This past week (Friday-Sunday, October 13th-15th) we found ourselves over at Desert Daze 2017 in Joshua Tree, CA and WOW talk about an experience. We finally got to meet so many of our Hakuna Club Members and learn a little more about catering straight to you! On top of that we were thrilled to see a bunch of epic bands, and get to know a variety of other companies in this up and coming industry! We are thoroughly impressed with what we found. Those of you who attended, know, that Desert Daze is like a trip straight back into the 60’s and 70’s. Before this, we had NO idea what to expect. It was quick that we learned though and then jumped right in, got our booth set-up, and the rest pulled itself together.
Desert Daze vs. Other Festivals
This is only the 6th EVER Desert Daze festival, and after attending and seeing what it’s all about, I can absolutely say that this will not be the last. Desert Daze is different from your run of the mill Coachella, Life is Beautiful, Tomorrowland, Stagecoach, Lollapalooza… all that. I’d say that all of those run in very similar categories…and Desert Daze is sort of an Anti-that-kind-of-festival Movement.
Here’s why…
1. People at those festivals dress eccentric and go way out of their way to have the perfect outfit for each day (some people go as far as each night too). The Desert Daze attendees clearly dress straight out of the 60s and 70s.. but it’s not some eccentric outfit. Most of the attendees dress like that all of the time. They only difference with being at the festival vs. at home is that, at the festival, you don’t shower (us included). The moral of this difference being that the attendees are attending for the music and don’t really care what anybody thinks.
2. Those “other” festivals seem to over-sell tickets. You get into the concert crowd and people are slammed together, with little to no room to move, let alone breathe. Desert Daze has a cap on tickets. When it’s sold out, it’s actually sold out. When you head into a concert, you can move around comfortably, and it’s easy to get to the front if that’s where you want to be. You also have room to dance if you want to!
3. Those “other” festivals are day-to-day experiences with the people surrounding you and all the social medias, and the pictures, and the videos, and the snap stories….yada yada yada. Desert Daze is one big wild experience. Whether you’re on some sort of drug or completely sober, everybody is really in this fascinating daze (Pun Intended). You’re separated from the outside world. You have your phone but service is subpar at best. Keeping your phone charged is pretty tough unless you paid the extra cash for the VIP homes. So you’re pretty much cut off from the outside world, and it’s awesome. It feels great! All you really HAVE to do is drink water, eat, and listen to music. Even sleep is optional. At night the campgrounds are like one giant party. Everybody just walks around and gets to know one another. You meet a whole bunch of other awesome people with the same goals… and you do that for three whole days.
4. Desert Daze has an array of crazy interesting art-installations. These art installations cater to your trip. Like I mentioned earlier, even if you’re completely sober, this art draws you in and you want to check it out. Those “other” festivals have art installations but they are much less hands on and more part of the festival decor. These ones are there for you to indulge in. A chance to really breathe in your own meanings, and your own ideas.























As a Vendor
As a vendor we met SO many amazing people, and we had so many great conversations. We learned about what you (our audience) is looking for and what we need to do more of and less of. We also learned that you guys love what we’re doing and appreciate our Circle of Life Movement, so Stay Tuned for what we have in store. One of these up and coming Hakuna Club post’s will definitely draw your attention. A HUGE shoutout to Twenty Past 4 Productions for introducing us to this incredible opportunity. Another huge shout out MOTA, Inda Creations, Nonnie’s Nectars, and Yoggz for sharing the coolest Vendor Tent of all time! If you haven’t already heard of any of these companies you should check them out today. Each brand is completely different, but all of them upheld an important puzzle piece in this growing industry.
If you have any photos, videos, or comments that you want to add feel free to comment below!