Rainbow Gatherings

Since 1972, thousands of non-conformist Americans from across the country come together every year to erect remote, temporary communities of camps, tents, and buses known as Rainbow Gatherings.

They shun Western materialism and embrace the spirit of free living that has continued on since the Woodstock generation of the 1960s and 70s. Since 2003, I have followed these people to Rainbow Gatherings held California, Colorado and West Virginia.

My interest in this community is based on the notion of creating a utopian way of life: A life that exists outside of mainstream society, and highly values family relations, environmental sustainability and a freedom from commercialism.

This struggle for utopia has existed throughout history, and evident in Rainbow Gatherings, which never seem to succeed in establishing a permanent community that could withstand the test of time.