I returned to my cozy little home here in the woods yesterday. Feeling a bit down. Not because the Jamboree was bad, but because it was so amazing that it's sad to have had to leave!
I am very glad I was able to attend even though my plans were made a little last minute. Here is some of what I was able to experience totally aside from looking at all the cool houses. My next post will just be all the amazing tiny house photos. But here are some of the other things that went on.
First, there was crazy long lines for everything, starting with getting in the gate which you can see above. I still don't know final numbers, but I heard a rumor that almost 40,000 people attended over the three days. That's really crazy that there are so many people interested in this movement!
The whole event was a little like Facebook coming to like to quote someone else. I have never met so many people, that I previously knew only through the internet, in a few days. It was really amazing to be able to meet Jay Shafer (Four Lights Houses) and thank him for getting this whole current movement going! And Amy from Tumbleweed was the one who helped me work out the whole design for my house and get it built so it was fun to actually meet her as well.
There was lots of cool souvenirs from the event. I actually chose a bottle of local wine labeled with the Jamboree poster.
Crowds and lines were long everywhere!
There were tiny house professional movers and they had this cool old toy at their boot.
There were kids checking out the little demos and saying, "Hey mom, this one is perfect!"
I was able to camp in my van between some other folks tiny houses, and cook up some good food.
The SIP house was constructed from the trailer up during the three days and it was fun to watch it take shape that fast.
I was able to meet one of the young families I really admire who live in their tiny with their two children. And happened to park beside them one day. Baylie and Bjorn and their kids just moved into a new tiny over the Jamboree! Check out their story here.
There was a crew from France present to film the event.
And a group of folks working on setting up tiny homestead organic farms in empty city lots to improve food accessibility and clean up deserted areas. I thought that was pretty sweet and loved this little model they built. They have a radio show you can check out here.
I met many more famous tiny housers like from Christian and Alexis from Tiny House Expedition who will hopefully be visiting my area and house in a year or so on their trip!
And Michelle from My Tiny Empty Nest.
Eco Cabins sponsored the whole event and their staff put in a ton of work to make it all happen!
There were amazing speakers and huge crowds listening to them from the tiny stage.
Jay Shafer the father of the movement. Four Lights Homes
Kai, the founder of Tiny House Lending and Tiny House Dating is also a great MC.
Byron and Dot of Simblissity are a wonderful couple and I really enjoyed spending time with them as well as listening to him speak on how to plan your house to be the right size for you, not just tiny in general.
Andrew Odom from Tiny r(E)volution and Tiny House Magazine (which I have written for in the past) actually has an amazing sense of humor in person. It doesn't quite come through just from emailing him, but listening to him in person is hilarious!
We were all able to watch a yurt go up from the ground as well.
The lines didn't start out too crazy long on Friday, but the next two days were insane.
And the speakers started out in the full sun, but after the first day and with everyone sunburnt, thankfully we were able to move them to the shade!
I got to see a tiny piece of rainbow! But missed the flooding that happened right after we all left.
More crowds!
Tumbleweed had two showroom houses there.
The weather ended up being lovely all weekend!
There was tiny house dating getting started and the audience sent the couples off for a beer to get to know each other better.
And panels of experts to help answer all the questions you might have.
There was even a photo drone from LanderDrone to give you a birds eye view of the whole place! I can't seem to embed it in this post, but go check their website. It's pretty cool.
I certainly hope there is a 2nd Annual Jamboree next summer!
I certainly hope there is a 2nd Annual Jamboree next summer!
