Boomtown Fair 2022

This year, Boomtown brought with it a sense of immense excitement and cautious apprehension. It’s no secret that three years of lost revenue would impact any festival, let alone one that reinvests so heavily in the spectacle of art and culture. The recondensation of the city was the talk of the town as the anticipation rose with the citizens gathered at the gates. As the fences were cleared and life began to flood the streets, worries faded as people were consumed by the twists and turns of the redesigned city.

In the blink of an eye, the main stages were brimming with the thick smell of burning sage and adoring faces anxiously awaiting the opening ceremonies. Heartfelt words, sowing the seeds of community bloomed under the harsh sun. No amount of heat could exhaust the energy as the ceremonies culminated in an extravaganza of music, dance, and the pyrotechnics that Boomtown is beloved for. The first act to greet the crowd at Grand Central was the legendary Dick and Dom; a duo that fueled the generation that now stood before them as adults. Other musical highlights included De la Soul, who invigorated the crowd with their classic hits; and Biig Piig making biig waves with their soulful hip-hop and high-energy DnB.

Music was not the only thing to behold this year, the organizers went above and beyond to create a cohesive and mesmeric city to lose oneself within. Encounters with characters like the Council of Elders bore gifts such as seed-embedded cards reading ‘Plant Yourself Anew’. Not every stone can be turned, but researching the finer details truly brought a humbling sense of vast community spirit, one that embodies every inch of Boomtown. And for that the citizens are immensely grateful, there is no doubt that Chapter 2: The Twin Trail shall deliver an equal if not greater show.