For one thing, there's a strong element of stepping back in time to the heady Sixties. Tie-dye flags flap in front of many tents. The less well-off arrive in rusting Subarus and even old Beetles. You can find professional people such as lawyers and doctors amongst this group. One fellow, a lawyer, tells of how he flies up from Pennsylvania, lands his light plane in nearby Newport, then sets up camp and dons sackcloth to participate in the pageant.
Young people are here, too.
Both sexes dress in long pants and skirts. They sport strange hats and wear tie-dye shirts. And, they carry drums and not guitars. They draw nervously on cigarettes instead of joints. O ver the years, some animosity has sprung up between the organizers and some members of the local community who were outraged when a local cemetery was desecrated by some hooligans one year.