The Rainbows have arrived and more are on their way.
For the last 30 years, the Rainbow Family has gathered annually on a national forest alternating between areas in the east and west. It was decided last year at one of their council meetings that Pennsylvania was on the list as one of the possible eastern states to hold the gathering and just last month the Allegheny National Forest, specifically the Hearts Content area, was officially chosen.
Though many Rainbows will enter the area this coming weekend, the gathering unofficially starts on July 1 and most people tend to leave after the Fourth of July holiday with rehabilitation of the land and clean-up starting soon after.
Despite large numbers, the gatherings have gradually gotten smaller over the years. The gathering at Bear Creek in 1999 had about 21,000 attendees; ANF officials expect about half that number.
ANF Information Officer Nadine Pollock said, "Now we have to gear up to manage the impact of a potential 10,000 people, which means planning for traffic, parking, accessibility, impact to natural resources and also consider how businesses and medical facilities in the area will be affected."
She explained that forest vegetation does get damaged because it's inevitable with thousands of people walking on trails and compounding the soil, but that sensitive plant communities have been blocked off and have not been bothered.
Another concern for a sudden, large population is garbage and human waste. The ANF is working on access to garbage services and is looking for recycling centers in the area. Resource specialists and hydrologists will be on hand to work on designating areas for trenches and latrines so that bacteria does not leak into water supplies and the waste decomposes once the gathering is over.
The ANF is also working with volunteer fire departments, hospitals, veterinarians and local businesses along the entrance routes to consistently share information about the gathering and what they should expect and prepare for.
All are welcome to the gathering at no cost. Anyone may visit for the day or bring a tent and stay for a couple of weeks. Multiple camps and kitchens are set up throughout Hearts Content.
At Punkinhead Kitchen, "Mary Jane" and "Gator", an actual chef, are the primary cooks that serve three meals a day for vegans, vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
Mary Jane said, "We just want to do good things for people and pay it forward. So anyone who is hungry can come over and eat with us."
The only thing she needed help with was doing the dishes after the breakfast rush. She added that after the gathering, she and her family plan to go down to Louisiana to help after the oil spill and set up a kitchen for the homeless.
Many are traveling into towns for food and supplies, which has increased business in the area. And while some business owners may be a bit apprehensive, others are openly welcoming the Rainbows.
Gary Lane of Lane's Citgo in Sheffield said, "We have dealt with the Rainbows during three gatherings in the last 30 years and we've never had a problem. They buy food, fuel, timber and I don't have a single complaint."
Of course, there is potential for trouble when there are thousands of people involved. Reports of panhandling, begging for food, and theft have become common.
Pollock said, "When you have this many people, you are going to come across all kinds. The general population of Rainbows are here to experience and appreciate nature and do not want to cause trouble."
There are Rainbows, young and old, from all parts of the country in the forest and many families, too. The license plates on cars parked along Forest Road 552 on Tuesday were from as far as California, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico with not many from Pennsylvania as of yet. Many Rainbows stay in the area after the gathering in order to clean up and restore the forest back to the way it was when they arrived.
Pollock expressed the importance of keeping everyone informed and said, "We want to have as safe of a gathering as possible for the public, Forest Service employees, and the members of our community."
