2008 Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival
The fifth annual Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival starts on June 5th and runs through June 8th. Organizers are planning on more than 13,500 guests, which would make Clinton State Park the second-largest city in Douglas County until the festival wraps up. See videos, photo galleries, the Wak Talk blog, Best Bets, and more about the Wakarusa Fest.
On the street
How do you feel about having the Wakarusa Festival in the Lawrence area?
I think it’s great. It brings a lot of interesting people that come from all across the country. It’s shades of Woodstock, and it’s good for the Lawrence economy.
Photo Gallery
June 5, 2008 Severe Weather
A line of heavy storms moved through Douglas County and much of Kansas June 5, 2008.
Past Event
Wakarusa Music & Camping Festival 2008, Day 2
featuring The Flaming Lips / Cake / Built to Spill / Blackalicious / Paw
- When: Friday, June 6, 2008, 10 a.m.
- Where: Clinton State Park, Clinton Lake, Lawrence
- Cost: $49 - $469
- More on this event....
2008 Wakarusa Video Portraits
A severe storm moved into Lawrence Thursday night as expected, although it had weakened from earlier in the day in central Kansas.
The storm did cause an early end to the opening day of the Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival at Clinton State Park.
About 7:45 p.m. festival organizers along with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office began to warn festivalgoers to seek shelter where they could.
"Many people have either gone back to their tents or their cars," said Tasha Riggins, the festival's media coordinator. "I've seen some people leave, but most people have gone back to their tents or cars to ride out the storm."
Emergency officials and dispatchers did not report any major damage in the area Thursday night.
Many who drove from out of state for the festival were left to either secure their tents and wait out the storm at the park or scramble to find a place in town.
Dick Schaeffer, of Belton, Mo., said Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical personnel told him he could seek shelter at a fire department.
Mission resident Jeff Millikan, 47, tried to hold down his tent with extra weight: a cooler, a bicycle and more rope.
Katie Maloney, 24, and Caitlyn Morris, 21, who came to Lawrence from Pennsylvania, were frustrated with the lack of options and said they didn't receive much information about safety precautions.
"I don't like it because I was worried about tornadoes and stuff before I even came to Kansas," Maloney said.
On Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued advance warning in the state about a severe storm that could produce an outbreak of tornadoes. Lawrence escaped the wrath of a tornado, but received the brunt of strong winds, rain and reports of pea-sized hail.
By 11 p.m. Thursday, Westar Energy reported nearly 250 power outages in Douglas County. A storm spotter reported wind gusts up to 70 mph two miles north of Lawrence.
"Part of the area did catch tornadoes, and fortunately in the far east here, we did not, other than a few brief things," said John Woynick, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Topeka.
With advance warning, Wakarusa organizers posted signs at the festival entrance for people to be aware of a severe storm and also handed out fliers with ways to stay informed and what they could do.
After the storm had passed, festival organizers and the sheriff's office were assessing the situation to see whether the concert could continue Thursday night, but lightning was still being spotted. Riggins said she didn't immediately hear about any weather-related incidents.
Comments
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labmonkey (anonymous) says…
Those poor hippies (although I would love to see Cake).
kansas_o_kansas (anonymous) says…
Action hippie! And I say that with love...
autie (anonymous) says…
Well thats the one thing about many hippies, they have the ability to adapt, improvise and overcome. Who else could have ever thought to make a pipe out of a toilet paper roll?Hope they get to rock on this weekend...it sounds like a good time..maybe not as much good time as Winfield though.
toe (anonymous) says…
It was not as bad a storm as it was predicted to be, fortunately.
KansasPerson (anonymous) says…
Looking forward to hearing from multidisciplinary, TOB, and everyone.... hope there was no damage to homes, dogs, trees, little tykes tables, studs etc. :)
cheeseburger (anonymous) says…
cool-Given that there is minimal shade and no air conditioning out there, don't you think the months of July and Sept. would be a little harsh for a multiple-day event like Waka? Sounds like your plan would certainly result in an increase in heat-related emergencies.
The_Original_Bob (anonymous) says…
July is too hot. September is school. June is just fine. A little rain has never hurt anyone. That, and there is no guarantee July wouldn't have the chance for bad storms as well. Outdoor event. I didn't go this year, but a few buddies did. The sherrif went around saying storms were coming with big winds and they tightened up camp, hopped in the car, gave me a call, and we had a few beers at Free State. Storm blew through, rained a bit, we said good night and they headed back out. I haven't heard from them today, but it didn't appear that winds were that bad. Festival back on.
storm (anonymous) says…
A lovely bonding time it was last night, not quite like Woodstock. It was really nice after the ten minute downpour.
Boston_Corbett (anonymous) says…
Cool's ideas are generally idiotic.
Boeing (anonymous) says…
What's with the Kiribati flag in the picture? I didn't know it was a hippy haven...
geniusmannumber1 (anonymous) says…
It ties the room together.
Gootsie (anonymous) says…
I learned in charm school that you shouldn't discuss weather because it is boring.I think they were wrong.peace out.HippieGoots
Confrontation (anonymous) says…
"I don't like it because I was worried about tornadoes and stuff before I even came to Kansas," Maloney said.Do us a favor: Stop your whining or don't come back. Don't expect anyone else to hold your hand during natural disasters.
fourkitties (anonymous) says…
I saw Cake back in 1997 when it was called the Jayhawk Music Festival. I had cancer that year and my hair was gone. I was wearing a ball cap to keep the sun off of my newly bald head. I had been close to the stage but backed off when the mosh pit started. Even so, I somehow got my hat knocked off. I was so embarrassed at my bald head. I was 14 with no hair. everyone looked at me like I was nuts. I told someone I had to get my cap back and he literally dove into the mosh pit under all the people jumping a retrieved my hat. I now think maybe he knew from the look of my well known prednisone swelled face and missing hair that he knew what was going on. Thank you, whomever you were.
Fort_Aubrey (anonymous) says…
"Do us a favor: Stop your whining or don't come back. Don't expect anyone else to hold your hand during natural disasters."Jeez. What an attitude, Confrontation. These kids are OK. The festival is good. Tornados are scary to non Midwesterners. Give it a rest. Be nice to someone today.
Soapdish (anonymous) says…
Awwww Fourkitties...that's a sad, sweet story. Hope things have been going better for you since...
gr (anonymous) says…
"Emergency officials and dispatchers did not report any major damage in the area Thursday night."Good thing there's global warming. Otherwise with a larger temperature difference between the poles and the equator, there may have been a large number of tornadoes and damage.
George_Braziller (anonymous) says…
Wow, what a suprise. b3 posts yet another bitter comment. Do you actually have a life or is posting one sentence nastiness on public forums it? Is there anything that you like or appreciate -- it seems like the answer is "no."Pull away from the keyboard and look out the window. There is anything outside of your four sad walls?
bearded_gnome (anonymous) says…
Boston_Corbett(Anonymous)says:Cool's ideas are generally idiotic.---check!***yes, thunder/lightning/tornados are scare to outlanders. you guys go visit california during an earthquake, then have the local yocals make fun of you, too. am glad nobody got hurt in the weather. there certainly was potential for bad stuff. ***one asked above about how we weathered the storm. north lawrence here. power went out twice, less than five seconds each time. very heavy rain, wow the lightning/thunder was incredible. houses hit by lightning. not ours though.
Confrontation (anonymous) says…
Fort_Aubrey: These punks were complaining that they weren't cuddled through the storm. Feel free to leave on the bus with them.
GratefulSistah (anonymous) says…
Thursday night was a fabulous night. No music, and yeah, that stunk, but there I was with some of my best friends, chillin at Waka. We laid on the ground and watched the best freak out lightening show ever, drank beer and Mojitos AND water while listening to live music in a pop-up, and when the rain was done, we hula hooped in the mud. It was a spectacular evening! (Oh, and by the way, I shower daily, thanks, as do my dreadheaded friends. Maybe you're smelling your own rotten attitude about hippies...)