Homestead Escapes

Working full time and also growing an extensive garden, raising a couple teenagers, caring for nine chickens and two cats and canning and all the other things I do, can wear a person out!

Even I take breaks now and then.

Last weekend The Hubs, Neverella and I spent some time at Pickathon. For those you out of the loop, I think this may be the best music festival ever--and you are missing out. It is held the first weekend of August every year just outside Portland on the Pendarvis Farm property. They pride themselves on being the only music festival to eliminate plastic and in order to drink on property you have to bring your own water cup or buy one of the specially made cups (with rubber holder and clip to attach to your belt loop). Local food carts and breweries provide yummy food and libations. Recycling and composting is made simple and easy. There are solar panels on one of the barn venues and the energy generated from them offsets 100% of the energy used during the festival. Alternative forms of transportation to the farm are highly encouraged and supported.

It is kind of reminiscent of Oregon Country Fair but all about the music. It also happens to be family friendly and they encourage everyone to camp all weekend on site. There are showers and free water sources open for all attendees to use.

Feist playing The Woods stage

My favorite stage is known as The Woods and it is a beautiful little stage built of bent over branches in a deciduous forest area on a hillside with hay bales for seats.

The canopy structures and lighting create a magical and intimate ambiance. A local company, Guildworks, designed and installed all the various canopy structures on the property. Every year they redesign everything.

Mainstage

 We are lucky to have a good friend with an adjacent property and enjoyed visiting the festival and going back to our relatively dust free and less crowded tent area.

Cafe stage

The lanterns hung above the main path between the main stage and The Woods. Each lantern has to be about ten feet in height, strung up among the tree branches.

One of the entries (bent branches beyond) and a water station (green canopy).

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer as much as we are!