Everyone needs a spring music outing and campout, right?
The 12th Annual Non-Electrified Musical UnFest will be held at the Whispering Waters Campground
1805 N. Irving Rd.
Hastings MI
269-945-5166
Email: whisper@iserv.net
Whispering waters is just outside Hastings Michigan, about 30 miles north and 20 miles east of Kalamazoo. If you used to attend SMDF when it was at the expo center in Hastings, Whispering Waters is the place just south of the expo center that you may have turned into by mistake. Maps and stuff.
Roger and Uta (the owners of the campground) have been wonderful to us each year and we have arranged once again to host a musical jamming weekend. As of this writing (June 2009), admission will be $5 per person / per day and includes tent or RV camping (with power) in the common area or rustic tent camping in the field at the north end of the campground if you stay overnight. Note that vehicles are not allowed in the field at any time for any reason, so if you have a camper of any sort, you will need to either camp with us in the common area or call the campground and make a reservation for a regular campsite. Reservations are not required unless you have a camping vehicle that requires a regular campsite.
Admission will also include all campground facilities like showers and the pool.... and they have a really cool building with a huge front porch (suitable for jamming ) that houses more (and closer) showers and bathrooms as well as a nice commons area with comfy chairs, a microwave, a TV, a library, and in general a place to get in out of the cold or rain if the weather dumps on us. However, that WON'T HAPPEN, right (it hasn't yet)? We will have a large canopy in the north end of the campground (with bushes and trees) plus what the campground calls the "common area" all to our selves to set up canopies and tents and the like. There will be power available in both areas, and if you're really into roughing it, most regular campsites have phone available! Rafting, canoeing (sp?) and tubing are also available..... there's a river that runs through the campground. Check out the link to the campground, above.
Oh, and if you do check out the link to the campground, they forgot to mention the Kalamazoo Air Zoo, a REALLY COOL air museum. Lots of planes, and you can even take a ride in a Ford Tri-Motor! About an hour from the campground, if you get bored playing with us or are fascinated by airplanes..... like me :)
PLEASE bring a canopy if you have one. Any kind of canopy, big or small. We rent a large one, but there is always need for additional spaces for small jams.
Who is invited?
Anyone who wants to come! No performers or performances or workshops planned. Just fun.
Note that while Cindy and I are basically dulcimer players and there will be a bunch of dulcimers, everyone is invited. Any instrument is more than welcome. Vocalists too! There is plenty of room to spread out and have as many different jam sessions as anyone desires.
Why are we doing this?
We have felt for a long time that at most of the larger festivals like the Fun Fest in Evart, the time before the festival opens is the most fun. So we thought why not have a "pre-festival" weekend and just not bother to have the festival! Just a bunch of folks playing, eating and visiting (not necessarily in that order). And since it is at a campground, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANY WORK! In other words, the organizers can have fun too. What a concept!