Building real communities, bringing together people who share the same interests is becoming ever harder these days. Still, maybe for this exact reason, more and more people find themselves willing to take on this task. The team of organizers at Everness as well as most of the performers and speakers feel the same way. With a total disregard for any imperfections the event may display, festivalgoers are thankful for the peaceful experience. Festival or no festival: build, beautify, share, connect and charge. Last week we went exploring at Everness Festival.
Nowadays it is hard to find major festivals where you can go longer distances without knowing exactly where you are. At Everness Festival you won’t meet much more mandala tattoos, rasta heads, guys wearing makeup or half-naked girls than at a random outdoor event. There are babies, dogs, athletic youngsters, elderly people radiating wisdom from a distance, and there are those who you won’t bump into anywhere else.
Some spend the whole day practising yoga, despite following an entirely different routine in their daily lives. Let’s just say they have never tried awakening their inner fire snake, breathing in downward dog, or thinking about exercising as a way of reaching another dimension.
There are those who feel great staying in one place for days, as their tents, flags, and hats, or if not those, the schedule booklets clearly state the area of interest associated with their specific geographic coordinates. This is another way for them to meet others who ensure they are exposed to a sufficient amount of impulses, be it eco-architecture, chakra meditation, natural cosmetics or an ancient Hungarian symbol system.
Others are seekers of the truth. Everyone is like that here – you could say if you wanted to generalise. But some of them want to use the way they behave at the festival to express that they are looking for a new way, system, teacher or approach. Their days are the most exhausting, so it is a good thing that they have no intention to party until early in the morning.
Some are upset exactly because party opportunities are scarce around here. The best they can do is hang around a bit at the Bahia tea room, and then retreat to their tents long before those out having fun on a Friday night to lay down their heads, much more conscious than usual.
Sound equipment or soundproofing problems can make some programs at Everness Festival hard to enjoy. Hopefully these growing pains will subside. There are no unconventional visual elements, speakers “you must see at least once in your life” or extreme programs. But there is ample opportunity to come together: to meet interesting people, learn about new ideas, special forms of exercise and ways of living, groundbreaking inventions. Such an invention is the composting toilet, which we think should be used at every festival without exception. The idea is great, the design is simple and the experience is nothing like you’ve seen before.
There is something else that is not exactly typical of Balaton-related or Hungarian festivals. You can buy nutritious dishes for a reasonable price, and you won’t have to worry about the funds set aside for the next meal if you want to drink some water with your lunch. Vegetarian festivalgoers don’t have to make do with spicy Indian or hot dogs “sans frankfurter, drowned in onions”. At the same time, those citing Hungarian traditions or origins dating back to prehistoric times in favour of meat can also have what their hearts desire courtesy of the generous selection offered by a handful of food stands.
Not to mention what an important characteristic feature Lake Balaton is for Everness Festival. Contact improvisation, colourful clothes, singing bowls, tents, and sunbathers on the beach, SUP yoga, blessings and swimming kids in the water, concerts providing the soundtrack to beautiful sunsets and green smoothie flavoured sunrises. We’re looking forward to seeing the Kenese beach like this again next year.
