Does Woodstock repeat itself in Chillicothe, Illinois?
By Genevieve Diesing Published: May 28th, 2008 | 11:00am “This is totally the kind of place where people do a lot of drugs, yet at the same time, it’s the kind of place where you shouldn’t have to do drugs,” insisted Janelle Cooper, a 24-year-old concertgoer at the 2008 Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, Illinois. Cooper was speaking of the notorious narcotic culture at the yearly camping festival, a pattern that has warranted undercover police action in recent years. Anyone who has ever smelled reefer can attest that this year was no exception, but Cooper has a point: With so much going on, who needs to get high? This year’s festival featured 45 bands, as well as late-night DJs, collaborative art projects, and even “social consciousness” panels. Many campers were decked out in full “hippie” regalia, including billowing skirts, dreadlocks, hemp and sandals, some wearing the occasional costume. Thousands of tents were crammed into the park, throughout woods and next to stages. F
