Written by Jason Gottfried
Do you remember the ‘60s? If not, maybe you were there! You can relive the psychedelic pioneering of the mind responsible for your amnesia this coming Pioneer Day at Utah’s most unique summer music festival, Mystic Hot Springs Music Festival. Held at a picturesque natural hot springs resort located in Monroe, Mystic Hot Springs will hold a four-day-long music festival July 23-26. There’s no better way for Utahns to celebrate Pioneer Day!
Similar to boutique festivals like Las Tortugas and Bobolink, the Mystic Hot Springs Music Festival is for music lovers who wish to avoid the hassles and indignities that typically come with larger-scale summertime events. One could think of it as a serene version of Burning Man mixed with Woodstock but without the burgeoning chaos or insanity (or at least with less) and with a heavy communal and spiritual emphasis. Audience capacity is limited, so attendees can expect intimate sets from these amazing musicians and once-in-a-lifetime listening experiences. For example, how often do you get to see a live show from the luxury of private bathtubs on the hill?
Featured performers at the Mystic Hot Springs Music Festival include Nahko and Medicine for The People, Animal Liberation Orchestra, The Mother Hips (with special guest Nicki Bluhm), Hot Buttered Rum, Random Rab, The Brothers Comatose, TAARKA, Dead Winter Carpenters, and Head For The Hills, Delta Nove, Lunar Fire, The Drunken Hearts, Tracorium, Free Peoples, Talia Keys and Marinade, Fred Torphy and the Spirits, Lipbone Redding, The Good Time Travelers Christopher Hawley and Emily Yates.
Beloved by touring acts from around America, Mike Ginsburg (aka Mystic Mike), the hot springs owner, festival host, and longtime Deadhead, has been hosting nationally touring bands at his intimate venue for two decades. The Mystic Hot Springs provide a stunning backdrop to the festival, with natural hot springs, mountain peaks, Grateful Dead-inspired hippie buses, and a collection of authentic pioneer cabins.
The Springs are a historic site rich with spiritual significance, particularly to Utahns, and they have long been a peaceful gathering place where music and celebration were commonplace. Before Thomas Cooper and his wife homesteaded and made the hot springs their home in 1882, nomadic bands of native peoples from the Ute, Shoshone, and Piute tribes would make their camps on the warm ground near the hot springs. As settlers arrived, the hot springs became popular as a resting place along the “Old Spanish Trail.” The hot springs represented a place of peace and neutrality, where even warring tribes would lie down their arms to enjoy nature’s gift.
In 1916, the property was sold to Charles Wilkes, who built a dance hall where traveling orchestras would stop and play their music. Mystic Mike has continued to uphold this tradition, honoring the land as well as the people who enjoyed and nurtured it in the past.
Besides music festivals, the intimate geological wonderland setting also makes a perfect location for outdoor activities such as rafting, paragliding, and hiking. Attendees to the Mystic Hot Springs Music Festival can also participate in a number of workshops focused on permaculture, geothermia, sustainability, art, and activism. A hometown parade and a world-class fireworks show will occur during the festival, making for a celebration like none other!
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.mystichotspringsmusicfestival.com.
