Beloved Sacred Arts & Music Festival

At the top of the home page of Beloved Festival’s website is a smiling monkey with wings, wearing a top hat and flowers around his neck and holding a shiny dandelion. If you’re intrigued, and looking for a mix of music, camping, yoga and healing lectures, then you’ll want to make your way to Oregon next month.

Set for Aug. 10-13, the sacred arts & music festival is located about 30 miles inland of the Oregon Coast near the town of Tidewater, roughly 2.5 hours from Portland or Eugene.

Described as bringing “together the gutsy, the sensual, and the glorious for a weekend of relaxation, celebration, and vibrant community,” Beloved features an eclectic lineup with everything from dub-step to Sufi-infused Kora music.

“We like to play with cultural collision and make it fun,” said Beloved founder and Portland-based promoter Elliot Rasenick, who says he was inspired to create the festival after observing the audiences at the electronica events and kirtans (yoga-related chanting sessions) he organized.

“There were these two different audiences, doing [the] same thing and wanting the same thing. The two communities had a lot to learn from one another but never got together.”

The 2012 roster includes Aurelio Martinez, Cheb i Sabbah, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, Tipper, Bombino, Ott, Jai Uttal, Adham Shaikh, Bhagavan Das, Kalya Scintilla, Dirtwire (featuring members of Beats Antique & Hamsa Lila), Meklit Hadero, Birds of Paradise, Rahim AlHaj, Everyone Orchestra and more.

And while some other festivals boast about the numerous stages at their events, Beloved is proud to only have one stage.

“We want to help participants learn to fully engage every single moment,” Rasenick says.

The yoga classes will feature top-notch local and nationally known instructors. The festival offers more than two dozen workshops including “Creativity! The Birth of a New Renaissance” with Dr. Amit Goswami, “Pachamama Despacho Ceremony for the Healing and Balance of the Earth” with Elder Don Mariano Quispe, and “Balinese Monkey Chant” with Paradox Pollack and Robin Sol.

Tickets are available now. Regular priced tickets are $198. If you wait to buy your tickets at the gate, the price will increase to $225.

For more information visit BelovedFestival.com.

--Sarah Marie Pittman