Well Summer Campers, It has been a week since I had the time of my life at Summer Camp Music Festival. It’s crazy to think of all the cool things I was able to be a part of as a Counselor in Training.
I went back and read my first blog to remind myself of my pre-fest expectations and it is hysterical how off I was! I don’t think there is any way I could have prepared to be a CIT. After 9 years of coming to Summer Camp, I really wanted to share all the essential parts that make me come back again and again. While music is a huge factor, the food, vending, vibe, and sense of community is unlike any festival I have ever been to. [caption id="attachment_13679" align="alignright" width="300"]
Summer Camp 2013[/caption]
This year I experienced how the fest operates first hand and I met a ton of amazing people who help pull all the parts together in order to give us all a home away from home on Memorial Day weekend. Without their dedication and hard work, Summer Camp would have ceased to exist many years ago. After talking with them and seeing their passion for Summer Camp, it is clear this fest will be around forever.
So based on my experiences, these are the real Summer Camp Counselors…
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Mike Armintrout multitasking at Summer Camp![/caption]
Mike Armintrout organizes the vendors, helps craft the line up, books artists, and oversees operations throughout the fest. He has been with Summer Camp since it’s very first year and is extremely passionate about providing Summer Campers with a well rounded festival experience. Most of the vendors that come to Summer Camp return every year thanks to Mike’s hard work and dedication. With the help of Ian Goldberg of Jay Goldberg Events & Entertainment and Don Sullivan of Jam Productions, he carefully craft lineups that provide Summer Campers with an amazing variety of music year after year. If you ever wondered whose decision it was to book Lettuce, Big Boi, and Trey Band all on the same day, these are your men.
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Vanessa Robinson orchestrating the Make a Difference private barn show![/caption]
Vanessa Robinson is in charge of the Green Team and Make a Difference, which encompasses sustainability, non profits, volunteers, Soulshine and accessibility. She is the person to thank for the Live Art Gallery, raffles, treasure hunt, and the private Everyone Orchestra show held in the barn on Sunday. While she has a ridiculous amount of responsibilities, she runs Summer Camp like a BOSS! Every project she is a part of is well thought out and geared towards promoting a healthy Summer Camp community.
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Gabrielle Falconer holding down media head quarters![/caption]
Gabrielle Falconer is in charge of media, marketing, and publicity for Summer Camp. This lovely lady is the main contact for all photographers, videographers, and press. In other words, she makes sure the fest gets documented so Campers can relive their favorite moments over and over again. Gabrielle is also the person who provides communication between the fest and those that attend it through social media like Facebook and Twitter. It is her job to let us know about changes in the line up, when ticket prices go up, or where to find some awesome videos from our favorite sets at Summer Camp.
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Danny, Adam, and Graham, making dreams come true at Summer Camp 2013![/caption]
Daniyel Turner and Graham Sauser run the Summer Camp Counselor Program with the help of their intern, Adam. These gentlemen worked diligently to get the Camp Counselors and CIT’s their most sought after interviews, made sure we had everything we needed to make the best blogs for the fest, and even carted us around from time to time so we didn’t have to miss our favorite music. Without their help, I would have never gotten the chance to interview Karl Denson or Allie Kral, sit in the photo pit while Umph raged “All in Time”, or witness all the hard work it takes to put on an amazing fest like Summer Camp. There are over a dozen bloggers and cameramen they take care of throughout the weekend in order to share the Summer Camp experience with the rest of the world.
I can not tell you enough how awesome this festival family is. The effort they put forth to enhance our experience is something I have never witnessed before. I find it funny that I have been to Summer Camp so many times and yet it never occurred to me that there was such a small group of individuals pulling all the pieces together behind the scenes. I can not thank them enough for providing me with the most amazing memories and helping me feel like a kid again every year at Summer Camp.
THANK YOU!!!
Carmel]]>
