I love participating in this event. Every year it is so refreshing, full of beautiful energy and so much magick. Thank you to Megan Hewitt from the Wild Hymns, who facilitates this fantastic festival. Watch out for next years date!!
The second annual Yoga Love Festival was held at Amethyst Retreat Center. This year was wonderfully planned to flow in and out of sound, yoga, and art experiences at a beautiful and sacred space.
The first festival was held before the lockdown, and was a beautiful event, but this years topped it.
There were local artist, healers, food vendors, musicians, and dancing!
There was an amazing artist from Pennsylvania that created a performance piece! King Prolific painted this upside down and then lit it on fire to reveal the woman!
There was Yoga, and Love.
Every year I look forward to this event! If you haven’t been, you need to keep your eyes out for it next year!
This was my first year at Inclusion Fest. It was held at the Kempton Community Center in Pennsylvania.
Inclusion Festival is an accessible music and wellness festival for everyone! Designed to accommodate all ages and abilities, featuring sensory-friendly and empowering live music, immersive experiences, and a large variety of educational and recreational workshops.
Inclusion Festival and our year-round inclusion programs are initiatives of Accessible Festivals, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to making music and recreation accessible to all people.
Inclusion Festival was co-founded in 2017 by Amy Pinder and Leah Barron. Amy and Leah met at a music festival in 2014, where they realized they shared the same passion and vision of creating a festival that welcomed people of all abilities. A few years later, another festival brought them together as they found themselves serendipitously camped next to one another and spent the weekend discussing how to turn their dream into a reality.
Accessible Festivals was co-founded in 2014 by Austin Whitney and Oren Shani. Six months after a car accident that left Austin paralyzed from the waist down, he attended a music festival that left him feeling joy and hope for the first time since his spinal cord injury. He joined forces with his friend Oren and decided to dedicate his life to helping others have the same positive and transformation experience.
Each of our inclusion programs celebrate the value of all abilities through music, art, nature, movement, and more— with a goal of shifting culture at other community events and spaces so inclusiveness and accessibility become the norm.
https://inclusionfestival.com/about-us/
My friend, Hex Botanical goddess, Alison Hunley invited me to join her as a vendor. I am so glad I did. It was the most wonderful weekend.
There were many wonderful activities and workshops for kids and adults. It was great that our kids were able to come and enjoy the event with us. They really had a great time doing all of the tasks and workshops. Playing on the playground and enjoying the hammocks! It was a very safe and supportive environment. Reminded me of a festival style Kids Yoga Love festival!
I had a wonderful weekend… from making bags for meals on the go, or watching Element sift for crystals! I also enjoyed doing the silent dance party. It was so fun and freeing. There were fire dancers with amazing performances. Old typewriters that we could write our manifestos on, and decorating the tablecloth with florescent ink.
Lets not forget seeing Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise play again!
It was such a creative and magickal weekend. Dancing and singing and creating with one another and our children. What a great way to bring in this new season.
I am so excited for next year! A beautiful way to bring together community and support one another.
The Karnival of the Arts Organized by Kollective Grounds, a diverse group of individuals, music festival contributors and true fans of music dedicated to enhancing the community and human condition through art appreciation and inclusion.
https://www.karnivalofthearts.com/
This was my first year at this event, and it was such an amazing experience. I set up my area to paint, sell my prints, and do henna. As people arrived, the campground slowly turned into a beautiful scene of color and life!
This was my first festival that I did live painting at! There are a few artists and friends that I know who are really amazing Live painters, who go to MANY festivals to paint while jamming to live music! Jenny Mathews was the amazing artist that invited me to be apart of this experience.
Artists in photos from top left to bottom right:
It was such an awesome experience painting live at a festival. I felt a freedom and excitement that I hadn’t felt before. I am so looking forward to doing it again!
I was also asked to create an interactive mural for everyone… so we did the flower of life!
The weekend was so perfect to bring people together through the arts. I got to spend some nice one on one time with a few friends and make art!
The Karnival of the Arts is such an amazing experience! The next one is going to be Sept 1st-4th 2022 at Kempton Fairgrounds, Kempton, PA.
The first ever Kids Yoga Love Festival was held at Amethyst Retreat Center in July 2021. Chelsea Parcels created a wonderful event for children of all ages!
Every child is an artist, the problem is how to remain an artists once they grow up.
Pablo Picasso
This was more than just a Yoga festival, it was full of experiences that allowed our inner child to play, dance, create, and explore!
The event offered Yoga inspired classes for all ages, Vendors, delicious food, ice cream, hiking, dancing, drumming, community art, beginner friendly. Kirtan, henna, forest meditation, friends, kittens for adoption, magic show, super hero martial arts class, Qigong, nature + SOooo Much More!
The day began with an opening ceremony with Chelsea Parcels & Emily Turin who performed of her very special song, “Send Out A Smile.”
Nicky Yesser lead us all in dance time.
I truly felt my inner child filled with joy as I danced along with the kids! You can feel her heart as she leads the kids to express themselves through dance!
There were many yoga classes held, Jennifer Lynn Teens Yoga Class, Kids Yoga Class with Erika Malorzo, Holly Keich, Kids Yoga with Suzi Zappile, Nat Aiello Yoga for Toddlers, Jennifer Lynn, Erika America Family Yoga Nidra, and Amy Necci Tween & Kids Yoga.
Rickie with Reiki by Rickie lead workshops for kids. It was so wonderful seeing Rickie work with kids and teach them about Reiki! So powerful to see children taking time to slow down and listen and feel the energy around them.
Dani & Shelley Herlihy played Kids Kirtan for us. Their music is beautiful and all the kids enjoyed sharing in song with them!
Julie Niblett read her book “The Talking Stick,” based on a true story of a boy who was bullied, and utilized the native American traditional talking stick to communicate and overcome obstacles.
Participants were able to make their very own talking stick, followed by a traditional circle discussion about effective communication. This was such a powerful experience for kids to have! We need more of this.
There was a Magic Show with River Barry, who has been immersed in the entertainment world for over twenty years. One of the most original and in-demand acts out there, River’s style of entertainment emphasizes moving beyond the present moment to help find an equal balance between self and nature, allowing the individual’s movement to be inspired by the moment. A magician, bubble artist, and rock balancing artist, River is committed to sharing the expression of the four foundational pillars of physical, mental, spiritual and financial.
Emily Turin, read her book “Herbert likes Sherbert.”
About the book: It seems at first to be a story about a child’s reluctance to try new things. As the story progresses, he learns that while cherishing memories is beautiful, sometimes holding onto something for too long can hold us back! Share in Herbert’s discovery as he braves the outcome of making new choices.
William Autore shared, ”Finding Your Future”
About the book: Finding Your Future written by author/artist William Autore, featuring his son on the books’ cover, is a comprehensive guide to self awareness and discovery of one’s purpose. Debuting in 2017, Finding Your Future is currently in talks of becoming a school based curriculum in New Jersey and an independent short film.
Kathy Conners Bucher lead everyone in Super Hero Training where they practiced their special powers and talk about what makes these super humans special. They finish the class learning what special powers they possess and how to bring them forth to help humanity. Experiences like this set the stage for a more self aware child!
Tammy & Jack Bray Yoga “Sacred Silliness” is always a favorite of mine. We did group giggles as we stretched, moved, and got our joy on playing in Laughter Yoga. So amazing… to show kids its ok to be silly and be you!
For the weekend I offered Intuitive Henna, and sold prints of my artwork.
I also hosted a Flower of Life workshop for the kids, allowing them to co-create in completing flower of life murals. This taught them the importance of our choices, and being tolerant of others choices. Also it was a nice lesson in the idea that sometimes things don’t always go the way we expect them to… the universe sometimes throws new things in the mix.
There was also William G Pagan Live Performance with his Didgeridoo, which were out of this world! Qiqong with Kathy Conners Bucher, Chad Brown live music, Forest Meditation with Erica Jo Shaffer, and a community fire with music, and s’mores!
Thank you Emily Zebel for capturing the day so beautifully!
Chelsea did an amazing job bringing together people from different backgrounds to create a safe and magickal environment of creation, exploration, experimentation, questioning, expressing and reflecting.
Her next event is the 2nd Annual Yoga Love Festival. (this one is for adults.) The first Yoga Love Festival was an amazing success! I am so grateful and honored to call her friend and be apart of these amazing experiences!
The first ever Central PA Yoga Love Festival was hosted at Amethyst Retreat Center in Dillsburg PA. Chelsea Balance envisioned and created an amazing yoga event for all.
There were so many amazing vendors, musicians, and yoga instructors! This was the first year for this event, and I look forward to the next one!
There was a buddhist meditation lead by Bhante Soma from the Blue Lotus Temple in Carlisle, Pa. After the morning meditation, attendees were able to visit vendors in between multiple yoga sessions!
There was a powerful bonfire on Saturday night, that lead to a lot of releasing and healing energy for all who participated. Amethyst was vibrating with so much energy!
The next day there was coffee and breakfast along with morning yoga and a meditation.
I was a vendor at the event, and also the artist for the event materials!
Thank you Chelsea for following your heart, bringing your vision to life and inviting me to join you in this event! Check out this youtube video from the event!
Watch out for a Kids Yoga festival coming this year!
Migwetch
This years Earth Love Festival at Amethyst Retreat Center in Duncannon Pennsylvania was a beautiful demonstration of community, collaboration, and love.
Nicole Sharkey is the visionary who thought of this beautiful festival 3 years ago, and has since turned it into an amazing opportunity for all, to gather and to heal.
The Earth Love festival grew out of my desire to experience and share joy, forge connections in our community, and understand different perspectives on how to live in harmony with each other and the Earth.
The Earth Love festival is my way of sharing my gifts to create beauty.
I hope you will join me as the Earth Love festival evolves into its second year.
With love,
Nicole Sharkey
Thank you Nicole Erin Sharkey for following through with your beautiful vision and leading by example… when we are compelled to create something, we should let go and follow through with actions to manifest our deepest desires.
Thank you Indian Summer Jars, Kevin Koa, Holland, Cumberland Honey, and Shrimp Ryan’s Jig Band for following your passion and sharing the joy of your being with us through sound!
Thank you Pat McCabe, Susquehanna Alchemy, and Sarah Poet for facilitating such a safe space for communion and vulnerability. The stories you shared, the passions you have and how they all intertwined with our now, was a beautiful synchronicity, balance and flow to be witness to and apart of… thank you for helping me to remember the romance.
I am so grateful for all of you.
Amethyst Retreat Center is a space for all who wish to find peace and love within the land, and their community. During this event there was a pretty intense storm that damaged a few vendors tents and products, as well as one of Amethyst’s new event tents. Please consider donating to the retreat center to help keep the space beautiful and available for new and exciting events!
Miigwetch and gizaagi’in
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