Suwannee Hulaween returns to the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida to celebrate its tenth-year anniversary on Thursday, October 26 – Sunday, October 29, 2023. Hulaween is one of a few fully independent music festivals that is thriving amongst today’s corporatized festival landscape. This year will commemorate a decade of success with one of the most exciting editions yet, so let’s dive in on what to expect and what is new for the 10 year anniversary.
Hulaween is a one of a kind music and arts festival but it is best known for the coveted Spirit Lake. Spirit Lake is the centerpiece of this festival with all festival goers having to walk on its banks as they go from one music act to another, and Hulaween does not disappoint with making this a main attraction. Spirit lake is brimming with talented sculptors, fire/metal workers, painters, thespians, and lighting designers. Attendees can revel in lakefront projection mapping, hypnotizing light shows, interactive installations with both visual and performance art, and catch performances at Spirit Lake’s four stages.
While the festival would typically keep all art programming a secret for attendees until they arrived on-site, for the 10th year anniversary Spirit Lake has unveiled the list of art programming early and for the first time Hulaweeen will have artists and art collectives credited across the festival app, website, onsite signage, and more. I personally am excited for the return of the daily projection mapping from Jasper & Shelby Mosher that illuminates spirit lake. (as seen above).
Art installations are a core aspect of this festival that I highly recommend you take time to explore and see. This year the festival will feature a selection of 10 brand-new art installations and concepts that will contribute to making this the largest Spirit Lake ever. Recapping from my experience last year, here are some of my favorites to check out. The Mural Maze, which Sprawls across 15,000 square feet, this installation provides an immersive experience for attendees to wonder about magnificent paintings at every turn, and looks to grow in size to include a lounge area/ workshop. Twelve Limbs Art Studio will return with its sculptured pieces including the Witch, Ogres, The Ferryman, and much more for this year. The Spider (pictured above) will return, and as a tip, this sculpture is as cool on the outside as is the secret lounge on the inside. Lastly, be sure to visit this year’s Haunted House and catch a set at the House of the Lost as they are always impressed with the way they are built.
The return of Hulaween fan-favorite and highly recognized art stage concept Incendia stage (as seen Above) from Cory Glenn will return to once again ignite the dancefloor. Serving as one of the stages of Spirit Lake, Incendia’s unique design utilizes a proprietary fire-capturing technique to create an illuminating glow that provides an unparalleled ambiance for the crowd. Also returning this year is the infamous Frick Frack Black Jack led by Marvelous Marv, which features no cash, no limit blackjack game.
Headliners for the 2023 edition include a variety of artists across multiple genres, with a special six sets from festival founders The String Cheese Incident. Other artists include Trey Anastasio Band, Goose, John Summit, Elderbrook, Big Wild, Channel Tres, Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Smino, Dispatch, and an exclusive East Coast festival appearance from Pretty Lights. For those who do not know yet Pretty Lights intends to play 2 sets this weekend and not the original plan of just one set.
Hulaween Music Festival is already one of the best festivals in the country and the 10th year additions are going to elevate this festival to new heights.