We recently returned from our first Joshua Tree Music Festival, held from May 18-21. The trip was rocky to start, but we powered through and ended up having a fantastic time in the desert as a family. We’ve very slowly eased our way back into social settings and events over the past year or so, and I’ve been wanting to get back into the things I used to do before the pandemic — and really, before I became a mother. This festival, being extremely family-friendly, felt like a good opportunity for us to get back out into the world.
The desert heat made the festival challenging at times, but what I loved about JTMF is that it’s independent and managed/produced by a community of volunteers and local folks. There are so many families and kids running around, and just happy, drama-free people. They don’t pack in the crowd, and there’s lots of space everywhere for people to wander and play. Music-wise, as a whole it’s a bit too mellow and granola for me — give me more loud electronic music, more fast beats, more bass — but we did discover some new bands we like: Balkan Bump, The Last Internationale, Trouble in the Streets, Sgt. Splendor, Golden Dawn Arkestra… Still, I was able to go out dancing for a bit on Friday night — when Garza was DJing during an unexpected rainstorm with thunder and lightning — and we were also able to stay out late on Saturday night to catch Balkan Bump‘s really fun, lively set while Emilia was passed out in our wagon.
JTMF is held twice a year, in May and October, and we hope to return in the fall!
