Guest Written by Taylor Robinson
There was definitely a ton of green beer and parties happening in Arizona for St. Patrick’s Day, but nothing that compared to Pot of Gold Music Festival. Thousands gathered dressed in green to celebrate through art, food, dance, and music.
Friday was all about rap and hip-hop, featuring artists such as Russ, Dej Loaf, PNB Rock, Poya, Ski Mask the Slump God, Taylor Bennett, Bugus, Sheck Wes, Ezri, and Reo Cragun. Saturday was more of a mix of music, featuring acts such as Phil Lesh, Cody Jinks, St. Paul, Big Head Todd, The Infamous Stringdusters, Midnight North, Kalu & the Electric Joint, and a midnight performance by Boombox. Sunday, my favorite day, was all about reggae. Rebelution headlined with other performers such as Dirty Heads, Pepper, Magic, Chris Robinson & Special Sauce, Danovon Frankenreiter, Felly, O.T Genasis, Fortunate Youth, Omi, Tauk, Ballyhoo and Con Brio. A weekend filled with this amazing line-up brought nothing but good vibes!
Pot of Gold was located at Rawhide in Chandler, Arizona. If you’ve ever been to an event at Rawhide, you know the stage set up is amazing. There was one outdoor stage and one indoor stage. It left tons of space to dance and meet new people in between. As the day became night, we all watched the incredible sunset, which was something special. Listening to music while watching the sunset in 75-degree weather cannot be beat! This event brought in a great crowd of friendly people who were looking to have a good time and spread some love. They definitely did just that! And of course, everyone was dressed in green and wearing funky hats as well as beads for St. Patty’s day- which is always extra fun!
Pot of Gold also had a “Vendor Village” where artists had their products for sale. There was a bunch of amazing apparel and handmade goods. The drink and food vendors had a wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. They had everything from pizza and chicken to chocolate covered bananas and caramel apples. I made my way over to a vodka van which was a Volkswagen bus opened up and elevated with speakers that were jamming music and good vibes! It was a fun place to relax in between artists’ sets.
I have to say my favorite piece of the festival was the drum circle in the middle of both stages. The circle was filled with about 40 drummers, each with unique face paint. The energy of a drum circle is unlike anything else. As we entered the circle, a man approached with sage and cleared our energy and aura. It was truly an unforgettable weekend!
As with any festival, the artist who closes out the festival always leaves you with a feeling to remember. I’d have to say that watching Rebelution close with thousands of people waving their lighters in the air was a top moment of the festival. It painted a perfect ending of an incredible weekend filled with even more amazing people! Pot of Gold was undoubtedly the best way to spend St. Patty’s Day- I am looking forward to my return next year. See you there next year!