3. Sierra Nevada World Music Festival (Boonville, California; Jun 19 – Jun 21)
Photo: Lee Abel
What could possibly embody the concept of a music festival more than one that entails camping out in Northern California during the summer solstice? That’s the vibe at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival. The 22nd edition of the conscious-music fest, at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds in the town of Boonville, includes performances from Jimmy Cliff, Yellowman, Third World, Max Romeo, Luciano, Ken Boothe, Big Youth, Jesse Royal, Soul Syndicate, No-Maddz, Admiral Tibet, The Itals, The Melodians and Thievery Corporation. Organizers describe the fest as a place where one can “experience a unique sense of unity and belonging, a semi-utopian moment in time where love, generosity, joy and innocence can be reclaimed,” and, really, they’re not that far off.