The cultural event that I have attended was the Watershed Festival in Quincy, Washington. It is country music that is sung by the top 21 country music singers. This is a whole weekend of camping, meeting new people and just to kick back and relax to the fabulous country music. Well the relax part is non-existent at the Amphitheatre. This was an experience that only the wives went to on a girl’s weekend. None of us had never ever been to this festival and we didn’t know what we were facing when we were going there. We drove over on a Thursday night and thought that if we made it there by midnight that the gates were going to be closed. But nope they were open all hours of the weekend. It was insane how many people where pilling in and setting up their camps with flashlights, phone lights, car lights, and I even seen lighters flickering so they could set up. I couldn’t believe my eyes, hundreds of vehicles pilling about two feet from each other. There was blaring music, people partying, huge racked from everyone setting up their camps. Not to mention that the tents were only wide enough for a people to walk single file though all of the tents and vehicles. It was crazy and I never would have expected to be that close to my neighbors. I was thinking that, wow I am going to really get to know my neighbors and if someone farted everyone is going to smell it. I remember getting all of our stuff set up and it was around 1 in the morning. I was just lying on my air mattress thinking to myself, I am not going to get any sleep through this weekend. I tried to close my eyes to fall asleep and I just couldn’t drown out the sound. Yep it was an all nighter that night; we sat up and just watched everyone in amazement. The music singers that were in the lineup for the weekend where Miranda Lambert, Trace Akins, Keith Ruben, Toby Keith, Brake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley, Lady Antebellum, Thompson Square and lots more. It was amazing how 25,000+ people can fit in the amphitheater area. When I was down at the theatre I looked as far as I could see and it seemed like there were millions of people everywhere. The music was as great as if it was a CD or radio playing. It was gorgeous when you looked at the theater and you could see the gorge behind it. There were all sorts of people not just country lovers. There were rap dressers, gothic looking dressers, and hip-hop dressers. Everyone was very nice and down to earth. The weather was very hot and the only showers was took were in our bathing suits down at the river. It was hilarious how many people bath in the river/lake to cool down and soap up. We brought down our shampoo and conditioners, shavers, and lotion. The water was disgusting but after sweeting all day the nice cool water made you feel fabulously clean. I will never remember all of the smells that you can smell in just one weekend at the gorge! I smelt the BBQ’s going with the smells of stakes, and chicken. One neighbor was cooking spaghetti and another cooking rotten fish or something. The smell of the dirt, dust and perfume up my nostrils all at once. Or my coffee that I made from the battery charger and coffee pot off my car. Which everyone that walked by thought I was a genius. I could go on and on with my experiences but I what to save some excitement for if you ever went there. It was an experience that I would go back to every year and experience it again and again. But next time I have learned what to bring and not to bring. What to expect even though there was never a dull moment. It was a blast, got to meet new friends and listened to my favorite music. I would encourage everyone to at least experience the weekend at the Watershed Festival at least once in their life.
Brandie Lorenz 