By Mitrasena dasa

Of all the festivals I’ve organized, this one is easily drawing the most attention.

Within fifteen minutes of sending announcements to local newspapers, I received a phone call from an editor asking if their paper could sponsor the event.

I’m getting phone calls regularly from musicians of all ages asking for a chance to be involved.

When I told a neighbor about our plan to have a sing along of “My Sweet Lord “, accompanied by one hundred guitars, she said,”I’m getting chills just thinking about it, I won’t miss this for anything”.

As they discuss their appreciation for George, these people invariably bring up the topic of Krishna.

George’s involvement with Krishna Consciousness is well known and well documented.

People that are curious about George are also curious about us.

When they hear that Gurudas’ friendship with George and that he will be speaking at the event, they are completely sold.

This event will draw people who are very ripe for what we have to offer. There is no need to pull green fruits off of branches. These people will need only a gentle tug and you’ll find them to be very sweet, thanks to George, for warming their hearts all these years.

My biggest organizational anxiety is to insure we have enough devotees on hand to receive this crowd.

A large tent and stage will be set up outside, thanks to Madhuha and his Festival of India. This will be the main music stage.

Meanwhile, inside the temple, classes and workshops will be held on japa,kirtan,Bhagavad Gita and Vegetarian Cooking.

There will be a couple Arotiks scheduled. These have proven to be very ecstatic at our festivals with many first timers dancing and singing enthusiastically.

Aside from the temple functions there will be a variety of activities to keep the attendees busy and to give them their money’s worth.
-A Lavish Vegetarian Banquet
-Sitar Concert and Workshop

-Plenty of Music from local performers, such as a rendition of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps “ played on a saw. A ukulele solo of “Something “ and “Here Comes The Sun”

-An Introduction to My Friend George Harrison, a talk given by Guru das with photos he had taken of George.

-Raffle of several items donated by sponsors such as Carolina Zip Lines, Dan River Company , (a kayaking outfit on the nearby Dan River), H2O Tie Dyes and Kindred Spirits, a devotee owned gift shop in Winston who are kindly donating over $800 in BBT books through their organization “Benediction Moon “ (If you want to support book distribution , look at their website) www.BenedictionMoon.com

It’s a sign of the times when local businesses feel comfortable advertising themselves at a Hare Krishna event

Stokes County has taken an interest in our community. They see us as an asset and are willing to give us support in any way within their means. The County maintains a Face Book Account to advertise local events and attractions. Our event is proudly displayed there at their request. I’m getting calls from people who have noticed us there. They are inquiring about advance tickets and how they might be able to help..

We are expecting a crowd of from 200 to 2000. It very much depends on the weather, which can be very beautiful in November. We are selling advance tickets at a reduced price to insure a crowd no matter what weather.

See our website for more details. NCGeorgefest.com

If you’d like to be involved please contact me at mitradasa@gmail.com

The next day will feature Guru das telling stories of his travels with Srila Prabhupada for the Sunday lecture.

Gurudas first met Srila Prabhupada in 1967 in San Francisco, and immediately joined the temple, helping with the first Ratha Yatra that summer.

He also traveled across India with Srila Prabhupada in 1971 as part of the World Sankirtan Party.

He was also involved in the construction of the Krishna Balaram Temple in Vrindavan.
There are many stories to tell, and Guru das is happy to have an audience to share them with. This is an opportunity to hear from someone who was involved in the development of our ISKCON society from the very beginning.

mitradasa@gmail.com