HARVEST FEST TAKES TECHNO TO THE FARM
BY BENJAMIN BOLES
|
HARVEST FESTIVAL featuring
ADAM MARSHALL, CHOCOLATE, JARKKO, JEREMY P. CAULFIELD, NEERAV, the DUKES and others, Saturday
(September 21), Aldida Organic Farm, Bond Head (for
directions, see http://www.harvestfestival.org/).
$33 advance, more at the gate. |
Every few years the party scene goes through a period of
self-questioning and change.
The issue this time around is the dissatisfaction with
corporate-funded big parties and the move from warehouses to clubs
in general. Yet most of Toronto's more successful production
companies evolved out of similar crises years ago.
The Harvest Festival, located on an old farm, is a prime example.
It's a community-minded, participation-driven annual celebration of
the autumn equinox that grew out of the Alien Visitation raves of
the mid-90s.
Centred around a huge bonfire rather than a famous international
DJ, the Harvest Festival is the antithesis of Goldclub and Smirnoff
mega-events.
"The idea came about through a party I throw called Boreal, which
is a camping canoe trip," Justin Martin explains over the din of a
Queen West bar. "About 80 people all get on a bus and go up to
Georgian Bay and have a little party around a huge bonfire. We
thought it would be great if we could get hundreds of people dancing
around a bonfire."
And so the search for a location began. At first Justin Martin
and his partner, Lana Pitkin, knocked on random farmers' doors,
posing as film location scouts. Coincidentally, a mutual friend,
Violet, who was the source of the introduction that led them to the
Harvest Festival's permanent location, is also at the bar the night
of the interview and sits down at the table to remind them of her
role.
"Justin was telling me at an Apex event, 'I have this vision for
a party and it's in a barn and there are lights coming through the
sides.' A few minutes later I'm chatting to my friend Rocco, and
he's telling me that he just moved back to his family farm, so I
yell, 'Hey, Justin! This guy's got a barn!'''
Now in its fourth year, the Harvest Festival has grown to three
separate areas. The barn is the main room and focuses on techno,
tech-house and house. Lit from the outside with powerful film
lights, it features multiple levels and a huge sound system. Because
of the obvious fire hazard, no smoking is allowed in the barn, which
is one more factor distancing it from normal club events.
The second room is a huge pyramid built for the event where
downtempo and drum 'n' bass play. New this year is the old tractor
garage, which farm owner Rocco has organized as a space for dark
tech-trance.
Participation is a big part of the party, and every year the
organizers are surprised by the unsolicited projects that partiers
bring to the event.
"People do really special things," Lana reminisces. "Like last
year, a girl brought 80 homemade pumpkin pies, made from scratch,
that were given out for free."
Alien Visitation parties grew out of the still-young rave scene
of the early 90s. Justin had been working security for various bars,
and got called in one night to work the door for a Kemistry rave at
the Party Centre (now IT Nightclub). Blown away by the experience,
he was soon working mainly for parties, and it wasn't long before he
got the itch to start throwing his own events.
"It's always been about throwing parties that I would want to go
to," explains Justin.
benjaminboles@hotmail.com
|
.gif){kind=small}
