TRUMANSBURG, NY (CortacaToday) — From July 14th to July 17th, the Grassroots Festival is hosting its seventh annual Culture Camp, an immersive community experience that serves as a precursor to the festival itself.

Tara Nevins of Donna the Buffalo, founder of the Grassroots Festival, says “I feel like I’m planning a party with the Culture Camp.” The camp offers workshops every day, with many of them being led by musicians that are performing at the festival itself.

“It’s a very unique experience, being able to watch musicians on stage at the festival and say ‘Hey, I just sat with them the other day and played guitar or fiddle or accordion with them, whatever it may be'”, she says. These workshops allow people to sit in with musicians in small groups for about an hour and learn from their expertise.

Upright bass, Cajun accordion, country fiddle, and bluegrass guitar are among just a few of these workshops, though you can find the full schedule here on the Grassroots Festival website. For those with an interest in any of the categories offered, this will be an opportunity to dive deeper and gain valuable experience within many genres of music.

Not only are there music workshops, but there are also art workshops, youth workshops, as well as yoga workshops every morning. Culture Camp is exactly as you would expect from the name; a multi-cultural experience that has something for everyone.

Photo from the Grassroots Festival website

Every night there are themed dinners and dances, aimed at bringing everyone together at the end of the day by bonding over the universal languages of music and food. The kitchen where dinners are prepared is open, allowing anyone to observe and learn from those who are cooking and sharing recipes that have been in their families for generations.

Honky Tonk Night, Cajun Night, and Jump Blues Night are the three themes that were decided on for this year’s camp. “I wanted to choose themes that would allow for music that anyone could get up and dance to”, Tara says. This sentiment furthers the overarching goal of Culture Camp, which is to create a space that everyone feels welcome to jump into and have some fun.

The camp itself costs $200 for four days, and how many days or workshops you attend is up to you. “If you really want to learn something one day but aren’t as interested in the other days, you can choose to just go to those. If you want to go every day and go to every workshop you can, you can do that. If you just want to come to the dinners and dances at the end of the day, that’s always an option”, Tara states about the flexibility of the four-day pass.

EDIT: Culture Camp camping grounds will be located next door at The Falls restaurant, not on the usual Grassroots campgrounds. Additionally, the festival is being set up as the camp is still going on, which gives those who attend a front-row seat of the preparation for the Grassroots Festival.

Culture Camp allows for people to broaden their horizons in many ways, and gives participants the ability to connect with new people and new cultures. Whether you want to share in song, dance, or food, Culture Camp won’t lack for exciting experiences for those who attend. Check out the Grassroots Festival website for more information about Culture Camp, as well as the festival itself.