# Whats the deal with Rainbow Gatherings?



## steelcitybrew (Dec 18, 2009)

Im wondering what the deal is with Rainbow Gatherings. Seems more of an American thing, Ive never heard about it in Canada. Hear lots about it on here.

Is it just a gathering of like minded hippy's? music? arts and crafts or something?
A gang? haha but seriously...

my road dog last summer (for 2 weeks before I couldn't take it anymore and split) was a tye-dye wearing (literally...shirt, bandana, pack patch) peace sign throwing, long haired, rope sandal wearin', mustached, oogle hippy. I met him at a large 3 day festival in Cape Breton called Evolve, which was pretty cool, but very out of my element, and very full of hippy's, and chemicals (  ). But I had an amazing time.

And was able to get in for free because I found a wrist band on the ground!!

But I think he put a bad name to hippys, tried wayyy to hard....and paid 80 bucks for rope sandals made by children hahha. the guy selling them used that as a selling point that kids in like indonesia or something made them but got paid "good" money.... hahah I bet. Selling them from a westfalia no less haha.

just a bit where Im coming from.

Anyways Im not tryin to dish it, just wondering what its about.


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## steelcitybrew (Dec 18, 2009)

I kind of rag on the kid a bit too much, but he was a good guy. I just dont do well being with people 24/7 you know?


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## Dirty Rig (Dec 18, 2009)

I'll be pretty quick to dish it. I have plenty of friends that swear by it, and they're all good people, but I think I mentioned this in the STP chat the other day:
"If I wanna sit in the woods and drink with my friends, I don't have to go to swamp-ass Florida to do it."
Just doesn't really seem like my thing, sounds like a big fat pile of donuts in the eyes of cops, and ya gotta deal with nitrous-yawning burnouts. I don't mind hippies or scumfucs, but I don't know if I can handle spending a week crammed in a 2 man tent with 8 of them, ya know? I'm sure at some point I'll get talked into going to one, and I'm definitely knocking it before I try it, but I haven't heard a whole lot to convince me this is a good idea.


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## Gudj (Dec 18, 2009)

A brief summary of every first-hand account I have heard:

Don't go unless you already are into the Rainbow subculture. If you aren't, you will probably be put off by a bunch of not-that-nice hippies and other folk who usually don't have their shit together and are possibly christian. However, it's up to you to weigh that against the probability of free/cheap psychoactive substances.


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## dirty_rotten_squatter (Dec 18, 2009)

Yeah, you pretty much have it summed up..although I do believe they do it in europe too, I could be wrong though. I've heard mixed things about it. Doesn't sound like my idea of a good time though..Dirty rig had it best, I don't want to go in the middle of no where to have a good time and drink..who knows maybe i will go to one and see for myself what a lmae time it would be..or I might get surprised


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## Rstank (Dec 18, 2009)

ive gotten asked ball park estimate above 15 times if i was a rainbow kid......it tends to humor me more than anything but why does every narrow minded yuppie wanna squeeze a sheet of acid out my butt are they really that bored with there lives?



ive never been but i suppose if there are tons of crazzie hippies and scumfuks it sounds good for a laugh


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## finn (Dec 18, 2009)

All the rainbow elders I've met have been massive horndogs.


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## Monkeywrench (Dec 18, 2009)

I know a couple pretty awesome Rainbow elders--but I also know a ton of incredibly burnt out, nitrous-obsessed fuckheads who go there just to get blazed and sit around all day. I've heard extremes of both good and bad, so that means the only thing I can do is go to one and judge for myself.


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## genghis braun (Dec 18, 2009)

a friend of mine says that he plans on going this year, and I'll go if he's going, but I can't say that I have high expectations (no pun intended). It's more or less just to check it out and experience it for myself. who knows, I could meet some cool people there, or I could get annoyed by the end of the first day and hitch back home...


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## smellyskelly (Dec 18, 2009)

"niggas r us" i heard is a fun camp.


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## veggieguy12 (Dec 18, 2009)

I hear it's a good place to get molested and - if you're really unlucky - even drugged & raped.

Also, 3 drunken homebums in Land O Lakes, FL tried to start some shit with me for being "a rainbow kid", as I got dropped there hitching N from Tampa up I-75. The irony was that they started telling me how they don't like Rainbow kids bringing them trouble and telling me to get outta town _as I was making a new hitching sign_. Score one for alcohol.


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## smellyskelly (Dec 18, 2009)

im not worried about any danger to me, if i go, cause ill be with my boy and i carry a lot of knives . but the homebum thing made me laugh, silly bums.


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## toadflack (Dec 18, 2009)

I went to a few gatherings and they can be ok. You can meet some good people there but theres a lot of agro=ass hippies to deal with also. You should always take stuff to trade because you can come up with some really good shit. The people that get fucked up at gatherings usually deserve it ....I saw this kid get strapped to a chair and have all his dreads cut off with rusty ass scissors before being thrown down a hill but he deserved it. And theres always cops


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## steelcitybrew (Dec 18, 2009)

Definitely doesnt sound/look like something id ever want to be a part of myself. haha. ever. Im going to take everyones word for it. The video didnt at all help their case.


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## Monkeywrench (Dec 18, 2009)

toadflack said:


> I saw this kid get strapped to a chair and have all his dreads cut off with rusty ass scissors before being thrown down a hill



:hysterical:


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## Wolfeyes (Dec 19, 2009)

Given that this is an odd numbered year, the Ocala gathering is probably gonna suck.

I went in '07 by my self, and in '08 with my friends Dani and Ducki. Talking to some of the folks who go every year, they all say the same thing. Even numbered years are pretty good events. Nobody messes with you, and if they do it's good natured, folks seem to be friendlier. Odd numbered years seem to bring out the worthless shitbags.

'08 was pretty good, nobody started any shit, only a few isolated thefts and nobody got jacked up. Even the aggro crusties/dirty kids at the front gate were pretty tame. Yeah, they got loud and a little obnoxious, trying to scare anybody walking in, but other than that they were pretty cool. They really scared the crap out of my friend Ducki and she freaked out, but they apologized right away.

In '07 they were real fuckheads. They were stealing and trashing peoples stuff as they walked in, raiding and trashing people's camps and cars, hell they even tried to burn down the kitchen. And the hippies were a little too motivated, to the point of being aggro. They were all like "So, you'll be at (whatever) circle later right?" "maybe, I might go into..." "_RIGHT! *glare* YOU'LL BE THERE!_"

'07 everybody was hitting me up for ciggs, cash, drugs, gas etc... '08 about half the people, both hippies and non-hippies, were offering food, drinks and weed. Even the front gate-ers were kicking down food. Plus, in '08, Dani's car got stuck in the sugar sand, two hippies and three front gate kids came to help us out. In '07, I needed a jumpstart, had the cables, but nobody would give me a hand. Eventually this OLD(I'm talking social security old) hippy named Sponge helped me out.


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## Dirty Rig (Dec 19, 2009)

Fine! I'm gonna throw my own rainbow gathering. With blackjack! And hookers! In fact...forget the gathering!


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## Wolfeyes (Dec 19, 2009)

Really it all depends on how many old time hippies the gathering attracts. When there's a lot of old timers, no matter how bad things get, they can/will at least help you out enough to put a silver lining on it.


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## Franny (Dec 19, 2009)

I really stand in opposition to a lot that's been said about the Rainbow Gatherings. I AM NOT (I will stress again, NOT) at all similar to a lot of people that religiously attend these gatherings. I don't act or look much like a "hippie", and I don't share many spiritual/cultural viewpoints with the Rainbow people. But honestly, the gatherings are FUN. And not just because I like to get high. I like experiencing new things. And new people. And the people at Rainbow Gatherings are by and large pretty accepting.

I'll be going to my fourth in Feb. in Ocala, and I'm going to have a good fucking time. Really, everything in life is what you make of it, and I tend to be fairly content regardless of where I am or who I'm with. Every time you get large groups of people together there's going to be cause to find fault with the dominant culture, but you can't let that blind you to what every individual has to offer on a personal level. To those that will be there, let's hang.


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## whaleofashrimp (Dec 20, 2009)

i'm no hippy
i dont enjoy psycodelic drugs at all
and find the crunchy granola vegan types annoying
BUT i love the gatherings
just chilling in the woods for three weeks not worrying about money and mean people
eatting tatters
theres a comraderei you'll find no where else


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## rooster831 (Aug 27, 2017)

A good friend of mine called it a "huge dick measuring contest" with the rainbows and the front gaters just got drink and fought all the time

Sounds like some lame ass shit to me


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## Escaper (Aug 31, 2017)

I dont know what its like in america but I went to a gathering this year in tasmania, Australia and it was sick. Having said that I am quite open to spirituality so a lot of what happened didnt phase me much. 

I was worried before I went that everyone would be these fake ass hippie positive-obsessed people but was happy to meet lots of different people who all just wanted to escape the daily grind and norms of society. It was just this super relaxing time in a beautiful natural location.

Its definitly not for everyone, but if you dont drink much, love to meet new people and have an open mind and love being outside naked and free in nature then its probably worth a shot to see what you think. Having said that this was in tassie and there was only 100 people so I have no idea what the vibe is like at the gatherings in the usa.


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