Happyland Music Fest 2011

This past weekend we hosted the 4th annual Happyland Music Fest and it was epic. This year we increased it to two days/nights. Friday night featured more laid-back, acoustic music while Saturday afternoon/night was…well…something different. Over the course of the weekend we had around 100 guests laughing, singing, and dancing in our back yard. I can’t begin to describe what an awesome weekend it was. You simply have to experience Happyland to understand it. But perhaps these pictures will give you an inkling of how much fun we had.

The Woodstock-inspired poster I made

Tent City at Happyland

The best money we spent for this affair

Fun in the pool

Happyland is the next best thing to Christmas

which sort of explains the Santa.

You knew there would have to be a pirate flag, right?

Just because

“Bonesaw” has a broken arm

so he didn’t get to perform this year.

“Busker and Bellows” – first time to perform at HMF

Mandala – also a first time HMF act

White Lions

(Unfortunately I didn’t manage to get pictures of all the groups.)

Herman (the dog) was a real crowd pleaser.

Santa as security guard

Pocket Change

David and his cigar-smoking buddies

My son loves the ladies

Calla – the official HMF mascot

She has attended all 4 HMFs

My lovely daughter (on right) with

long-time family friend

Some of the Happylanders

A first time attendee from New Orleans –

Just catching his second wind

Just chillin’ in the pool

30 bottles of champagne chilling in the tub

(No, we didn’t choose that tub color. Yes, it’s on our project list.)

“Ballz Deeep” – Saturday headlining band

One of our classier guests –

He brought real glasses for his wine.

“I’m proud to be an American

where at least I know I’m free.”

My beautiful and totally awesome kids

My son, otherwise known as

DJ Yachtsman

David’s favorite part –

lighting the bonfire

Captain Manhands

of Ballz Deeep

Dancing by the fire

Aw, Cookie Monster is ‘sweepy’.

This probably best represents HMF.

Sunday morning HMF circle time

Bottle graveyard

We put wristbands on everyone and collected keys.

Safety first!

So much trash!

But they did a really good job separating it for recycling.

Everclear-injected watermelon.

Some of the aftermath

New rule for HMF5:

No throwing of bananas by Ballz Deeep.

I suggest grass seed – the dancing area could use some.

Taking down the food/ice chest tent Sunday morning

Utterly disgusting

David totally filled the back of

his pickup with the recycling.

Calla checking out the “White Lions”

David rinsing out the glass bottles to recycle

The crazy family that hosts this event every year

Even though Happyland Music Fest ended Sunday morning, the afterglow lingers on. It’s been so fun to see the comments and pictures on Facebook. Lots of attendees are now using pictures taken at HMF as their profile pics. I keep seeing the following in my news feed: “_______ and _______ are now friends after attending Happyland Music Festival.” And person after person keeps saying it was the most fun they’ve ever had which makes me so happy.

Plans for HMF5 are already underway and we’ve been asked to make it a three day affair. Gulp. Ask me again *after* the last of the champagne-coated equipment has been wiped off and stored away. And after that pool has been cleaned and disinfected. 😉

*Most of the pictures in this post were taken by me. Others were taken by:

Lisa Sharp (my daughter)
Ryan McMahon
Nick Isom
Erin Hibbard
Jamie Pittman