National Rainbow Family Gathering scheduled for July 1–7 in Cherokee National Forest

Posted on — Jake Frankel

Here’s some of the info via the Rainbow Family of the Living Light website:

The Annual Rainbow Family Gathering is celebrated during the first week of July (1st – 7th) and is hosted in a different National Forest within the United States. Since approximately 1972 there has been an Annual Rainbow Family Gathering every year with some states having hosted more then one Gathering within it’s borders. Of all the various types of Rainbow Family Gatherings, The Annual Rainbow Family Gathering of the Living Light is by far the largest of Family Gatherings. In high years the mass of family can exceed 30,000 souls and has also enjoyed the energy much the same with as few as 7,000 belly buttons in attendance.

These rather large freeform gatherings are attended by a broad and diverse spectrum of people although the hippie movement has a larger appeal to the media. Truth is, you can meet almost anyone from almost anywhere at a gathering. The celebration is commercial free and there is absolutely no charge to attend a Rainbow Family Gathering.

The 2012 Annual Rainbow Gathering will be celebrated in Cherokee National Forest. The site is East of South Holston Lake between the lake and Holston Mountain in the NE corner of Tennesee. N 36.50175 W 82.04347

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Jake Frankel is an award-winning journalist who enjoys covering a wide range of topics, from politics and government to business, education and entertainment.
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4 thoughts on “National Rainbow Family Gathering scheduled for July 1–7 in Cherokee National Forest”

  1. bill smith

    If attending the gathering, be prepared to be harassed by local and Federal law enforcement for very minor offenses. Every year the Forest Service hands out hundreds of tickets for everything from failing to signal in a dirt parking lot at 3am, to having a feather hanging from your rear-view mirror.

    Don’t let this dissuade you from going. Just be prepared.

    If this is your first gathering, go with a very open mind and very few expectations. It’s a camping trip with your closest 10,000 friends. Help out, join in, have fun. Bring toilet paper.

  2. bsummers

    “Bring toilet paper.”

    And drinking water and good hiking shoes for the walk in. Pack as light as you can. It’s a fairly steep 1-1/2 mile trail up to the site. Watch for poison ivy. Bring raingear, zuzus, musical instruments, and your belly button.

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