible. If you leave your parking spot and reenter later, your car will end up in day parking lot. It’s safer for everyone that way!
Please be kind