Wakarusa enjoyable to at least one corporate exec

Bill Hanna is not the type you’d expect to find wandering the “alternative” crowds (10,000-15,000 people estimated) at the Wakarusa Music Festival at Mulberry Mountain north of Ozark.

It’s safe to say a majority of the Wakarusa crowd are likely the figurative — if not potentially literal — descendants of the hippie generation that altered the music, art and cultural scenes of the 1960s and 1970s. Which means Wakarusa, to be redundant and drive home the point, is not a place one would expect to find the head of a Fort Smith-based oil, gas and real estate business with holdings and operations in the U.S. and Canada.

But Hanna, a physical and fiscal supporter of a wide range of arts and entertainment venues in the Fort Smith area, was there. He was there with his camera (see below his Wakarusa photos), his teenage son and some of his son’s friends. What’s more, they were there for all three days of a festival that saw more than 90 diverse acts perform on several stages.

“I had a fairly interesting experience participating as a father as much a music fan,” Hanna told The City Wire. “‘Just how much do you want to expose your child to and how quickly,’ were questions that came to my mind.”

Although there as a chaperone, Hanna readily admits to enjoying the overall experience.

“Being a music fan, my cup runneth over. Being a fan of nature, my cup also runneth over, and being a fan of people, I saw from one spectrum to the other,” he explained. “Being a fan of my children, I am glad they get chances to put my parenting skills/their decision making skills to the test (everyone passed). Everyone who has interest in these things has something to gain from this and other experiences like this.”

And from the “more things change the more they stay the same category” we dust off and reuse here several Lists-O-Wakarusa penned by Peter Lewis after his 2009 Wakarusa attendance. A review of Hanna’s photos indicate the lists remain accurate for 2010.

• 5 Things You’re Likely To See at Wakarusa:
1. Pale skin and sunburns
2. Hula hoops
3. Dirty feet
4. Tattoos
5. Questionable Dance Moves

• 5 Things You’re Likely To Smell at Wakarusa:
1. Body Odor (sweaty dancers)
2. Burning plant life
3. Feces (porta potties)
4. Incense
5. More Body Odor

• 5 Things I was (somewhat) Surprised To See at Wakarusa:
1. Hula hooping lesbians in combat boots.
2. People getting high using a magnifying glass instead of a lighter.
3. An inordinate amount of Greek life channeling their inner hippie.
4. A girl dressed up as Alex from A Clockwork Orange.
5. (Naked) Painted titties

• 3 Things I Didn’t Want to See on Men:
1. Leopard print leotards
2. Lieutenant Dangle Outfits
3. Rotund gentlemen in grass skirts and coconut bras

Following are 15 of the photos Bill Hanna graciously provided The City Wire. For those unable to attend, we hope they capture the essence of the festival.