Last week we huddled on the side of a road high in the Green Mountain National Forest, near the entrance to the Rainbow Family of Living Light's temporary encampment. My new friends — three twentysomethings and an aging hippie from the family — were unsure if we needed to hide our opened cans of Budweiser from patrolling U.S. Forest Service officers. Their every passing movement drew warning cries of "Six-up!" from our fellow congregants, who were taking a midday break from their tents and hanging out on the side of the road that serves as the encampment's southern boundary. The Rainbow Family dates to the early 1970s and celebrates nonviolence, intentional community building and nature. It chose to hold its annual gathering this summer in the town of Mount Tabor, about 15 miles north of Manchester — the first Vermont gathering since 1991. Forest Service officials anticipate that this year's festival, scheduled for July 1 to 7, will draw 10,000 to 20,000 participants. When I visited, only about 700 people had arrived at the camp. Their campsites were scattered along a three-mile, U-shaped muddy trail that could barely fit two people standing sideways. Between distrustful glances at the law enforcement officers, or "LEOs," a few of the early arrivers tried to explain the group's philosophies. "It's free, not in the sense of money," said Donovan, a sweet-tempered kid from Arizona. He declined to provide his last name but offered to serve as my ambassador to the gathering. "The people that come here find themselves, who they truly are," Donovan continued. "Society says, 'Have a job, buy a bigger house, have a family,' and some people aren't about that." The Rainbow Family claims it has no leaders — it's "the largest non-organization of non-members in the world," according to its nonofficial website. The people I met might not have been in charge, but they were die-hards who had come early to establish "seed camp"— worker bees blazing trails and building infrastructure for the massive party to come. The gathering will culminate on July 4, when, after a morning of intentional silence, congregants will stand in a massive circle in a meadow, hold hands and chant. Rainbow Family gatherings are organized around a handful of trailside camps and kitchens that cook food donated by campers and visitors, dish out free meals and supplies, and serve as social hubs. Every…
Last week we huddled on the side of a road high in the Green Mountain National Forest, near the entrance to the Rainbow Family of Living Light's temporary encampment. My new friends — three twentysomethings and an aging hippie from the family — were unsure if we needed to hide our opened cans of Budweiser from patrolling U.S. Forest Service officers. Their every passing movement drew warning cries of "Six-up!" from our fellow congregants, who were taking a midday break from their tents and hanging out on the side of the road that serves as the encampment's southern boundary. The Rainbow Family dates to the early 1970s and celebrates nonviolence, intentional community building and nature. It chose to hold its annual gathering this summer in the town of Mount Tabor, about 15 miles north of Manchester — the first Vermont gathering since 1991. Forest Service officials anticipate that this year's festival, scheduled for July 1 to 7, will draw 10,000 to 20,000 participants. When I visited, only about 700 people had arrived at the camp. Their campsites were scattered along a three-mile, U-shaped muddy trail that could barely fit two people standing sideways. Between distrustful glances at the law enforcement officers, or "LEOs," a few of the early arrivers tried to explain the group's philosophies. "It's free, not in the sense of money," said Donovan, a sweet-tempered kid from Arizona. He declined to provide his last name but offered to serve as my ambassador to the gathering. "The people that come here find themselves, who they truly are," Donovan continued. "Society says, 'Have a job, buy a bigger house, have a family,' and some people aren't about that." The Rainbow Family claims it has no leaders — it's "the largest non-organization of non-members in the world," according to its nonofficial website. The people I met might not have been in charge, but they were die-hards who had come early to establish "seed camp"— worker bees blazing trails and building infrastructure for the massive party to come. The gathering will culminate on July 4, when, after a morning of intentional silence, congregants will stand in a massive circle in a meadow, hold hands and chant. Rainbow Family gatherings are organized around a handful of trailside camps and kitchens that cook food donated by campers and visitors, dish out free meals and supplies, and serve as social hubs. Every…