The String Cheese Incident returns to The Spirit of Suwannee Music Park this Halloween weekend to host the second annual Suwannee Hulaween, and it’s pretty hard for us to contain our excitement! In addition to three nights and seven sets of Cheese, this spirited lineup boasts the likes of Thievery Corporation, Big Gigantic, Beats Antique, The New Deal, Shpongle (Simon Posford DJ set), Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Emancipator, Greensky Bluegrass, Dean Ween Group, Conspirator, and more.
With the festival taking place at one of the most beautiful live music venues in the country, the 800 acre playground offers sights and experiences that should not be missed during your stay. From the breathtaking Suwannee River to Spirit Lake, to yoga and flow workshops, to special Halloween sets, the entertainment and activity choices at this festival are endless and incredible. Here are Vinyl’s top picks for what not to miss and partake in while at Hulaween this year.
1. The String Cheese Incident’s Halloween Show:
Cheese’s Halloween show is always a special one. The three-set spectacle is always filled with surprises and, in true Cheese fashion, it is always a party you do not want to miss. Last year’s Halloween extravaganza included a second set full of themed covers backed by the Antibalas horns and vocalists Rhonda Thomas and Tony White. They opened the set with AC/DC’s “Hells Bells,” and other songs that were included were “Voodoo” (Neville Brothers), “Spirits in the Material World” (The Police), and “Voodoo Child” (Jimi Hendrix), among others. Cheese’s costumes were “Voodoo” themed, there were on-stage performers including fire dancers and voodoo dancers, large orange pumpkins were tossed into and bounced about the audience, and the world’s largest cobweb worked its way from the stage all the way to the back of the audience. This year’s performance will play to the theme “The Afterlife,” and we can only imagine the covers that will be heard, the costumes that will be on display, and the visual production that will captivate and enthrall everyone in attendance.
2. Spirit Lake
Spirit Lake has quickly become one of the most anticipated experiences of Hulaween. This year the visual experience returns with an artistic glowing menagerie of multimedia metalwork, paintings, sculptures, light projections, and live performances that morph the prehistoric-looking forest into a vivid dream-like space. This forest area, adorned with Spanish moss-draped oak and cypress trees, sits adjacent to a small lake and naturally fits and plays into the Halloween theme.
Andy Carroll also returns to Hulaween this year as the Art Director of Spirit Lake, and from our chat with him about this year’s visual experience, Spirit Lake will be bigger and better than last year’s. We suggest taking it in and exploring Spirit Lake both during the day and night. Whether catching some shows at the Spirit Lake Stage or just taking some minutes to relax, we guarantee Spirit Lake will become one of your favorite things at Suwannee Hulaween this year.
3. The Suwannee River
The first time we set our eyes on the historic Suwannee River, we had never seen anything like it before. The flowing river water was as dark as coffee and was a sight to be seen. The white sandy banks contrasted with the black water and were lined with trees draped in Spanish moss. Last Hulaween, we took some time one afternoon to ourselves and set up our hammocks on the river bank to take it all in. If this is going to be your first time at The Spirit of Suwannee Music Park, we highly suggest taking some time to at least catch a glimpse of the river, and if you’re feeling adventurous, canoe trips down the river are available. While people have gone for a dip in these waters, the Suwannee River is unpredictable, and swimming is at your own risk.
4. Thursday Pre-Party
For the first time, Hulaween will host a Thursday night pre-party featuring Electron (Aron Magner and Marc Brownstein of The Disco Biscuits/Conspirator, Tom Hamilton of Brothers Past/American Babies/JRAD, and Mike Greenfield of Lotus, Particle, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, Modern Measure, and MZG. So why not start the weekend a day early? We can’t find a reason not to.
5. Yoga and Flow Workshops
We’re all about raging and restoring while at festivals, and there’s no better way to stay centered and healthy than to partake in some of the yoga offerings these festivals have to offer. This year, Hulaween is providing an extensive schedule of Spirit Lake Yoga and Flow Workshops. From “Inputting and Understanding DANCE for your HoopDANCE” with Lee Jeffries, to AcroYoga, to Vinyasa Yoga, these workshops cover a wide range of interest and seem to almost have something for everyone. Whether a beginner or advanced, take some time for yourself at this year’s Hulaween.
It all started when a much younger Jackie dove into her parents’ record collection, grabbed that trippy Magical Mystery Tour album, and played “Strawberry Fields” over and over again until it was engrained into her soul. She grew up on the dreams and stories of Simon and Garfunkel, “Bleeker Street” being one of her favorites, the seduction of The Doors, Van Morrison, because “Brown Eyed Girl” is definitely her song, and the likes of Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Jimi Hendrix…you get the picture. It may not show on the outside, but Jackie has a hippie heart, and that reflects in her musical tastes today. While some of her favorites may or may not be jam bands, her taste in music feeds into many genres. From alternative, Brit, and indie rock - OK, maybe all rock - to pop, to rap, to electronic, she loves it all. As a northerner, she thought she would never understand country until she found herself on a Georgia farm in cowboy boots watching Luke Bryan shake it for her- yeah, she got that. She is a chronic wanderluster, she doesn't believe in guilty pleasures, enjoys a great Moscow Mule, and is an absolute music festival fanatic- you’ll find her wherever the music takes her.