Copy/Repost Hike

The 2011 GO FAB Festival weekend began with the discovery that a very important street sign had been changed. Highway officials accidently replaced the Rt. 629 Acorn Hill Road sign with the wrong name.This mishap didn’t stop our late afternoon camping convoy from arriving from all over the country. Most attendees had been to the GO FAB Festival in years past and knew the way. Check-in went smoothly and campers settled into sites #9 and #11. Campsite #10 was the dance area, where Bruce and Chuck from Jericho Stage erected the stage, lighting, and sound system, with some help from Doug. The bar and buffet were arranged around the OutCamping office trailer across from the stage. As in years past, most campers preferred not to camp where the main festivities were taking place; but as always, there were "a few brave men" who didn’t mind the late night partying at Camp 10.

This year the GO FAB Festival had a drink ticket bar with cocktails and keg beer. Some campers bought tickets from Larry when they arrived, but many people did BYOB. As the weekend went on, the drink tickets were troublesome because they were hard to find. Cash and camping doesn’t mix and rumor has it that next year there will be wrist bands with an open bar. A few attendees said that an all inclusive ticket including beverages for the entire weekend would make things a lot easier. It looks like Bullwinkle, who handles the kegs, will need to find a bigger truck by next summer!

Friday’s tent pitching party was really cool. Every campsite had lots of wood to go around and all the fire rings were lit. It didn’t take long for our campers to figure out which tent parts went where. Knowing what to do with poles & stakes comes naturally for outdoorsy guys. By 8 PM most tents were pitched and the campers were ready for the night to begin. Some campers went swimming while most spent time getting to know their new fellow neighbors.

Everyone would agree that Friday’s potluck dinner was fantastically fabulous; it seemed like almost every camper participated. Good ol’ gay home cooking at its best! There was fried chicken, honey ham, dips, and so many unique homemade salads. There were cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and pie. Everyone put together such awesome an potluck dinner, it was amazing. Next year we should all make sure to put our names on our dishes. It’s always nice to tell someone I ate yours too!

As Friday became night, the light rain showers passed, then the movie screen came alive with some funny gay classic short films. Tired campers slowly turned in early for a cozy night in the tent after a long day; while the hard-core night crowd watched videos and danced until whenever. The potluck food stayed out on the buffet an extra long time; which was a nice greeting for the late arrivals who got stuck in the weekend traffic rush. After a long, busy day, the gay campers finally retired to the banks of the Shenandoah to enjoy a totally full moon and the sounds of other happy gay campers having a great time on the river.

Saturday morning started slowly; another brief shower came through before the scheduled canoeing, kayaking, and tubing trip. The Down River Canoe Company was extremely patient while the girls and boys gradually got their bootie ready in the morning. Finally, everyone was on the bus by 9:30 AM and off for the three hour journey back to the campsite via their vessel on the Shenandoah River. Thanks to Mike and Randall for sharing their canoe with the camper that hoped a $3 raft would last for three hours. It’s nice to hear that this OutCamping group is once again looking out for each other’s safety and fun. Three in a canoe is riding low and slow, but the weather was sunny and they made it back safely.

The canoes started floating back in around 1:00 PM, just in time for lunch. The double-barrel grill was filled with burgers and dogs, and homemade pulled pork barbeque was served in a chafing dish. We also had homemade pasta salad, three bean salad, and coleslaw. After lunch the campers went swimming and fishing in the Shenandoah River and playing cornhole at camp 10. Around 5 PM, some clouds and thunder rolled in; and people soon started heading to their tents for some rest before dinner.

Saturday night’s social hour was fun, but it rained lightly for two or three hours before dinner. The misty rain didn’t seem to matter. A group of twenty or so paraded up under a very large canopy and started the party by joining the bar crowd at Camp 10. The entire festival crowd enjoyed happy hour with a big bonfire. There were two large grills, one cooking barbeque chicken in a really nifty Chinese cooking box with the charcoal on top, and the double?]barrel grill cooked sirloin brochettes and shrimp kabobs with colorful veggies. The drinks were flowing, and even though Greg’s itinerary sign said dinner at 7 PM, we didn’t start lining up for the barbeque buffet until 8 PM because of the rain. The food was totally amazing and much better than in years before. We had absolutely huge pieces of barbecued chicken. The beef kabobs were the quickest to go. Two of the hosts, Mike & Bobby, never got their dinners this year—they learned that next year, they should eat evening’s fireworks show. It looked like the organizers stepped it up a little bit in the food department from years past, and that was a really nice treat.

At 9 PM everyone gathered at the main stage while the event founder, Mike Antonelli, spoke to the group about how the efforts of others helped make it such a magical weekend. He explained how ticket sales were down because of the economy as well as a faulty email system. He informed us that the GOFAB Festival lost money this year, and how important it is that we all spread the word. Mike said "next year we hope to have over two hundred attendees and live music, like we’ve had in the past."

The fireworks extravaganza took place in the field at Camp 10 at 9:30 PM. You could see the moving flash lights of Mike Antonelli, Bobby, and Bobby’s son Robert in the distance, as rockets and mortars shot into the full moon sky. The show lasted 15 minutes or so with a long finale. Just as the audience was packing up, the fireworks began again as the remaining shells were lighted. It was an absolutely fantastic show that filled the sky and your field of view. It was a very beautiful touch that helped put a spark in the gay camper’s night on the Shenandoah River.

Just as the fireworks ended, DJ Timothy Mykael and his partner DJ Tim e started spinning music on the stage at Camp 10. They played lots of high energy mixes that got the guys and gals going on the dirt dance floor; meanwhile, Andy was working hard, serving the line of thirsty campers that formed at the riverside bar. Various lights and lasers lighted the dance area and the river valley. Both the music and lights were fantastic! The green laser that blanketed the underneath of the tree canopy made for an awesome effect. The alcohol was flowing and all the campers were relaxing, socializing, and making new friends.

After the moon crept over the trees and lighted the river valley, Greg Blakey took the stage and mastered the ceremonies for the "Best Camper" contests. Greg entertained the crowd as he announced the contestants for the Best Chest, Ass, Suck, & Body contests. The first contest was for "Best Chest" and Cynthia had all the guys beat cocks down. Those big tits had everyone’s head turning in some direction. Cynthia and Ernesto are a couple of Bi campers who will was the "Best Ass" guys—the crowd applauded as they lined up in front of the stage with their full moons blending into the nighttime sky. Kyekoe won this one with enthusiastic applause from all around. Greg then dragged everyone’s mind fully into the gutter with the "Best Suck" contest. This contest required group participation, and our outdoorsy guys were eager to line up to have beer sucked from between their legs as they sat along the stage front. The contest was close, but Eric’s straw malfunction kept him from taking the prize away from John; he made it to the center of his "tootsie pop" first.

John’s momentum kept going as he took first place again, in the final contest for "Best Body." John’s double winnings earned him free tickets for drinks that night and free entry into next year’s FAB Festival. The contest was uber?]cool and Greg was a marvelous MC as he engaged the group and kept us all entertained for hours. Organizers say that the contests will include "Best Decorated Campsite" and a "Queen of the Shenandoah" drag competition next year. The swimwear and talent contests will also surely be "must see" events.

On Sunday morning, the sun was shining, and both the cows and the campers were mooing as the OutCamping members awakened. Some people got up early and headed out for the long journey back home, while most enjoyed the best sunny day ever on the Shenandoah. Something about Sunday kept some campers hanging around until 6:00 PM. It was the most very relaxing pack- up and chil-out day that the FAB Festival has seen in years.

This year’s GO FAB Festival was just as special and memorable as the many held in years past. This event definitely has a large membership of recurring attendees that will surely continue to grow in the years to come.

The GO FAB Festival 2011 was held in Bentonville, Virginia at the Massanutten Canoe Company, a gay-friendly campground & cattle farm. Brenda manages the farm’s camping business and has become near and dear too many of the campers over the years. The surrounding farms’ owners and residents were very accommodating because of the orderly opening and closing of the event. All of our campers were respectful of the local neighbors and the environment. The OutCamping organizers reported that "no trash was left behind and everyone returned the Shenandoah River and their campsites to the way they found them."

For more information about next year's Fab Fest, or to become a member of the non-profit organization, please visit www.OutCamping.org or contact the group's Directors at Members@OutCamping.org.

Note: This is the last year GayOutdoors has joined forces with OutCamping's Fab Fest and we thank them for your continued passion and hard work to present this outstanding event! Next year the GO Gathering will be moving on to Southern California.

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