Fractal Beach Music Festival – Beachfront Camping And Intimate Creativity

 

Fractal Beach Music Festival was definitely a festival to remember; I ate the tastiest chicken salad and washed it all down with some apple pie moonshine… all while waiting in line to redeem my entry bracelet. Yup, that was just the beginning of my crazy beautiful weekend in Virginia Key Beach where the festival was held. The biggest thing worth mentioning about this festival is that not only was the experience curated to perfection, but the people drawn to attend this festival were the most genuine, friendly, and creative souls that I have met in a while.

The music selection was a variety of funky bands and jamming DJs, and the stages were perfectly spaced out, so getting from one stage to the next was a breeze! Speaking of breeze, although it was a chilly night at Virginia Key Beach, Incendia showed out at the Fibonacci Stage; they had flamethrowers on the stage and a trippy fire dome that made for the perfect hangout spot. The crowd couldn’t get enough of off the flashes of fire!

Let me start off by mentioning a couple of my favorite acts.

Higher Learning is a musical collective from Atlanta, Georgia. With Niles Roberts on the keyboard, Rohan Prakash on the drums, and Ryan Renoud on the bass, their music has been described as a hybrid between experimental rock and electronica. They were superb and had teh entire crowd jamming and dancing like maniacs!

Another crowd favorite was Dessert Dwellers. The dynamic duo of Amani Friend and Treavor Moontribe got together in the 90’s and have been elevating eras and souls every since. The Trippy, Playa music sounds take you on an epic journey. The fire dancers in front of them put on the best fire show I have ever seen!!

Space Kadet is an Atlanta based electronic/instrumental band who are always about those spacey funky vibes. Their music is so unique but enchanting. This band will be HUGE one day!!!

The headliner Papadosio hit me right in my feels. If you don’t know anything about Papadosio, they’re a killer jam band that takes pride in trying to create a unique experience when they play by using unexpected combinations with their sounds. I have seen Pap a bunch of times and this was their best set I remember!!

I absolutely adore festivals that not only have killer lineups but also include transformational workshops and yoga. I was able to participate in a couple of the different workshops, but I especially intrigued when I saw the specific class pictured below because the movements were so particular and different from what I have normally seen in a yoga class. During the workshop, the artistic healer, Julia Catherine, was soothing yet firm and spoke with purpose and power. As I watched her class, I became so curious about her practice but was unable to wait and ask more about it.

While laying out under a floral tipi tent I was lucky enough to meet Julia (@HealingJuju), a self-proclaimed student of life, where she educated me on the history of thai yoga massages. In Thai yoga massages there is constant body contact between the giver and receiver, but rather than rubbing on muscles, the body is compressed, pulled, stretched and rocked, which explained the peculiar movements I observed earlier.

One other special moment for me was being able to witness random strangers come together with their instruments to join in song; the singing started with about 4 members, then before I knew it there were at least 15 people, 6 instruments, and infinite love flowing around. I was also fortunate enough to meet the immensely talented Flow Sisters, who serenaded me with their beautiful singing and ukulele sing-alongs at their campsite. This was sincerely one of my favorite experiences at Fractal Beach Festival; the intimate vibes were far from rare anywhere I turned, but these girls can SING.

I am a camping festival veteran and my usual concerns are to make sure I get on-site early to find a good spot and find out where the showers are located. Fractal provided The Magic Foam Experience presented by Dr. Bronner. This clear, trailer-like box, is a shower that foams its user with Dr. Bronner’s organic soap, water, and compressed air. The soap leaves you feeling clean and tingly, and the best part about it is that Dr. Bronner’s foam is safe for the earth and biodegradable!

I myself am learning flow art, so it was very inspiring to see flow artists, from hoopers, to wanders, to staffers. I enjoyed watch the creativity flow, but I especially appreciated the vibes at this festival, and the scenery was the icing on the cake. Virginia Key Beach was the ideal location and the perfect getaway for taking a little break if you needed to in between sets.

 I would highly recommend this festival to those with an open mind an open heart, because that is exactly what you’ll receive from Fractal Fam. There were was great music, good food, and stimulating live art installations that left me wondering, “When do tickets go on sale for 2019?’ I absolutely adored the people that I met during this experience, and felt that everyone is given the opportunity to creatively flow and express themselves.

For more information on Fractal Beach Festival you can check out their website.