Thousands pray for peace at Rainbow Family fest

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Thousands pray for peace at Rainbow Family fest
| July 4, 2014 | Updated: July 4, 2014 3:25pm

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — About 8,000 members of counterculture group the Rainbow Family have arrived in eastern Utah for the annual gathering's final celebration, officials from the U.S. Forest Service said Friday.

Members on Friday join hands in prayer for world peace, releasing one big "om." The ritual takes place every year on July 4th.

"It's just so beautiful," said Karena Gore, who travelled from Montana. It's her fourth time participating in the gathering, she said earlier this week as she listened to friends strum a guitar and sing along to a Cee-Lo Green song. The prayer is one of her favorite parts of the gathering, she said.

Also on Friday, the group communes for a picnic. In days leading up to the main event, cooks in about a half-dozen makeshift kitchens prepared to cook about 500 pounds of pasta for the event.

The gathering has rankled nerves this month in neighboring Heber City overloading the local jail with people charged with misdemeanors, officials said. A roving federal court room also rolled up to a meadow about a mile away from the expansive campsite. A judge processed the charges that included drug possession and having a dog off a leash.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Thousands-pray-for-peace-at-Rainbow-Family-fest-5600368.php

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(Associated Press wants you to know this group is "counterculture." Are you shaking in your boots? Do you want the big old scary gummint to smash them to bits for you? They just might be leftists, you know!)

[shenmue]

1. They held one of their gatherings in the woods not far from me

when I was in graduate school.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Do they have them in the same region every year?

They seem peaceful. I can't imagine why AP is trying to trivialize them unless someone is guiding them to start spinning public opinion against them, for one reason or another.

[shenmue]

4. Not sure

Maybe they have different groups living in different areas.

When I was in school, there was a stir as to whether they'd mess up the park. They did their meeting in a big state forest.

I think as long as they don't hurt anyone and don't make too much of a mess, they can't be too bad.

[PeoViejo]

5. They have a crew that stays behind after each event to clean-up and restore the area.

The group that lives near here get hassled all the time. we have a camp nearby and have been stopped by roadblocks whenever they have a meeting.

[shenmue]

6. Okay, then

Hey, as long as they fix whatever they started, I'm fine.

[WhiteTara]

15. No, they move around the US and one year

I went to one in Arkansas...maybe 73 or 74. I have one photo in my box of pics that shows about 1000 naked people standing in the river. It was an incredible event.

[Cal Carpenter]

16. The National gathering is always around 4th of July and moves sites from year to year

There are also regional gatherings throughout the year in different places - some very small (~25 people) some quite large (3,000+ people). Some of these rotate locations, others use the same site every year.

Or at least that's how it was done many, many moons ago. I haven't been to one in a looooong time. But I went to a couple national gatherings and several regionals way back when...

[Drahthaardogs]

17. We had a Rainbow gathering in my town once

And I hope to never see those people again.

[RKP5637]

3. Hmmmm ... I bet this is not endorsed by the MIC! How un-capitalistic to not want war! n/t

[DeadLetterOffice]

7. I went to one of these in NC back in '87

It was fun. And I found out why rain forests are called rain forests -- I don't think I was totally dry even once the entire week I was there.

The food was yummy, and the drumming circles and other music were great.

Definitely not the sort of thing to be endorsed by the MIC. So sad.

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

8. I went one year, when it was out of Usk, Idaho

Had a good time, lost a wooden bowl...

It may have been '85.

[IDemo]

11. Do you mean Usk, Washington?

There was a gathering a few years ago in Idaho. It was near Stanley, nowhere near Washington.

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

14. I did a search of sites, and maybe it was '81 in Washington

I just recall the name of the town, visited my Grandmother in Idaho on the way there. I don't think it was the Idaho 82 gathering, but maybe... Such a long time ago. A few years later there was one on Mt. Shasta if memory serves me.

[onehandle]

9. Very nice. I've prayed for peace, on my own and as asked to by priests during Mass.

Damn counterculture Catholics!

[subject]

10. some Rainbows are like that...

50 cop cars with dogs waiting to turn you into a criminal at the entrances of the parks. This is not an unfamiliar scene. Roving court?....thats a new one to me. m'r f'n FASCISTS!

[JEB]

12. Praying for peace and singing.

Shouldn't they be shopping or tuning their stock portfolios.

[jwirr]

13. Many years ago they met in nothern MN. People freaked out about it but in the end nothing big

happened. I think Utah taxpayers are being taken for a ride. In MN the local law enforcement met with their leaders and as long as minors were not involved no charges were brought regarding drug use or dogs off the leash.

They were interesting and many of the vehicles they drove were the old "hippie van/bus" type. The worst thing that I heard happened was a couple who did their laundry had stripped down to underclothes (some say naked) so all their clothes would be cleaned. Scandalized the local ladies! And terrorized the men.