An Inspirational Weekend at MAYfest
MAYfest, a music, art and yoga festival held at Surprise Lake Camp in Cold Spring NY this past Memorial Day weekend, provided friends and families with plenty of activities to enjoy in the sunshine. After the rain passed on Friday, campers started the weekend with yoga classes in the afternoon and music at night. The folk quintet Mike and Ruthy opened up the main stage, followed by a powerful performance of spiritual call-and-response mixed with hip-hop and dub-step by the duo SRIKALOGY. Pink Talking Fish closed out night one with their mixture of songs by Pink Floyd, the Talking Heads and Phish with Elise Testone as a special guest singer. The energy from these performances was enough to hold off the rain for the rest of the weekend, despite rumors of approaching thunderstorms.
Saturday’s schedule was brilliantly packed full of activities, providing a variety of art and yoga classes to keep you busy all day long. Parents dropped their children off at the Kid’s Canteen, where they could partake in a kids’ hoop class, tie-dying, origami and instrument-making. Once the kids were busy, parents went off to take part in Partner Yoga or SUP (Stand-Up Paddleboard) Yoga on the lake. Some other classes offered included Jivamukti Yoga with John Smrtic, The Yoga Jam with Sadie Nardini, A Soulful Journey with yoga teacher and musician duo Marti Nikko &mDJ Drez or Rhythm and Movement with Oglu Merandy and husband Jesse Merandy of The Breakneck Boys. If yoga isn’t your thing, you could explore one of the many beautiful hiking trails on a guided walk, build your own dreamcatcher or take the couples’ massage workshop! Yoga instructor Raghunath provided an empowering Kirtan chant on the beach, with the sound traveling across the lake to those taking paddle board yoga class, swimming, or relaxing on the beach or the lawn. Following Kirtan were special performances by The Breakneck Boys, Haley Jane and the Primates, The Primate Fiasco and Ballroom Thieves on the beach stage, allowing attendees to relax on the beach or in the water while listening to sets.
A very special performance by yoga instructor turned rockstar Sadie Nardini and her group Salt and Bone opened the main stage Saturday night for their first-ever time performing together. Many fans came to watch her perform and stayed for DJ Drez, who is connected in the yoga world through his wife Marti Nikko. Fans got down on a mix of bass tracks before changing up the pace with an inspiring and motivational set by the talented Trevor Hall. The main stage was packed, but that wasn’t the end of the entertainment for the night. After Trevor Hall, festivalgoers make a trip to the hidden baseball diamond, where The Sensory Collective performed for their first time ever together. Members of this collective came all the way from Georgia, using their skills in aerial silks, dance, fire-breathing, flow, singing and visual projection combined to make an epic first performance. Make sure to keep this group on your radar.
The last day of the festival on Sunday definitely felt more low-key than the previous day but still had numerous activities throughout the day. With art classes such as block printing, Suminigashi and Mastering the Art of Yoga Photography, people were able to put their creativity to work. Probably the most attended yoga class of the weekend was held on Sunday, calling out many staff members who finally had a minute to participate in the fun. The class, entitled Eyes of the World held by John Smrtic, was a yoga class with a live performance of Grateful Dead covers by Ryan Montbleau. The class quickly turned into an impromptu dance party and sing-along to the favorite tunes of this classic band. Music continued on the Beach Stage with awakening music by Guara Vani, looping specialist Will Evans and upbeat tunes by the Funky Dawgz Brass Band, who also held their own blind-folded dance party with Taraleigh Weathers on the Main Stage. Ryan Montbleau shared his transcendent music with us on the main stage, right before DJ Drez performed officially for the second time this weekend, not including the multiple yoga classes he also provided the soundtrack to. Funk powerhouse Turkuaz closed out the night, but as the amphitheater was grooving, their set was cut short due to an approaching tropical storm. The remaining festival attendees gathered around a bonfire on the beach, reminiscing about the weekend’s events, hugging and thanking everyone involved for providing a weekend of inspiration and transformation. A perfect way to close out MAYest weekend! I expect this festival to be even bigger next year, drawing in huge attention from music and yoga fanatics alike.
By: Kristina Rusch