Why Camp Alderwild Feels Like Coming Home

1 month ago 11

Camp Alderwild isn’t a run-of-the-mill festival experience. It’s an eco-focused community, an intentional escape, and a tradition you won’t be able to imagine going a year without.

Have you ever thought you lost a spark for something you once loved? Two years ago, that was me with festivals. Each lineup and offering felt bland and honestly repetitive, so much so that I took a three-year hiatus and had no idea if or when I would ever rejoin the festival scene again. That is until Of The Trees brought Camp Alderwild into the picture and rewired my brain chemistry, in the best possible way.

After the first year, it was clear this wasn’t just some rushed money-grab festival, but this year’s edition solidified that for me. Camp Alderwild is an intentional gathering where each energy present plays a part in the overall experience. A carefully curated space to allow nature and music to intertwine without leaving a lasting negative footprint. Where every face feels welcoming, and no one stays a stranger for long.

Camp Alderwild has an intimacy that instantly feels familiar. Walking through the gates is like being wrapped in a warm embrace from your grandma you haven’t seen in a long time — that unmistakable feeling of being exactly where you’re meant to be. When you choose to attend Camp Alderwild, it’s as if you’re coming home.

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Camp Alderwild is an undeniable love letter to nature.

When you’re at a festival, you’re one with the elements. Some festivals work with nature; others use her up and spit her back out once the weekend is done, leaving traces behind. Not Camp Alderwild. Here we are one with nature, from the cleanup expectations instilled by Of The Trees himself and his Alderwild Nature Fund to the activities available.

After each night, the grounds were nearly spotless thanks to attendees and the green team on site. It’s too early to know the town of Telluride’s thoughts on this year, but after year one, it was stated that Camp Alderwild was the least invasive event the grounds have ever seen, and I would bet this year is no different, even with the attendance growth.

To further elaborate, the importance of giving back to nature while also admiring its gifts is deeply embedded in the Alderwild ethos. Even the daytime activities reflected the same energy by offering things like upcycling old merch, plant workshops, an intro to fly fishing with Late Night Radio, and, on the more comedic side, a stick competition that was indeed worth stick-ing around for.

Photo Credit: Brizzle

Camp Alderwild attracts a crowd that knows what it means to be a community.

When you arrive at an event or festival, you can often get a sense of how the weekend will unfold by the people around you. At Camp Alderwild, that feeling is almost immediate in the best possible way. You may enter the grounds as strangers, but once you leave, every person feels like family.

There are no cliques or pretentious attitudes; just a genuine sense of community. Everywhere I looked, I saw people complimenting each other, offering water to those in need, showing love for complete strangers just because we care. Even Abby, Of The Trees’ wife, was grabbing random attendees’ phones to capture backstage moments, which might seem like a small gesture, but it helps paint a picture of what makes Alderwild special: here, there’s a sense that everyone is equal and able to be their true, authentic selves, sharing a wonderful experience together.

I’ve always believed that the people an artist attracts say just as much about them as the music they create. The community surrounding Of The Trees reflects his artistic spirit. It’s genuine and deeply rooted in nature and its elements. On top of that, it’s rare to find an artist who truly walks that path and not just to pull a crowd, and I feel extremely honored to be part of it.

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Of The Trees’ musical palette provides uncharted lineups.

Festivals lost their appeal to me for several years until Camp Alderwild appeared, and a big part of it was the stale lineups. Obviously, it’s not just the music that makes a festival a success, but let’s be honest, it is a big chunk of it, right? Of The Trees has always had his hand on the pulse of great music, and it bleeds into his festival curation too, not just his own sets.

This year’s lineup had variety and a few firsts that made me do a double take. The insane and first-ever Detox Unit b2b KOAN Sound set with Android Jones visuals was the first that was hard to ignore. Two of bass music’s most unique artists playing together for the first time ever, with one of the most sought-after visual artists in the scene? We got the best of both worlds, with classic melodic meets mayhem KOAN Sound elements mixed with Detox Unit tracks like his remix of Ludacris’ “The Potion.” I feel like that alone was worth the ticket price.

Another amazing musical moment was Kursa and Alicia Kiah. Although it was only available to those lucky enough to snag an after-party ticket, it was one of a kind. Kursa is known for his experimental bass and dubstep, but what happens when a classical instrument enters the chat? Alicia Kiah brought exactly that to the table, creating a completely new avenue of sound as their styles collaborated on stage. Camp Alderwild clearly isn’t booking generic sets.

Photo Credit: Brizzle

The headlining sets always reach new levels compared to the year before.

One cool difference from last year was that Of The Trees offered Daily Bread a co-headlining set. I thought it was big of him to even consider sharing the main moment with someone else since it’s his festival. That just goes to show you Of The Trees’ character, giving credit where credit is due.

On the first day, Of The Trees threw down a daytime set that I was craving. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good evening set, but getting a moment in the sunlit Telluride landscape while hearing an artist who encapsulates nature to his very core was exactly what we all deserved, including himself. He left the night in the hands of Daily Bread, and attendees were not disappointed to get down to his musical journey-filled set.

The second night was when Of The Trees pulled out all of the production.

The lights moved in a way that confused the crowd at first, leaving us wondering if they were broken, but once you adjusted your eyes, you were in complete awe. Then you start to notice white glowing balls covered in moss that were time-coded to perfection, creating an elegant frame around him as his beloved tracks filled the sky.

Even the moon was in on the gig; my friends and I joked that she was even time-coded herself. The moon decided to pop out from behind the mountains right as Of The Trees was sharing his heart with us, trying not to tear up on the mic. It was Mother Nature’s stamp of approval of Camp Alderwild.

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A bigger home for year three, with the same deep roots.

Although I’ve absolutely loved being in the breathtaking, intimate town of Telluride, after just two years it’s clear that the Camp Alderwild family has outgrown the adorable town. Between sets on the last night, a pleasant surprise appeared on the screen stating that a new home has been picked for its third year. A venue that’s familiar to Coloradans: Sonic Bloom‘s old stomping grounds, Hummingbird Ranch.

This move brings plenty of positives, starting with bringing the fest closer to Denver. This makes it much easier for attendees to travel, local or not, since the airport is just about a two-hour drive to the new location. It also opens the door for undeniable growth as Camp Alderwild continues to find its footing and expand the annual family reunion.

Another major plus? Daytime activities and after-party sets will all take place in one central location, meaning there’s no need to leave the festival grounds once you’re in. While I had no issues getting into the after-parties I wanted this year, I know that wasn’t the case for everyone. This upcoming year, with the larger surface area for his team to work with, everything can flow effortlessly into each other and all be included in one ticket. Camp Alderwild is moving up to bigger and better things in 2027, but the festival’s roots will always be deeply embedded.

Photo Credit: Shutterklick

Camp Alderwild acts as a reminder that the best festivals aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest budget or largest crowd; they’re the ones that leave something with you long after the final set subsides.

After losing my spark for festivals, I never expected to find myself excited enough to be counting down the days until the next one- 349 days to be exact. But somewhere between the music, the mountains, and the people, Camp Alderwild became more than a weekend I look forward to every year; it became a place I long to return to. And maybe that’s the simplest way I can explain it: you don’t just attend this event; you come home.