This is my attempt at making a panoramic photo.  I wish I could show how large the area is, this does not do it justice.

Every fall the town where I graduated high school would host an event to shame all other events across the globe:  The Fall Barter Faire.

I cannot find a way to verbally describe the Barter Faire without misrepresenting the experience.  I could easily tell you it is a bunch of hippies bartering goods and partying for a weekend.  While this is true, it is not only hippies and it is not only bartering.  It’s a food vending, musician performing, goods shopping, crap selling, people watching weekend participated by people from every background.

I was crazy stoked to head up there this weekend.  I had not been in almost ten years, being as I had not lived here in that long a time.  I knew I was going to see many people who I hadn’t even thought about in a decade, and I did.  I knew I was going to purchase homegrown foods and handmade crafts, I did that too.  I’m not going to give you a play-by-play of my weekend.  Let me just show you some pictures.  Look at my pictures, they’re fun.

Let’s first talk about this guy holding the drum. (Drum circles are a big part of Barter Faire). I named him “Lost and Found”.  Upon entering the faire the first human we encountered was Lost and Found.   He stumbled up to me and asked me if I could help him find his tent.  It was pitch black and he was not sober.  It took about three seconds to realize that neither I nor him was going to find his tent anytime soon.  He was one his own.  This picture comes from the morning after , when he finally found his tent.  It was literally two spaces away from ours.  He was essentially home when he first approached us.  Hugs not drugs, friends.

I don’t know what this guy was trying to profess or exclaim.  I asked if I could snap his photo and he gladly obliged.  He was all giddy, more than I had expected.  He then flipped his sign over:

Good Man.

They were out of Buckwheat labels at the honey stand.   They had an abundance of Buckweet labels, however.  I bought two of these large jars.  Despite the spelling error, it is quite tasty.

One downfall of Barter Faire is the bathroom situation.  You are camping, so squatting seems to be in order.  The problem with that is the thousands of other people camping who could watch you.  This means you have to use the porta-potty.  Each time I went to the row of plastic bathrooms I would have to check out at least three before finding one with toilet paper.  One time I found one with a little light provided to help me see.  It was a very very little light:

Like I said, barter Faire is a great place for people watching.  As I was watching people, you’ll never guess who I found…

I had a great time.  I ate a bunch.  I shopped a little.  I walked a LOT.  All in all a successful faire.  Cannot wait for next year!