Festivals without motor vehicles
July 22, 2022 1:50 AM Subscribe
I am looking for festivals (around the scale and vibe of a small regional burn, ideally) that are put on without the use of any motor vehicles.
This includes both setting up the festival and attendees traveling to the festival. Ideally this would be somewhere fairly outdoors, but there's obviously a tension between that and not using motor vehicles to get there.
Does this exist? Anywhere in the world is fine.
This includes both setting up the festival and attendees traveling to the festival. Ideally this would be somewhere fairly outdoors, but there's obviously a tension between that and not using motor vehicles to get there.
Does this exist? Anywhere in the world is fine.
Any events on Eigg, since you can't bring a car there http://isleofeigg.org/events/. They have limited vehicles on the island https://islandsgoinggreen.org/about/eiggtransport/
posted by Ardnamurchan at 5:45 AM on July 22, 2022
posted by Ardnamurchan at 5:45 AM on July 22, 2022
Apart from the obvious but nonspecific "people had festivals before they had motor vehicles" & "people have festivals in parts of the world where motor vehicles are still rare"...
I don't know of an entire festival run this way, but a couple of components might be:
- Rock The Bike's pedal-powered soundstage
- N55's Parkcycle Swarm for an urban environment (cargo bikes carrying astroturf-covered platforms)
PedalPalooza in Portland is mostly a festival of shorter rides in the city, but it's pretty big! There is usually at least one event that gets out of the city, like riding to a campground to watch a movie.
I'm kind of surprised that I can't think of any better examples. This should be way more common!
posted by sibilatorix at 12:30 PM on July 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
I don't know of an entire festival run this way, but a couple of components might be:
- Rock The Bike's pedal-powered soundstage
- N55's Parkcycle Swarm for an urban environment (cargo bikes carrying astroturf-covered platforms)
PedalPalooza in Portland is mostly a festival of shorter rides in the city, but it's pretty big! There is usually at least one event that gets out of the city, like riding to a campground to watch a movie.
I'm kind of surprised that I can't think of any better examples. This should be way more common!
posted by sibilatorix at 12:30 PM on July 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
What do you define as a festival? I can't think of much other than some large backpacking events that would meet your requirements, depending on what you include as setting up the event.
Most events of any scale need at least a few portapotties which require trucks to get them in and out (and service). Events like the world naked bike ride are going to have ambulances on site. And food, ice, and water are heavy to the point most people aren't going to want to have to carry in everything themselves.
posted by Candleman at 12:31 PM on July 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
Most events of any scale need at least a few portapotties which require trucks to get them in and out (and service). Events like the world naked bike ride are going to have ambulances on site. And food, ice, and water are heavy to the point most people aren't going to want to have to carry in everything themselves.
posted by Candleman at 12:31 PM on July 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
most people aren't going to want to have to carry in everything themselves.
I am thinking you may not have been to Portland on WNBR day. It's not just the bike ride itself. There's also the masses of people in varying stages of nudity biking to the event from all over the city. Bikes can carry more than just people just fine.
posted by aniola at 1:39 PM on July 22, 2022
I am thinking you may not have been to Portland on WNBR day. It's not just the bike ride itself. There's also the masses of people in varying stages of nudity biking to the event from all over the city. Bikes can carry more than just people just fine.
posted by aniola at 1:39 PM on July 22, 2022
Sure, but that's a far cry from the regional burns referenced by OP, which is why I asked for clarification. If the use of "any motor vehicles" is literal, it's going to be very hard to find for reasons I outlined above, particularly if OP is interested in the feel of a burn, which is a multiday camping trip with a lot of communal infrastructure (even on the small end). I'm a regular cyclist but I wouldn't want to try to bike with a 12x12 canopy let alone something bigger.
And while yes, I have not been to Portland's WNBR, it doesn't meet OP's requirements as I read them. There are police in cars. There are medical personnel in vehicles. At least some of the years there's concerts with a PA system that would be driven in. A substantial portion of the attendees do get food and beverages from businesses that are provisioned by motor vehicles.
posted by Candleman at 2:30 AM on July 23, 2022
And while yes, I have not been to Portland's WNBR, it doesn't meet OP's requirements as I read them. There are police in cars. There are medical personnel in vehicles. At least some of the years there's concerts with a PA system that would be driven in. A substantial portion of the attendees do get food and beverages from businesses that are provisioned by motor vehicles.
posted by Candleman at 2:30 AM on July 23, 2022
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However I am sure there are plenty of motor vehicles involved in transporting and setting everything up, and many people arrive to the general area via motor vehicle. So not really 100% there.
But in theory you could do most everything they do without motor vehicles - particularly if the venue were (say) on a trail as this one is, and also had good train connections and say a riverboat port. If you can bring a few thousand people and their stuff in via train and/or ship, it really helps.
posted by flug at 2:55 AM on July 22, 2022 [1 favorite]