California Roots Festival

Day Three of California Roots started off slightly subdued as people recovered from the ecstatic energy of the night before. The warm, spicy smell of coffee from Bean Around the Block and Nitro-Cycle was in the air and people carted in blankets, sweaters and beanies in preparation for the chilly day ahead. Contradicting predictions, people instead ended up shedding layers early as the sun peeked through the clouds, warming the fairgrounds with a promising glow and inviting attendees to rise to the occasion as we headed into the second half of the festival.

As the day's shows started in earnest, people flocked to the Cali Roots stage to see Arise Roots. With psychedelic graphics in yellows, reds and greens painting the screen and the sun peeking out from behind the stage, the crowd joyfully danced along, interacting with the band in glorious call and responses. Beach balls were thrown in the nearby branches of the trees not yet dripping with lights, and clouds scattered themselves haphazardly across the blue sky. Hula hoops and handmade signs swung through the air as people sang along with abandon while lead vocalist Karim Isreal declared to the crowd that, "we're here right now, so we're going to enjoy the vibe to the fullest."

At lunchtime, Santa Cruz based Beach Hut Deli provided deli sandwiches to the entire Redwood Lounge free of charge. They went fast, selling out by 2:30pm and leaving satisfied customers littered throughout the lounge. Happy attendees filled the vendor stalls and art retreat, and staked claims for themselves at the Bowl and Cali Roots stages in droves, marking their territory with tapestries and picnic blankets, ready for their favorite bands to take the stage.

Collie Buddz took the stage at the Bowl at 3:00pm. Fans started coming in through the gates and claiming their spot as early as 2:30pm, creating a colorful patchwork of blankets strewn across the grass, people sprawled in the sunshine and waiting impatiently for the show to start. The pace of people cascading into the Bowl remained consistent until 3:15pm as the stadium slowly filled from end to end, the crowd becoming as dense as the intoxicatingly smoky air lingering above our heads. The air was heavy with the sense that something great was about to happen, we just didn't know what. As the opening tunes finally started Collie lit up the stage with his bright white smile and a vibrant gold bomber jacket, inspiring everyone to get up on their feet and dance along. The show continued and he took a brief break to express his love for the audience, telling his fans none of this would be possible without us. The sincere moment was punctuated by his second Cali Roots mid-show pizza delivery, with festival staff passing out box after box after box after box of Dominoes Pizza across the audience. The sense of community Cali Roots is known for shone through in that moment as everyone was careful to take one or two slices and give their box to the person behind them so that it traveled all the way to the back of the crowd, allowing everyone to be part of the moment. As the white and blue boxes were passed over heads in waves they created the illusion of a writhing sea of pizza across the entirety of the Bowl, the intoxicatingly cheesy scent blending with the potent smoke drifting above the crowd. The rest of the set passed in a blur as people chatted, danced, and munched on pizza delivered with love; jamming out with happy hearts and full stomachs.

CydeWays appeared on the Pop Up stage at 5:15pm, the personal space seeming to magnify their genuine connection with the crowd. Grooving by themselves for the first few songs, we enjoyed their mellow vibe and relaxed on the grass with drinks and joints in hand. After a few songs they welcomed Greg Shields, lead vocalist of Kash'd Out, to join them. Greg immediately raised the bar as he brought the first few rows of people to their feet, inspiring everyone to dance and sing along.

The energy remained high throughout the day, whether you were hanging out at one the stages relaxing in the grass, painting in the art retreat, exploring vendor booths or exploring the exclusive Redwood sections. Trike A Pose's photo booth on wheels wandered through the grounds, attracting a wide variety of customers as people were drawn to the whimsical cart and high energy of founder Emilio, a United States Marine Corp veteran whose entire goal in life is to make you smile. With an infectious laugh and irresistible vibe, the experience is a blast from start to finish and the finished photo strip is a beautiful, nostalgic memory to treasure forever. All profits from Trike A Pose fund a Veteran's Retreat to help battle PTSD.

The sun started to fall from the sky as Tribal Seeds took the Cali Roots stage. Their opening notes inspired feverish excitement from the crowd, people packed into every nook and cranny and reaching all the way back to Forever Stoked's booth at the rear of the grassy field. There was a discernible camaraderie in the crowd: everyone willing to help each other get to where they needed to go, encouraging each other to have the best time and dance to their heart's content. As I shimmied my way through the crowd and found my place on the grass, those nearby welcomed me with friendly cheers letting me know that I could hang with them but only if "[I was] going to dance!" For some people like Kaitlyn Davis of Carmel Valley, Tribal Seeds was the band of the night, waiting the entire night for a sound that, "vibrates through your heart and in your head." With neon lights prancing across the screen behind them, an enraptured fan stared at the stage and shouted that they've, "always felt that Tribal Seeds was…a bit sacred," a vibe clearly felt by the crowd as they danced freely into the waning light of the night.

The great vibes continued through the end of Day Three as I found a great group of people in front of the live stream at the Pop Up stage, getting to know one another in the glow of neon lights as Slightly Stoopid crooned from the Bowl. The rest of the night flew by almost too fast as we were caught up in conversation that could've gone on forever, feeling that unique connection between strangers that only Cali Roots can create. Mark and Will, brothers from California, were at the festival for only one night and soaked every bit of fun from their day. Mark, a huge fan of Stick Figure, purchased one of the frisbees being sold with Cocoa's face on it and got people to sign the back throughout the day to create a one-of-a-kind memory. Almost everyone he met has wanted to sign it, itching to leave their mark. Mark will treasure his frisbee forever: long past the moment he ceases to remember every signature or what happened each and every minute of the day, the feeling of creating those connections in the moment is what will stay with him.