In my years of festival-going, I’ve attended countless different events all over the country. Most of them have something unique to offer that nothing else can match – but ultimately, many of them start to blur together after a while into a haze of memories. At this point, it takes something truly unique to stand out from the rest, and I have increasingly found myself seeking out those gatherings to try and capture the same magic and awe I felt at my first camping festival.
However, no matter where I end up, one thing is constant: I often discuss past events with old and new friends. There’s something charming and bonding about meeting a new festie bestie and realizing that you both attended the same event – or even some of the same sets – at a festival that happened in years past. But something else people frequently do is recommend their own favorite parties, and one that has come up over and over and over again is Suwannee Hulaween.
I first heard of it when I was at Electric Forest, and someone described it to me as the “Electric Forest of the South.” At Tipper and Friends 2023, someone talking about the transformation of the grounds for Hulaween said it was “unreal; like another world.” I’ve been told it’s people’s favorite North American festival on several occasions, and many of the festival-goers in my social circle have a story about an incredible or life-changing set they once saw at Suwannee.
Naturally, hearing all of these glowing reviews quickly moved Hulaween up very high on my festival bucket list. When the 2024 lineup came out earlier this year, I immediately felt that it was time for me to finally check it out for myself.
The Culture and Magic of Hula
The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park offers camping unlike any other festival I’ve ever attended. When you drive in, you can park and set up anywhere within the campgrounds you’d like. This not only made it easy for us to meet up with our friends (without all having to arrive together), but it also meant that we had plenty of space under the trees – a luxury that many other events charge a premium for.
The very first thing that stuck out to me upon arriving was the care and attention that people put into their setups. People can begin camping as early as Monday, so they had plenty of time to create elaborate Halloween-themed displays for the amusement of their fellow festival-goers. We saw everything from giant skeletons throwing disco parties to graveyards to ghouls hosting cookouts, and it all added to the event’s atmosphere.
Halloween is a popular time for festivals, but this was my first time actually going to one – so it was a treat for me to see people in costumes all weekend long. While festival fashion culture has taken on a life of its own, it’s a bit different to see your traditional heady clothes and high-priced rave gear next to people in matching chicken outfits or Spirit Halloween pieces. Most of all, it was incredibly fun, and it made for an anything-goes vibe that only enhanced the party.
Hanging out at the river. Photo by Tara Gracer.
More important than decor or outfits is the energy that comes from the other attendees. It’s no secret that music festivals have gone mainstream in the U.S. over the last decade, and some events have crowds that have suffered as a response. Theft, fights, assault, and overdoses are sadly becoming increasingly common at a lot of festivals, but Hulaween is the first event I’ve been to in a long time where I didn’t see any of that in my time there. It was really special to not witness a medical call or worry about myself or my friends’ safety, and it allowed me to truly relax and enjoy each moment in a way I haven’t done for quite a while.
Hulaween draws an older, more experienced crowd, and everyone I interacted with was a seasoned festival-goer who knew how to contribute to the atmosphere rather than demand more from it. Hardly anyone was on their phones, whether it was during sets or at camp. And while it can be a little inconvenient at times to not have service during a festival, it forces me to unplug and stay present, which we can all use a little more of in our lives.
The projection mapping over Spirit Lake. Photo by Steph Port.
Of course, you can’t talk about Hulaween without touching on Spirit Lake. While all of the production and art installations at this festival were top-notch, there was something truly special about Spirit Lake. It was both spacious and intimate at the same time, and you could wander around it for hours without seeing everything it had to offer. The House of Lost was one of my favorite installations – picture an elaborate wooden cathedral with a fountain inside and soaring turrets. Every time I went in there, something different was happening, from spooky late-night sets with cryptid dancers to a talent show or an open mic.
All in all, the vibes at Hulaween have managed to stay beautifully preserved over the years, and I hope they continue to replicate it in the future.
The Music
Hulaween’s 2024 lineup was the catalyst that sent me down to Florida for this year’s edition, and every artist I was excited to see delivered an incredible set. (The exception was Tash Sultana, who unfortunately canceled their set due to health issues – the only real disappointment of the entire weekend).
This festival does an excellent job of delivering a diverse range of artists, so there’s something for everyone. More importantly, it keeps the days from ever becoming boring.
The crowd at the mainstage during the String Cheese Shebang. Photo by Patrick Hughes.
Naturally, many of my favorite sets were from headliners like Tipper, CloZee, and Cory Wong, but the undercard also knocked it out of the park. I ended up spending hours each night at the DEF Off Limits stage (a brand-new addition to this year’s festival), and I rarely knew who was playing – we just knew that it rocked. There was a beautiful range of house and bass artists who played there every day, and the sound system combined with the aura of the trees and Spirit Lake nearby made it the perfect place to dance the night away until our feet were exhausted.
Phil Lesh, one of the original members of the Grateful Dead, passed away that weekend, and I couldn’t have imagined a better place to be upon hearing that news. The community came together to celebrate his legacy, whether it was artists paying tribute during their sets or people gathering to leave mementos and memories at his headstone in Spirit Lake.
A touching tribute to Phil Lesh. Photo by Steph Port.
As tragic as Lesh’s passing is, it made seeing the Bob Weir Incident (a special combination of Grateful Dead member Bob Weir and the String Cheese Incident) that much more special and unique. Both sets were polished to perfection and joyously fun, ending with a rendition of “Fire on the Mountain” that had the entire crowd singing and dancing along.
When the official sets were done, we made our way to the renegades to see what the afters had to offer. Camp Reddit had my personal favorite setup, and we got to check out dope sets from Honeycomb and other hip-hop musicians until it was time to head home for the sunrise.
Final Thoughts
Hearing about how amazing and life-changing a festival is for years before you go can sometimes lead to disappointment when you finally make it. Maybe the bar was set too high, and it didn’t quite live up to it, or you just didn’t have the experience that you wanted. Fortunately, Hulaween did not fit into this category. I was blown away by the entire event, and I was lucky to have one of the best festival weekends I’ve had in years – if not ever.
There are some festivals that I’ve been to that I’ve walked away from and thought, “That was fun, but I don’t need to go back.” Hulaween, on the other hand, is one I will absolutely be visiting again and again in the future any chance I get. Everything came together perfectly: the gorgeous swamp landscape, the top-tier sets, the crowd energy and silliness, and even the food. I felt completely fulfilled afterward, and I was ready to go home and share the loving energy with the other people in my life.
Hulaween’s efforts to stay independently owned and run have truly paid off, and it’s highly evident that the organizers care deeply about creating a special festival. If you’re ever looking for an event that rises above the rest and delivers something different, look no further. The magic at Hula is real, and it lasts long after the weekend is over.
In my years of festival-going, I’ve attended countless different events all over the country. Most of them have something unique to offer that nothing else can match – but ultimately, many of them start to blur together after a while into a haze of memories. At this point, it takes something truly unique to stand out from the rest, and I have increasingly found myself seeking out those gatherings to try and capture the same magic and awe I felt at my first camping festival.
However, no matter where I end up, one thing is constant: I often discuss past events with old and new friends. There’s something charming and bonding about meeting a new festie bestie and realizing that you both attended the same event – or even some of the same sets – at a festival that happened in years past. But something else people frequently do is recommend their own favorite parties, and one that has come up over and over and over again is Suwannee Hulaween.
I first heard of it when I was at Electric Forest, and someone described it to me as the “Electric Forest of the South.” At Tipper and Friends 2023, someone talking about the transformation of the grounds for Hulaween said it was “unreal; like another world.” I’ve been told it’s people’s favorite North American festival on several occasions, and many of the festival-goers in my social circle have a story about an incredible or life-changing set they once saw at Suwannee.
Naturally, hearing all of these glowing reviews quickly moved Hulaween up very high on my festival bucket list. When the 2024 lineup came out earlier this year, I immediately felt that it was time for me to finally check it out for myself.
The Culture and Magic of Hula
The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park offers camping unlike any other festival I’ve ever attended. When you drive in, you can park and set up anywhere within the campgrounds you’d like. This not only made it easy for us to meet up with our friends (without all having to arrive together), but it also meant that we had plenty of space under the trees – a luxury that many other events charge a premium for.
The very first thing that stuck out to me upon arriving was the care and attention that people put into their setups. People can begin camping as early as Monday, so they had plenty of time to create elaborate Halloween-themed displays for the amusement of their fellow festival-goers. We saw everything from giant skeletons throwing disco parties to graveyards to ghouls hosting cookouts, and it all added to the event’s atmosphere.
Halloween is a popular time for festivals, but this was my first time actually going to one – so it was a treat for me to see people in costumes all weekend long. While festival fashion culture has taken on a life of its own, it’s a bit different to see your traditional heady clothes and high-priced rave gear next to people in matching chicken outfits or Spirit Halloween pieces. Most of all, it was incredibly fun, and it made for an anything-goes vibe that only enhanced the party.
More important than decor or outfits is the energy that comes from the other attendees. It’s no secret that music festivals have gone mainstream in the U.S. over the last decade, and some events have crowds that have suffered as a response. Theft, fights, assault, and overdoses are sadly becoming increasingly common at a lot of festivals, but Hulaween is the first event I’ve been to in a long time where I didn’t see any of that in my time there. It was really special to not witness a medical call or worry about myself or my friends’ safety, and it allowed me to truly relax and enjoy each moment in a way I haven’t done for quite a while.
Hulaween draws an older, more experienced crowd, and everyone I interacted with was a seasoned festival-goer who knew how to contribute to the atmosphere rather than demand more from it. Hardly anyone was on their phones, whether it was during sets or at camp. And while it can be a little inconvenient at times to not have service during a festival, it forces me to unplug and stay present, which we can all use a little more of in our lives.
Of course, you can’t talk about Hulaween without touching on Spirit Lake. While all of the production and art installations at this festival were top-notch, there was something truly special about Spirit Lake. It was both spacious and intimate at the same time, and you could wander around it for hours without seeing everything it had to offer. The House of Lost was one of my favorite installations – picture an elaborate wooden cathedral with a fountain inside and soaring turrets. Every time I went in there, something different was happening, from spooky late-night sets with cryptid dancers to a talent show or an open mic.
All in all, the vibes at Hulaween have managed to stay beautifully preserved over the years, and I hope they continue to replicate it in the future.
The Music
Hulaween’s 2024 lineup was the catalyst that sent me down to Florida for this year’s edition, and every artist I was excited to see delivered an incredible set. (The exception was Tash Sultana, who unfortunately canceled their set due to health issues – the only real disappointment of the entire weekend).
This festival does an excellent job of delivering a diverse range of artists, so there’s something for everyone. More importantly, it keeps the days from ever becoming boring.
Naturally, many of my favorite sets were from headliners like Tipper, CloZee, and Cory Wong, but the undercard also knocked it out of the park. I ended up spending hours each night at the DEF Off Limits stage (a brand-new addition to this year’s festival), and I rarely knew who was playing – we just knew that it rocked. There was a beautiful range of house and bass artists who played there every day, and the sound system combined with the aura of the trees and Spirit Lake nearby made it the perfect place to dance the night away until our feet were exhausted.
Phil Lesh, one of the original members of the Grateful Dead, passed away that weekend, and I couldn’t have imagined a better place to be upon hearing that news. The community came together to celebrate his legacy, whether it was artists paying tribute during their sets or people gathering to leave mementos and memories at his headstone in Spirit Lake.
As tragic as Lesh’s passing is, it made seeing the Bob Weir Incident (a special combination of Grateful Dead member Bob Weir and the String Cheese Incident) that much more special and unique. Both sets were polished to perfection and joyously fun, ending with a rendition of “Fire on the Mountain” that had the entire crowd singing and dancing along.
When the official sets were done, we made our way to the renegades to see what the afters had to offer. Camp Reddit had my personal favorite setup, and we got to check out dope sets from Honeycomb and other hip-hop musicians until it was time to head home for the sunrise.
Final Thoughts
Hearing about how amazing and life-changing a festival is for years before you go can sometimes lead to disappointment when you finally make it. Maybe the bar was set too high, and it didn’t quite live up to it, or you just didn’t have the experience that you wanted. Fortunately, Hulaween did not fit into this category. I was blown away by the entire event, and I was lucky to have one of the best festival weekends I’ve had in years – if not ever.
There are some festivals that I’ve been to that I’ve walked away from and thought, “That was fun, but I don’t need to go back.” Hulaween, on the other hand, is one I will absolutely be visiting again and again in the future any chance I get. Everything came together perfectly: the gorgeous swamp landscape, the top-tier sets, the crowd energy and silliness, and even the food. I felt completely fulfilled afterward, and I was ready to go home and share the loving energy with the other people in my life.
Hulaween’s efforts to stay independently owned and run have truly paid off, and it’s highly evident that the organizers care deeply about creating a special festival. If you’re ever looking for an event that rises above the rest and delivers something different, look no further. The magic at Hula is real, and it lasts long after the weekend is over.
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Featured photo: Tara Gracer
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