The 2024 Annual Woodstock Community Festival of Awakening

Attention all seekers of Enlightenment! The second annual Woodstock Community Festival of Awakening (WOCA) is coming to town. If you’re in Woodstock from August 9th to 11th, make sure to stop by and experience this amazing communal gathering. It’s not just an event; it’s a celebration of our shared desire for deeper connections, peace, love, and community – the Woodstock way.

What began as a simple conversation among kindred spirits has blossomed into a transformative festival. Last September, nearly a thousand souls came together in Woodstock, drawn to numerous events celebrating a shared journey toward Awakening. This year, the Awakening will grace us again with even richer offerings, including a performance by the world-renowned Krishna Das.

The 2nd Annual Woodstock Community Festival of Awakening
August 9th – 11th
For details and participating venues, visit the 2024 Festival Schedule HERE.

The Festival will begin on Friday, August 9th, at Andy Lee Field. The Community Awakening Opening will include blessings from luminaries such as Yogmata-Ji, active meditations, the Wishing Bell ceremony, and soul-stirring music. Following this are some great events to get the Festival vibe warmed up for the weekend:

• Community Meal + Ecstatic Dance with Avinash at the Mescal Hornbeck Community Center.
• Fireside Jam with Paul McMahon at The Nest.
• Kundalini Cosmic Sound Bath & Light Immersion with Jenn Drue at the Mountainview Studios.

Everyone is welcome to attend. Throughout the weekend, a three-tiered donation system adapted from “The Sliding Scale: A Tool of Economic Justice” by Alexis Cunningfolk will be used. Please pay what you can afford—or more if possible! Your donations support artists and practitioners in our community.

Throughout the weekend, Saturday, August 10th, all around town, attendees can immerse themselves in live kirtan music, children’s activities, a healing garden market,  Kundalini yoga & gong meditation, awakening talks, live music crawl across town + more. Participating venues include The Nest, The Mothership Gallery, Bearsville Center, Mountainview Studio, Shivastan Poetry Ashram, Euphoria Yoga, Happy Life Productions, Christian Science Reading Room, Woodstock Outpost and Tinker Street Cinema. Some highlighted events include, but not limited to:

• Krishna Das performing at the Bearsville Center.
• Chogyi Lama performing at the Tinker Street Cinema.
• Robert Thurman + Elliot Landy leading their own Awakening Talks at the Bearsville Center.
• Bob Berman will be explaining some of the most amazing astronomy discoveries of the past 30 years about the Universe at the Christian Science Reading Room.

And…. MORE! Check the updated schedule HERE.

The Bearsville Center will host the Woodstock Community Festival of Awakening from 12pm to 6pm on Saturday, August 10th. Embrace the Awakening with music, movement, talks + healing. Enjoy Hudson Valley musicians, concluding with Krishna Das. Participate in meditative movements and engage in discussions on awakening, earth consciousness + conscious living. Explore 40+ wellness vendors offering acupuncture, aromatherapy, astrology and more. There will be mindful meditation walks in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Plus lots of activities for children from 2-12 years of age. Get tix HERE.

The Festival will end on Sunday, August 11th, starting at Andy Lee Field. The day will feature Awakening Solos, a series of individual performances + The Caterpillar’s Dream, a musical performed by Northeast Center for Rehabilitation and Brain Injury residents. Finally, there will be the beloved drum circle on The Village Green in Woodstock NY. Enjoy!

The visionaries behind WOCA—Michael Raphael, Sam Truitt, Corinne Mol, Mike Hassan, Avinash Barnes, Paul McMahon, Emma Leigh, Urana Kinlen + Sparrow—are working diligently to create a directory of practitioners and secure a permanent center for ongoing community programs and gatherings. WOCA aims to create a haven for personal growth, self-realization, and Awakening, committed to nurturing connection, empowerment, and social responsibility, contributing to the well-being and progress of Woodstock and beyond. In the words of Truitt and Raphael,

“Our goals are to deepen our connectivity through community-building, awaken to socio-cultural, ecological, and spiritual awareness, and share Woodstock’s healing arts with the world.”

Photos courtesy of The Woodstock Center for Awakening, Krishna Das + Neil Segal Performance Photography + James Corr Peak Creative + Urana Kinlen

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About The Woodstock Center for Awakening

Follow and Connect via Website | Facebook | @woodstockcenterforawakening for information, volunteering or tax-deductible donations.

The Woodstock Center for Awakening (WOCA) is dedicated to exploring Awakening in all its forms. It serves as a crossroads where individuals and groups can come together to discover, learn and thrive within a vibrant community. The vision for The Woodstock Community Festival of Awakening was inspired by the spirit of John Joseph Synan (aka Jogger John), whose legacy of community and maverick spirit continues to guide us.