Stepping onto the ground of North Country Fair is much like what could be imagined as teleporting back to the 70s. The community was rich, vibrant, and welcoming to people of all ages. There were children running around and 42-year veterans of the festival gathered for this intergenerational celebration of music, art, and culture. 

 

This year, the mud puddles were vast, but the attendees were in good spirits as they stomped around in rainboots, some barefoot, as they sang and danced to the music at each stage. At one point, a massive circle of people gathered together and held hands, moving in unison. 

 

The music at the stages ended around midnight, at which point the community could further build around the campfire. Songs and stories were shared amidst the laughter and drunken tears. There was something very humbling and simple about the experience, as it reconnected the roots of togetherness and pure listening, a quality in which modern culture often tosses aside with the merge of technology. 

 

On the final day, the volunteers would leave their posts and join in a celebration tailored specifically for them, in honor of the hard work put forth to make the festival possible. There were performances on the mainstage by a few festival favorites, which eventually carried over to a large fire-side jam session, with many of the bands joined together in harmony.