Upcoming event features yoga all day in a farm setting
Yoga Farm Fest 2024, a one-day event set for Saturday, June 29 at FHJ Events, is a true farm experience. The event features an entire day of yoga activities with 10 total sessions.
Some things just go together well. Peanut butter and chocolate. Ranch and … everything. And of course, yoga and … farm?
Well, yes, as it turns out. Thanks to Flex Yoga in Wooster, those two normally mostly unrelated areas are joining forces for one of the more unique, original and unusual events in the area.
Welcome to Yoga Farm Fest 2024, a one-day event set for Saturday, June 29 at FHJ Events, 10426 Smithville Western Road west of Wooster, just north of New Pittsburg.
“Yoga Farm festival is a true farm experience,” said Dee Black, Flex Yoga Manager and Yoga Farm Fest event coordinator. “The event center is still a family farm with cows and animals on site. Our final class takes place in a barn. There is truly nothing like doing yoga to live music in a barn with 200 new friends.”
So there you have the “Farm” part. The Yoga part comes in the form of an entire day of activities with 10 total sessions.
The Yoga Farm Fest will begin with a Welcome Community Class at 7:10 a.m. and go throughout the day until ending with the Closing Community Class from 6:30-7:15 p.m.
“This year, we have more class choices than ever because we expected a growth in attendance and did more recruiting,” Black said. “There will be some classes such as rope flow that are not offered locally that attendees can experience at the festival. We have teachers coming from all over Ohio, and guests coming from as far away as Colorado.”
The day will start with everyone doing a basic yoga flow together in front of the large pond at the venue. That will include live music, as Black alluded to. Throughout the rest of the day, attendees will have their choice of up to a dozen classes being offered each hour.
This year is the second Yoga Farm Fest since the pandemic caused the events in 2020 and 2021 to be cancelled. The festival was started in 2018 by Emily Mariola and ran in 2019 before the hiatus. Mariola will be there to welcome the attendees. She also will teach one of the classes in the 9:30-10:30 a.m. session.
“She wanted to hold a celebration of yoga, community, artisans, and local food,” Black said.
The fest returned in 2022 as a semi-annual event. This is the fourth overall held by Flex Yoga Wooster.
The first event was attended by approximately 125 participants, including teachers. Black said more than 250 were registered as of early this week, with time left for more.
Yoga is not the only thing on the menu for guests. Also available is a healing tent, which people can visit throughout the day for reiki, massage therapy and dry needling, for small additional fees.
Flex Yoga Wooster and FHJ Events (Hershey Family Christmas Display) are the title sponsors and hosts of the event. Yoga Farm Fest and Elevate Akron Yoga Festival work together to sponsor one another and the Elevate Akron team will be in attendance teaching classes and sharing information about its upcoming event.
Tickets range from $140 to $200. A $200 ticket is all-inclusive and includes the opening and closing classes, six 60-minute sessions, two 60-minute free-time/meal sessions, breakfast, lunch and dinner and two cups of coffee from Boo Bears Brew.
“We have additional food options as well as some old favorites,” Black said.
Tickets may be purchased on the Flex Yoga App or via links available at https://www.flexyogawooster.com/yogafarmfest.