Inaugural Moon Bloom Wellness and Music Retreat to Run From Aug. 17th-20th

ONEIDA – Some people dip their toes into the shallow end of the proverbial pool when embarking on a new endeavor. However, this is certainly not the case for Kate Maranville-Hisler, who, with the help of others, has organized the inaugural Moon Bloom Wellness and Music Retreat. Combining the healing power of various wellness modalities and practices with the innate healing characteristic of music, the retreat will run from August 17^th to the 20^th. Friends, family, and bands both local – including jam-band favorites, Annie in the Water – and far will join in on this joyous event.

Tickets for the event range in price, with a variety of options. You can purchase yours here.

To learn more about the event in general, I was able to interview Kate below.

Lucas Garrett: Thank you very much for sitting down today to talk with us, Kate. How are you?

Kate Maranville-Hiser: I’m doing well, thanks for asking. How are you?

LG: I’m doing well. Tell us a bit about what you’re working on.

KM: The project is called Moon Bloom Wellness and Music Retreat.

LG: How did that start?

KM: The collective I started with a group of other people that are interested in spreading wellness… We do smaller retreats. We do all-inclusive, maximum of ten guest retreats. Someone had been watching what we’d been doing over the past couple years and asked if we’d be interested in doing something bigger on their property. I was thinking about it, and the next day I went to a Dirtwire show at The Hollow in Albany. I ended up speaking with Evan Fraser from the band and asked if he knew any artists that’d be interested in playing a first-time festival retreat.

He recommended Bloomurian – who’ll be headlining at Moon Bloom. From there, it just kept rolling. Everyone kept recommending someone else. Bloomurian recommended Moon Drop, who’s going to be co-headlining. They’re coming from Colorado and California. Then, people kept it going. It turned into this beautiful culmination of artists in that way. The rest of the artists are people that I know or the property owners know.

The interesting thing about Moon Bloom is it’s not just music – there’s lots of other offerings: ceremonies; sound healing; yoga; astrology; breath work. There will be drum circles as well late at night.

LG: That all sounds great. How does one find the ambition and energy to go from not doing anything like this to coordinating this event?

KM: I have a really amazing support system and group of people that believe in what is being created. It’s not just me; there’s a team of wonderful people that see the vision, too.

LG: Who is on that team?

KM: That would be a long list! Hahaha. Fara and Jamie, the property owners; Shayna Bublak has been helping me with so much when it comes to navigating technology – I would not be able to do it without her; Graziella Androne, my co-parenting partner, helps with the kids so I can work all these crazy hours. There’s a lot out there helping – including those performing. A lot of them are involved in helping get the word out there. But a big shout-out to Shayna and Graziella. They are the logical ladies that take my big ideas and carry them to fruition.

LG: You mentioned the collective a bit ago. Can you tell us more about that?

KM: Cicada Moon Collective is a collective of wellness practitioners, creative minds that come together and create different smaller events. This festival is a lot bigger! Haha. I feel like Cicada Moon is always growing and expanding and making room for more people. The idea behind it, originally, was to be a network of different wellness practices to connect people that are seeking to find things that work for them with the people that have done the education and know how to help.

LG: That sounds really community oriented. What would you like to see come out of the Moon Bloom Wellness and Music Festival?

KM: I would like to see more people connected with things they might not have thought about before. For them to start incorporating things they learn into their daily lives. Raising awareness on different wellness practices would be the main desired outcome. We’re also planning to have the majority of the proceeds going to funding the start-up of the 501(c)3 routed in overall wellness, natural medicine, education, and self-sustaining community models.

LG: That’s awesome Kate. Good luck with everything!

KM: Thank you so much! Have a great day.