From the first moment I entered the gates of the farm, I felt as if I had been dipped into another world: flowers, bubbles and an aura of happiness abounded. This impressive atmosphere stimulated all senses at the same time and I didn’t know which to follow first: Should I listen to the great music? Enjoy the excellent smell of baked cupcakes and different tea flavors? Or should I concentrate on my eyes, which jumped from one extraordinary costume to the next? Yes, the costumes fitted into the surrounding very well and the tea party guests were obviously the main protagonists of this party. I could see women with lovely dresses, styled in baroque fashion; men with costumes from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie and a mixture of colourful Bollywood clothing and hippie accessories. Even if you forgot to dress up — no problem — because on your way to the tea garden, next to the camping area, you crossed a little market where you could buy everything you needed. However the stock wasn’t limited to costumes and accessories; in case that you needed refreshments, the little market offered several stands with snacks and different drinks.

The music was everywhere. You could listen to various types of amazing live music, each with its own distinctive characteristics. Some bands stimulated listeners to dreamily enjoy their performances, others made them want to to rock the dance floor. Each artist succeeded in giving this event a personal touch. The artists who entertained us were both homegrown (Hotwater, Moreira Project, Goodluck, Plan Be, Derek Gripper, Dusty, Haydn Garden Swing Band and many more) as well foreign (Red Five Point Star (Slovenia) or Carambola (Cuba)). This meeting between the local and international made the atmosphere fantastic and unique. For those who couldn't get enough of the tunes they could head to the 'The Munged Bean Shebeen', a small late night party on the terrain, where a mixture of funk, swing, afro house and more was played into the wee hours.

Overall, this tea party consisted of much more entertainment than music. The host of the party, a male nun, asked guests to be involved and interact with the event and not just by dancing. It never grew boring because the crowd was involved in several different amusing games and the world record breaking attempt — 'The Great Waltz'. Apart from the fact that I could live this event as I wanted to, the idea of the tea party never disappeared. There was the decoration on the one hand as well as the fact that the winners of the Costume Contest were a couple, dressed up as tea pot and tea cup. The merry atmosphere became even more visible on Sunday; they called this day ‘Le Picnic’. The guests could drink as much free tea as they want and eat delicious chocolate all day long. The best decision was to forget about thinking and investigating, and just enjoy the show with the rest of the tea crowd. By means of a diverse, interactive and colourful programme, the organisers really understood how to catch the audience’s attention. If you missed this Flamjangled Tea Party, I am sure that you won’t miss it next time.

By: Anne Viktoria Wanders