Groovy beats, dancing people, art in every direction, and an overall vibe that other festivals could only dream of. Is this heaven? No, it’s Lightning In A Bottle.
Lightning In A Bottle is as close to a family reunion as most of its attendees will ever have. If you live in Southern California and go to parties and concerts, walking around at LIB is filled with big hugs and “I haven’t seen you since …” stories. Since so many people know each other at this festival, it creates a noticeably special vibe, more so than many other festivals. At LIB you feel like you are already friends with everyone there, even if you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting them yet. This comfortable vibe leads to something that is unheard of in other festivals. EVERYONE DANCES! It’s unlike anything you will see at other festivals. This crowd just knows how to get down. Dancing is like a natural instinct.
The electric vibe at LIB is not caused solely from the people. It’s created when the festival itself is flawless. The stages are all unique and bump perfect sound into the crowd. The venue itself offered the natural beauty of a grassy park next to a lake, surrounded by rolling hills. Imagine this setting, along with dozens of live artists, art installations, and thousands of brilliantly dressed people with smiles plastered over their faces all weekend long. It is truly a sight to behold.
And you can’t talk about Lightning In A Bottle being a great festival without talking about how clean it is. LIB is one of the greenest festival in North America. The crowd does a great job of picking up after themselves and depositing the waste in the proper recycling, compost, or trash bag. Of course there are always those people who slip up, but don’t worry, the staff then breaks open every single bag to ensure everything is appropriately recycled and composted. This is next level festivaling right here.
This would have been an absolute perfect festival if it hadn’t been for an overly aggressive police force. The Riverside County police were aggressive. They arrested a few dozen festival attendees by using undercover police officers; many stories of entrapment have been spreading among the community. This is a great reminder that if you choose to partake in substances, you should never share them with people you don’t know. The community encourages sharing and hospitality, but not when it comes to substances. Have fun, but be responsible!
Thankfully, nothing could have turned this weekend into anything but a huge success. Other festivals should send their staff to LIB to see what can happen when everyone thinks outside the box with the intention of throwing the absolute best festival ever. If you are thinking of going next year, do it! This is a festival you can base your entire year around.