"Shambhala is an annual electronic music festival held during the first week of August at the Salmo River Ranch in the West Kootenay mountains of British Columbia. The festival lasts four days and three nights and offers a mix of music and art in the middle of nature. The festival began in 1998 and has grown to become the largest and one of the longest running electronic music event in Canada... 3 August 2011... and is held on the Salmo River Ranch, a 500-acre... cattle ranch in the mountains outside of Nelson."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shambhala_(...Pranksters dye Salmo River green at Shambhala...
http://news.inthekoots.com/2010/08/07/sa...I live an hour away from the infamous Shambhala Music Festival, where thousands come from all around the world to get a taste of... anarchy and deviance. Am I being too harsh? I get to read the reports that don't quite make it to the internet, and talk to those who work at the festival and see it first hand. It is a very dangerous event where drugs and alcohol fuel the imagination, and litter the roadsides and hospitals with it's consequences. If is was merely a fun-time without all the crimes, deaths and mayhem associated with it... no big deal... but when the event is sold as the greatest time on the planet... buyer beware!
Last year we had many in our town preparing for Shambhala; I talked to some who were filling soda bottles with alcohol, and lining up local contacts to buy their drugs... because both were "no-no's" and not allowed on-site. Speaking with those who worked as security from the fire dept. I was told there was no shortage of either on and off the grounds. I was also informed of all the sexual assaults and rapes that were perpetrated on attendees under the influence... that most did not report.
A tidy marketing of this weekends events omit those gory details, and steer clear of any association with it's reality... one visiting the local Nelson Hospital would have a better understanding of this "Woodstock in the woods" ...just follow the police sirens and ambulances if you are in doubt of the Shambhala location... I am not even exaggerating.
"Shambhala revellers keep RCMP busy" a report on the "drug-fest"
...er music festival 17 hours ago.
My opinion to anyone driving anywhere near Salmo BC, Canada this weekend... if you don't have to... DON'T! Or be very careful, many driving to the event from the Coast on Hwy #3, or from Alberta, has it's share of people driving under the influence. Or contact local RCMP about the current status of any highway accidents or road-blocks. I may not be very popular with the locals that like the extra business, this event provides, it is just that the down-side of this "high" isn't making it into public view.
Shambhala (so-called) No-No's...
"The following items are not allowed on festival grounds. To ensure the well being and safety of all our attendees, ALL vehicles are subject to searches by Security upon entry. Refusal to be searched will result in refused admittance...."
http://www.shambhalamusicfestival.com/in...The not-so-cool parts of Shambhala...
Drugs, alcohol, fatalities, accidents and sexual assaults...
http://nelsonlife.com/420/the-not-so-coo...
UPDATE - 9 months ago
"Jim Ross 7 October 2010 at 2:27 pm
This is a no brainer and hard to believe it took so many years to enter this discussion. They should also reimburse the emergency staff and medical professionals in Trail and Nelson.
Only four ambulances called on site! What about all the ambulances that scraped blasted or tired party goers off the highway? Or the psych and emergency nurses who deal with overdoses or sexually assaulted women? I am all for fun but as I have said before, Shamebhala is out of control. It makes its creators rich while we foot the bills.
Think of all the libraries and health care we could fund with that money, for starters."
http://thenelsonpost.ca/2010/10/07/polic...