By: Ellie Salrin

The inaugural ARISE Music Festival is going down this week, August 14-18, at scenic Sunrise Ranch in Loveland, Colorado. Five stages will host an intriguing mix of musicians, artists, activists, yoga practitioners, visual performances, as well as workshops, seminars, films, and guest speakers.

The venue is a self-sustainable ranch and farm in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains about an hour outside of Denver. Recognized as a place for learning, reflection, and transformation, it is a perfect place to escape and explore a brand new festival with a unique and sparkling roster of artists like Michal Menert, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Chali 2na, Random Rab, Desert Dwellers, Lynx, Janover & ReSunator, David Starfire, Octopus Nebula, Project Aspect, Omega, Future Simple Project, Nico Luminous, MIRAJA, and many more.

Tickets

The gate prices will be a bit higher, but are TBA. General Admission All Festival Passes are available for $210. There are two-day (Friday-Saturday) and one-day (Saturday) passes available for $160 and $95 respectively.

VIP All Festival Passes are available for $450 and include backstage access, hospitality lounge with food and drink, and VIP merch; GA camping. VIP All Festival & VIP Camping Passes are $650 and include all of the above plus access to the pool, hot tub, sauna, hot showers, and indoor bathrooms (glamping anyone?). Super VIP Experience Passes are available for $1,000 and include all of the above along with VIP parking with re-entry, special viewing area and backstage access, meet and greets, extra merch loot, portrait session with professional photographer, and free massages in the VIP tent.

Onsite car parking (with 3 or more people), small RV parking (20 ft. max with 4 or more people), or large RV parking (over 20 ft. with more than 5 people) are free to encourage carpooling. Otherwise, parking is $20 per vehicle. This is a great feature as RV camping is usually taxing at festivals.

Experience

More than just a music festival, ARISE will feature an amazing variety of activities, films, installations, and performances to explore. Catch a captivating performance by Quixotic, who blend art, dance, music, film, and aerial acrobatics into a performance you should not miss. There are more than 20 performance artists for your viewing pleasure that will be performing throughout the weekend.

Presenters and activists will be speaking on a range of topics including sustainability, environmental causes, culture, genetically modified food, and more. Independent films and documentaries will be screened. Devotional, spiritual, meditation, and yoga  classes and sessions will be held at Temple of the Heart.

There will be a plethora of art and installations being created and displayed by a colorful collage of painters, graffiti artists, inventors, video artists, multimedia workers, and beyond. Get involved with workshops like hemp construction, greening initiatives, erotic massage, as well as several variations of dance including a couple on movement and choreography presented by Quixotic.

Get in on contests like Best Decorated Campsite or Most Green Campsite for a chance to win VIP upgrades and access to private sunset parties. Stop by for a brewsky at the Craft Beer and Wine Village or visit the Hemp Village, Kid Village, or Organic Food & Beverage Village.

Sustainability/Environmental Awareness

The home of the festival has been a sustainable community and organic farm for 68 years. Take the green challenge and incorporate as many re-used, up-cycled and locally sourced items for your campsite. There will be composting and recycling programs onsite, as well as compostable products for food and beverage and locally based vendors.

The main theme of ARISE is a community experience. The many souls that will converge on this brand new festival will surely be a fun and creative bunch, the music and art serving as a totem that takes away inequality and judgment, leaving only love and understanding. As Paul Bassis, producer of ARISE, said, “The music is like the fire...and we all gather around it to warm our souls.”