By: Cole Epley

Festi di Bella Vida – May 28-30, 2010

Harmony Park – Geneva, Minnesota

www.bellamusicfest.com

Nestled into the serenity and cool comfort of southern Minnesota, this year’s Festi di Bella Vida is bound to satiate even the most eclectic of musical tastes. Situated in a natural, ancient setting largely unscathed by the toils of modern man, the oak-filled encampment of Harmony Park plays gracious host to almost 50 bands playing on three stages. This year’s fun begins on the 28^th of May and concludes on May 30^th. Attendees this year will find themselves immersed in a hodgepodge of musical diversity and a lineup featuring genres running the gamut from house to reggae-fusion, from classic rock icons to livetronica.

Headliners EOTO and Pretty Lights will make Bella Vida worth the admission price, and if that isn’t enough for electronic aficionados, add Ana Sia, Boombox, The Histronic and Jon Wayne & the Pain on top of it all to constitute one of the grooviest festivals in the region. Not as familiar with the lineup as you wish? Worry not—festival experience abounds with collective appearances of artists ranging from Coachella, SxSW, 10,000 Lakes and Ultra Music Festival.

Tickets: The final tier of event passes to Bella Vida is on sale now at the homepage with less than 200 remaining. The price for passes is $125 and, for the procrastinators, tickets will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the gates for $145. VIP Passes for the event have sold out.

Camping: Camping at Harmony Park is included in the price of the event pass; remember that you will NOT be camping with your car, so pack lightly. RV passes have sold out due to limited amount of available spaces, however, attendees will be allowed to park their RVs in the back of the parking lot. Keep in mind that there will be no power or water connections available in the parking lot. Campgrounds will be open at noon on Friday, along with the parking lot. Note that it will cost $5 to park your car.

Stages & Vendors: There are three stages of music at this year’s Bella Vida to accommodate the nearly 50 performing acts that will be present. A variety of food and crafts vendors will also be located throughout Harmony Park. Live art installations will also be located throughout the venue and include the heady Minneapolis illustrator Chuck U, Chuck Hues’ ‘Psyca-Doodles’ and Jeredt Runions’ self-taught eclectic style.

Facilities: Porta-potties will be located throughout Harmony Park to facilitate nature’s calling. A well and dump station are available, but be sure to pack water for yourself for drinking, cooking, etc. to avoid the inevitable lines at the well. Showers? Campfires are permitted within the tent city, but outside firewood is PROHIBITED due to the potential for disease-carrying parasites. Fireworks are also prohibited, along with any and all glass containers. Service animals are the only pets allowed within the confines of Bella Vida. Kegs are not allowed, but campers may bring in a reasonable amount of alcohol for the weekend’s festivities (Note that a keg is not considered to be a reasonable amount of alcohol.)

Natural Surroundings: Situated right on the beautiful Lake Geneva, Harmony Park’s environmental surroundings have been used by man for countless generations. In the time that the Native Americans inhabited the lands, a sand bar was discovered that allowed fishermen to cross the entire body of water. Oak saplings were bent to demarcate the landmark, and the bent saplings grew into natural archways at each end. Though one of the ancient oaks has since succumbed to the elements, acres upon acres of old-growth oak trees populate the area surrounding the lake, and the east end of the sandbar still features one of the bent oaks.

Activities: Fishing is allowed on Lake Geneva, which is subject to all State of Minnesota and federal regulations. Bicycles, unicycles and the like are also permitted, just be conscious and respectful of your fellow festival-goers. No unauthorized vehicles such as ATVs or motorcycles will be allowed.

Untz Featured Genres: breaks, dubstep, livetronica, drum & bass, house and hip hop.