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After days of incessant rain, then sweltering humidity with temperatures hitting above 90°F, it was suddenly very pleasant for the 13th annual Vermont Reggae
Festival on a hillside outside Hardwick. The humidity disappeared, soft fluffy clouds appeared in a blue sky and the temperature dropped into t
 he mid seventies It was perfect weather for "a bike-in" to the festival which we have suggested in the past.(See bike ride route).
The July 18th event in Vermont's somewhat remote Northeast Kingdom, drew about 15,000 fans and about 30 Vermont State Police Units, hired by
festival organizers for the day, less VT taxpayers complain. There were more than a dozen groups to entertain the crowd. They included such well known
names as "Burning Spear", who arrived, somewhat "un-Vermont-like" in a giant silver bus. One act that
made a big impact was Dub Nation with singer J.C. Lodge. You could feel her driving energy infect the grooving mass of people bel ow the stage as she sang her hit song "Telephone
Love." Even strangers to reggae music, with its Jamaican origins, would be hard pressed not to be effected by her performance.
The festival is a reminder of much larger gatherings years ago. There is a Woodstock-like atmosphere to the event, complete with good vibes, water pipes and the
overpowering smell of marijuana. Performances were interspersed with occasional announcements about "a medical emergency." Yes, some people did seem a bit
stoned, but then there were no beer cans and people seemed courteous and well behaved.
Outside the immediate festival grounds, some people arriving for overnight camping and a free concert, discovered that for a while, they had to pay $50.00
instead of $25.00 for the right to park their vehicle. The price was later rolled back.
On a ridge above the festival, officers from the Lemieux Police Department stood guard to prevent any chance of festival goers trespassing and possibly damaging
the hay bales of Karen Shaw. The Vermont dairy farmer made the national news several months before the festival when she vowed publicly to mount an armed
patrol of her land to prevent vandalism.(See the 1997 review).
A part time police officer stands guard over Ms.Shaw's hay bales
Re: our remark about parking prices, we received the following from a festival official:
"Our published prices were $50 for combined parking and camping, $25 for Saturday only parking. To the best of my knowledge, no-one changed those
prices at whim. If people honestly couldn't afford the prices, there may have been individual judgement calls made to ensure that people got to see the show after
driving all the way there."
Susan De Leon
Copyright © 1998
PB_Publishing
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