I missed two busses. I clawed through two hours of weekend vacation traffic. But when I finally arrived at the Marshfield Fairgrounds, Levitate Music and Arts Festival opened before me like a dream I’d been chasing all year. There’s something about Levitate that feels less like a weekend event and more like a portal – a time capsule for the soul. It invites you into something warmer, older, freer. Imagine if Woodstock 1969 met a New England backyard cookout: peace, love, and jam music uniting strangers into companions.

Every July, Levitate unfurls across the Massachusetts coastline like a painted tapestry. This isn’t just a festival; it’s a ritual. The kind where New Englanders show up in wide-brimmed hemp hats and handmade earrings, balancing lawn chairs and coolers with the poise of circus performers. Strangers smile like old friends. Bohemian isn’t a statement, it’s a second skin.

If Levitate had a dictionary definition, it would be underscored – boldly, lovingly – by the word “community.” The ethos radiates from its roots. The Levitate Foundation, the nonprofit behind it all, offers grants and support to artists, educators, and environmentalists. It believes, simply and radically, that nature and art are medicine. The festival is their living, breathing exhibition: muralists painting in real time with wet brushes between stained fingers; musicians drifting into the crowd post-set to hug fans and snag a lemonade; children painting seashells while jam bands swell in the background. The air itself feels painted with purpose.

One change in 2025 was the reimagined layout: instead of three full stages, the former Songwriter Stage was transformed into a sunburst-shaped platform near the entrance, devoted solely to local artists. It felt intentional, almost sacred. Yes, the smaller lawn space made it bit tighter – especially on Saturday’s scorcher of a sell-out day – but it solved past issues with overlapping sets and added a layer of intimacy that felt tailor-made for community storytelling.

The main stage, meanwhile, pulsed with New England pride. Two returning hometown heroes – Stick Figure and Dispatch – headlined the weekend, pouring out performances that shimmered with gratitude and musical muscle. It was as if they were playing their hearts out for the soil itself. But it was Still Woozy and Lawrence that stole my breath, and it appears the crowd’s as well. Still Woozy bounced across the stage with playful magnetism, sending the crowd into a carefree frenzy. Lawrence glistened with dual harmonies that wrapped around us like silk: joyous, tight, and dripping in soul. “Mesmerizing” doesn’t even cover it.

Still, my most unforgettable moments came from the songwriter stage. Lily Fitts sang like someone whispering secrets to the sky — her voice floated with the ethereal strength of a young Dolly Parton. Maya Manuela offered the opposite: her voice rooted us, deep and present, pulling each word like a thread from the past. Autumn Drive brought indie-pop fire that had us humming their hooks long after sunset. These sets were less performance, more communion.

The magic didn’t end at the music. With over 100 vendors and artisans, Levitate became a handmade wonderland. I wandered past tables of ceramics, sustainable skincare, up-cycled fashion, hand-pressed jewelry, and more. Children frolicked in the petting-zoo, while their parents tried Cayman Jack cocktails or waited in line for Thai chicken. The Broccoli Bar, a Massachusetts staple, served up plates of gourmet roasted veggies that looked like edible bouquets.

And when I took a moment to soak in the experience in the bleachers, I landed up next to two strangers who immediately became friends. One said she brought her daughter-in-law for a bonding experience, the other revealed she bought her ticket that morning, determined not to break her tradition. Levitate brought more than just us together, it connected the entire East Coast for a much-needed retreat.

Even the painters were part of the heartbeat. Murals bloomed on fish-shaped canvas and plywood alike – sprawling collages of ocean waves, wildflowers, and metaphysical musings. I watched an artist trace the outline of a bee while a father beside them played hacky sack with his kids. That’s Levitate. The line between artist and observer dissolves. Everyone is creating something: whether it’s music, art, memory, or joy.

As the sun dipped behind the trees on Sunday evening, I sat in the grass with a garden of broccoli, the last notes of a distant set hanging in the air like incense. I climbed into my car for the four-hour drive home, Fai Laci and Linka Moja humming through my speakers – artists I had never heard before this weekend but now felt permanently tattooed on my playlist. I should’ve been tired. But Levitate leaves you with a kind of adrenaline-rush that doesn’t drain; it transforms. The kind that lingers on your skin like glitter and sea salt.

Levitate is not just a festival; it’s a creative pilgrimage. A New England rite of passage. A place where you don’t just watch art – you become apart of it.

(photos in above gallery by Nathan Smith)