In the Main Meadow of the gathering on Independence Day, a shirtless man with long silver hair sat in the grass with his partner, watching the celebration of dancing and drumbeats unfolding before them. He said his name was Kadag, giving an alternative moniker that many at the gathering refer to as their “Rainbow name.”
Kadag traveled to Northwest Colorado from Chico, California, where he is a father and business owner. After attending his first gathering in 1992, he tries to get to the event every year, “if life makes it possible.”
“It’s a declaration of interdependence,” Kadag said. “Living on the land, you know how to care for one another. You get into an environment like this and you see love, you see random acts of kindness all the time, everywhere, from folks you wouldn’t expect it from.”
“That renews my faith,” he continued. “Coming out here to pray for peace in the cathedral of Mother Nature.”
Rainbow Family’s 50th annual gathering draws thousands
Forest Service officials estimate that about 10,000 people were camping near Adams Park on July 4.
DYLAN ANDERSON