As modern life grows more and more hectic, we can all understand the urge to escape to a special retreat. The Uplift Festival aims to provide exactly that. It is a weekend getaway promoting wellness and movement that takes place on the oldest meteor crash site known to man, a location in Phoenicia sacred to the Esopus and the Mahicans. However, it is more than an escapist wish. “It’s a retreat into life, not an escape from it,” says Pamela Kalechofsky, creator of the festival, “What if what we co-create here could be life itself?”
The Uplift Festival, lasting for three days and two nights, from July 24 to 26, focuses on bringing people together for connection through movement, song, and wellness. “I wanted to create this welcome, judgement-free, joyful environment where people can experience the beauty of moving together,” says Kalechofsky. She believes that movement, whether physical or emotional, can be medicine, healing people and creating communities.
The host of the festival, Menla, is a nonprofit retreat center that brings Tibetan wisdom and medicine to the Hudson Valley. Festival participants can walk the 330 acres of the grounds and sit by the flowing creek. “You’re nestled in the woods, completely away from everything,” says Kalechofsky. The location’s environment and secluded area create the sense of immersion the festival is aiming for. Menla provides accommodations, at different price levels, for visitors during the festival. Participants can also camp on location or commute for the duration.
While called The Uplift Festival, it is both a retreat and a festival, intending to combine the best of both experiences. The crowd is expected to be between 75 to 100 people, making it smaller and more intimate than a large festival. Unlike other retreats, guests are not expected to go to every class. “It has the mindfulness and intentionality of a retreat and the freedom of a small festival,” says Kalechofsky. “You can choose your own path or adventure.”
The events throughout the festival include yoga, sing alongs, sound baths, and Cacao ceremonies. These classes and events are led by carefully chosen facilitators, including Tasha Blank, leading Ecstatic Dance, Reggie Hubbard, leading Sound as Spiritual Practice, and Sheniqua Trotman, leading Song Circle. “I was really intentional about the lineup. I wanted to make sure it felt diverse, multidimensional, and authentic,” says Kalechofsky. “The facilitators are constant learners in their own fields and they’re excited about what they share.”
The festival is meant to be interactive, with each event requiring participation from guests. The Song Circle and the bonfire allow the guests to sing together, for instance, rather than listen to the guide sing to them. Kalechofsky believes these communal and playful activities create a greater sense of engagement with the retreat. “Adults don’t play. We get stuck in being very serious,” says Kalechofsky. “This weekend allows us to get in touch with that inner child. There’s opportunity for joy, interaction, and creativity.”
Tickets for the festival run from $698 to $1200 depending on the accommodation selected. “This is a first year, homegrown, passion project,” says Kalechofsky. “This is about everyone coming together in a community and having an amazing weekend.” She hopes to expand the festival to be larger than a weekend in the future, through collaborations and larger community gatherings, spreading the importance of movement and wellness.
