(revised and updated February, 2021)
Table of Contents
Hippie Rainbow Family of Living Light Meeting
What are you planning for the 4th of July?
Thousands of free, peace-loving peoples attend the Rainbow Family of Living Light event each year. Hippie types of all races and ages pour into Green Mountain National Forest in Mt. Tabor, Vermont for the 25th annual gathering of the Rainbow Family of Living Light.
“We love you,” men yelled out to the droves of arriving visitors. “Welcome home!” It is the gathering of the Rainbow Family of Living Light’s greeting given to all guests.
Every summer, the group gathers in some part of the country to pray for peace and celebrate their unusual community.
There is no admission fee. All supplies are donated by gatherers, or paid for with money donated to the Magic Hat. No money is exchanged within the Gathering. This frees us from legal and licensing entanglements and protects our Constitutional right to gather on public lands.
Who Attends
There is no membership fee to the group and they have no headquarters. In fact, they call themselves “non-members”. Disorganized is how they describe their organization. It and the gathering are open to all races, faith, and ages.
The leaderless group has always refused to apply for a required permit from the U.S. Forest Service. Yet, they gather each year in a US National park. The Forest Service has always stood close by but allowed them to meet.
How Many Attend the Hippie Event
While early arrivals have been able to park relatively close to the site, those who come next week will likely have to hike in from miles away.
Officials estimate 2,000 had already arrived by Tuesday morning, even though the official opening is not until Friday. By noon, traffic on the dirt road at the park entrance, Forest Road 10, was clogged with cars and vans from almost every US state and Canadian province.
‘Welcome Home’ banners hang between trees on dirt trails leading to makeshift kitchens, campsites, and freshly-dug latrines. Peace symbols are everywhere.
The forest service says they are expecting close to 20,000 which could strain the public services of Mount Tabor, which has a population of just 250.
It is a Spiritual Event
“At the core of this, it’s a spiritual event. We refer to the gathering as our cathedral of nature,” explained Gary Stubbs, 67, a former sitcom writer from California who says he rarely misses the event. “The basic purpose is to pray for world peace on the 4th of July. That’s the crux of the matter, but it’s also a family reunion.”
“At the core of this, it’s a spiritual event. We refer to the gathering as our cathedral of nature,” explained Gary Stubbs, 67, a former sitcom writer from California who says he rarely misses the event. “The basic purpose is to pray for world peace on the 4th of July. That’s the crux of the matter, but it’s also a family reunion.”
If you would like to attend, click here for the directions.
Here is a “mini manual” for the yearly event.
Among other things it reads, “what you use is your own business. What you abuse is often everyone’s business. It has long been a tradition in our Family to discourage alcohol at a Gathering. Alcohol energy can easily threaten. We respect a person’s right to drink, but we do not respect difficult drunks.”
“The primary reason we gather is for peace. Some intoxicants can have mind-expanding and sacred uses. However, we actively discourage giving powerful psychedelic drugs like LSD to people who don’t know what they’re taking, or who don’t have the experience and mental stability to handle them.”
“Remember also there’s no guarantee on what somebody you don’t know gives you on the trail. If in doubt, spit it out. If you observe an overdose, freakout, or other drug caused a problem, contact Shanti Sena and C.A.L.M. immediately.”
The Rainbow Family of Living Light twitter handle is @rainbow_family_