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Surrounded on all sides by towering forests, a sound stage stands in the center of a clearing deep in rural New York. The usually quiet area defined by the colorful backdrop of early fall foliage was filled with music on Friday and Saturday as Wonderland Forest hosted its first-ever festival.

“Wonderland Forest is really just a cool place where you’re able to (get outside) with this huge focus on music,” organizer Shelby Martin said. “Letting yourself be who you are in a space full of other people who are also being who they are … outside in the middle of mountains.”

Shelby Martin, a 2023 SUNY ESF graduate, is part of the six-person team behind Wonderland Forest, a campsite turned music venue that hopes to integrate nature into its festival experience. They began developing the grounds two years ago, and Tumble Down at Wonderland Forest, a festival hosted by the band Twiddle, drew a crowd from all over the country.

“We’ve worked every single day this summer, tirelessly trying to get everything ready for people to come and enjoy the woods,” Martin said. “Now just in the past few months, it’s been about 60-hour work weeks trying to make sure that everything is ready to go.”

Formerly Adams Eden Camp, the property was passed to a private owner before being purchased by Martin’s team, she said. Located 20 minutes away from Syracuse University in LaFayette, NY, the venue is 400 acres of forest landscape.

Twiddle, a jam band from Vermont, reached out to Wonderland Forest this summer about hosting the festival. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Andy Frasco + The U.N., Dopapod, Dogs In a Pile, Mihali, The Breakfast, Baked Shrimp and Mike Powell joined the band for the festival. One of Twiddle’s first shows was in Syracuse at the Westcott Theater, so the band’s return to central New York feels significant to the group, Martin said.

Beyond the performances, the festival included over 20 vendors, including food trucks, a saloon bar and more events for visitors. Guests enjoyed live painters, yoga classes and instructional juggling workshops.

Dylan Tripodi worked the bar at the festival this weekend but usually bartends at the Westcott Theater. He didn’t know what to expect from the new venue before coming in, but said he’s impressed with what the Wonderland Forest team produced.

The venue provides an immersive experience, he said. Beyond the music, it lets people spend an entire weekend in nature exploring the outdoors.

“Around here, you just feel like you’re in your own world, almost secluded from the hustle and bustle of the city,” Tripodi said. “Just a lot of freedom back here. A lot of good vibes.”

Twiddle fan’s describe each other as “friends they haven’t met yet.” Twiddle has previously performed at the Westcott Theater.
Lars Jendruschewitz | Contributing Photographer

Brothers Jeremy and Adam Margent said the venue gave the concert a less commercial atmosphere than a typical festival. The pair have been fans of Twiddle since they were kids as they grew up with Mihali Savouldis, Twiddle’s lead singer, in Maplewood, NJ.

Outside of music, Twiddle aims to make an impact on communities they perform in through the White Light Foundation, the band’s charity.

Phil Fernandez, a member of the White Light foundation, said a portion of the band’s ticket and raffle sales go to the charity. The proceeds from Tumble Down will benefit Tully Hill, a local rehabilitation center, and the Onondaga Nation School’s booster club.

“It’s always rewarding when we drop off a check or send some folks some money,” Fernandez said. “Every penny we raise today will be staying behind here.”

The brothers have enjoyed watching Twiddle grow and seeing their friend’s career as an artist blow up over the years.

“A lot of people who come to festivals kind of don’t fit into society,” Jeremy Margent said. “That’s what draws a lot of people too, like everyone here is kind of wearing a costume, but no one’s looking at them like they’re wearing a costume because this is normal.”

This past weekend Wonderland Forest hosted its first event with the Tumble Down festival. The event space was previously a camp ground before being turned into the unique venue.
Lars Jendruschewitz | Contributing Photographer

Wearing tails, cat ears and costumes ranging from Super Mario outfits to unicorn onesies, the attendees embraced the off-the-beaten-path atmosphere. The crowd was a sea of tie-dye clothing, from pants and shirts to hats and shoes.

Martin wanted to bring together a “hippie, easygoing” crowd of people who usually flock to music festivals with nature lovers. Beyond being a music venue, they are keeping the grounds open year-round for hiking and camping.

Greg Caggiano runs The Tattoo Bus, a subsidiary of Counterspell Tattoo based in Rochester, NY. He and his girlfriend bought an old bus and now go to “hippie festivals” to give tattoos to the attendees. He creates a custom tattoo sheet for each event and makes designs based on song lyrics and band logos. At Wonderland Forest, the bus drew a big crowd, with Caggiano tattooing both organizers and attendees.

Kimberly Hertzog and Tabitha Grit came to Twiddle Down after hearing about it at another festival. They return to these events for the friendly energy and community atmosphere.

Before the concert on Friday, they went on a hike in the area to a waterfall. Taking advantage of the natural environment, they said it was gorgeous and added to their overall experience.

“You feel more connected to the people around you and to the earth just being surrounded by nature,” Hertzog said. “The music kind of speaks through everything and everyone … a multiple-day festival allows you to build little mini families.”

Julie Purcell, 61, worked at the event this weekend. She grew up in Syracuse and now lives in Eastwood. She signed up for the job because of the opportunity it provided to meet people and see wonderful music for free, she said.

She described herself as a music lover and said she attends music festivals often. This event set itself apart from others because it allowed her take her love for music outside into the upstate New York air.

“It just floors me, you know, like this is in my backyard,” Purcell said. “It’s just hard to imagine when you can be outside and listening to great music, why be inside?”

Published on September 26, 2023 at 9:54 pm