Fire Lights Festival Burning Bright in its Fourth Year

Contributed

Get into the experience that is the Fire Lights Festival. Now in their fourth year, the multi-day concert, which provides on-site camping, brings audiences a variety of live music along with experiences like meditation, yoga, sound-healing, and workshops.

BEGINNING FRIDAY, AUG. 16

Now in its fourth year — and second at the Heron grounds — the Fire Lights festival shows no signs of slowing down. With headliners like New Zealand's TRUTH, Colorado's Sunsquabi, and California and New Mexico's Desert Dwellers, the fest has talents from all over the world as well as from all around the region. With 101 musical performances spread out over three days, the beloved farmland in Sherman, N.Y. will once again find itself brimming with excitement. There's the Middle Eastern fusion trio Consider the Source, a special Mac Miller Tribute from Rochester called Come Back to Earth, along with Gantzer Does Pink Floyd (featuring members of Aqueous, Moe., and Twiddle), Minka, Land of Panda, and Jason Leech.

Of course, as anyone who has been to Fire Lights before will attest to, the music is just the beginning.

With dozens of different informational panels, interactive improvisational experiences, and the eponymous fire flow performances, it's virtually impossible to take everything in.

"We have some really awesome workshops happening," detailed Andrew Lehr, one of the festival's founders. "We have ice baths, yoga, meditation, and sound-healing sessions. We also have instructional workshops on how to make electronic music and how to write a song, as well as how to spin or be in the flow community." There are workshops for painting, audio/visual techniques, and harm reduction (limiting the negative consequences of recreational drug use) as well.

There will be a new stage constructed, with what was known as the Disco Inferno to be deemed the Dragon Stage (Heron-goers tip: it's at the Drum Circle Stage) complete with an LED wall and lasers.

"Fire Lights has really grown over the years," Lehr explained. "Experiencing the community's growth is something that means so much to the people in our area. The event brings people together for electronic music and jam bands," Lehr continued, noting that "we're really able to create something special that you don't often see." 

Musical performances beginning at noon on Friday, Aug. 16, running to midnight on Sunday, Aug. 18 (special Thursday arrival available starting at 9 a.m.) // The Heron Farm & Event Center, 2361 Waits Corners Rd., Sherman, N.Y. // For tickets, full lineup, and more information, go to firelightsfestival.com