Blossom Visits The Great Blue Heron
Less than 2 hours south of the city of Buffalo, there exists a magical piece of land affectionately known as The Heron. It has been the home of one of New York’s longest running folk festivals for nearly 30 years, for those keeping score that’s way before Bonnaroo, not as far back as Woodstock but it certainly has maintained aspects of the latter. Every 4th of July weekend Steve and Julie Rockcastle, with a little help from their friends, open up their home to 5,000 music lovers for a long weekend filled with acceptance, love and high vibrations for people of all ages.
There is a real family feeling as soon as you pull down the hill. The staff is incredibly accommodating, making sure there’s a good spot for you to park, and even helping campers get into the woods with golf carts. The woods are well groomed but still wild and offer plenty of protection from the elements. We were able to find a great spot with a soft, flat ground with enough space to make a small fire pit to cook food to tell stories around at night.
Everyone is truly treated as a guest of the property, never herded like you feel at many large gatherings. Maintained pathways allow for everyone to move freely without congestion and clogs of checkpoints. Fantastic, high quality vendors were set up like an exclusive handmade shopping mall with vendors from all over the country. There was so many options for food including organic, vegan, grass fed beef, homemade pizzas, breakfast, coffee…The staff wants you to have a good time and go out of their way to make it happen.
We really enjoyed ourselves and it was great to relax and refresh with a few nights under the stars.
Thank you Julie, Steve, Payge, Jen, Kip, Debbie, Rob, Chandler, Mark, Dan, and every other wonderful soul we encountered at The Heron!
Make time to visit.