NATURITA, Colo. \u2014 Amongst cottonwood trees, Camp V rests above Highway 141 just outside of Naturita. While Camp V may be new to some, it\u2019s a continuation of the bustling mining days that once defined the West End.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Natalie Binder, owner and founder of the modern Camp V, has poured her heart into restoring and reimagining the former mining camp. Today, the site features modern cabins, interactive art installations, and buildings for retreats and gatherings\u2014an homage to the transformation of the Western landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCamp V is a historic mining town that was built in 1942 to house the engineers who worked in the nearby mill,\u201d Binder said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic limited in-person gatherings, Camp V hosted a small event that would later grow into what is now known as the Planet V festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe were restoring the cabins during COVID but had the camp open,\u201d Binder said. \u201cWhen Burning Man was canceled, a lot of people in our community contacted us and said, \u2018Because it\u2019s rural, and it\u2019s outdoor, and it\u2019s able to do social distancing\u2014can we please get together?\u2019 A lot of people in urban areas didn\u2019t have that opportunity to connect like we did, having access to so many trails and being outside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Planet V has since evolved into an annual gathering focused on art, music and community reconnection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVery impromptu, I think it was two weeks before we threw together a group of 75 people,\u201d Binder said. \u201cAnd it was really special. For us, we hadn\u2019t seen a lot of these people. For a lot of other folks that came, they really hadn\u2019t connected with anyone in a while. So we were never planning on throwing a large-scale event like this, but that weekend was special. We were encouraged by the people that came who said, \u2018This is not only a really special community but a special project, a special place in the state. You have to keep going with this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in its fifth year, Planet V is expected to draw more than 600 attendees from across the Southwest. Binder said the growth has been \u201ca really beautiful accident.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wish we had a better word for festival than what we do,\u201d she said. \u201cI spent a lot of time researching these smaller gatherings that do incorporate more than music. Really, the English language doesn\u2019t have a word for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She added, \u201cBut yeah, we do some really unique wellness workshops. We just created two new gathering spaces\u2014the pavilion, which we call the Vortex, and then this upper space that we call V-Trove. So we\u2019ll have a wellness center that\u2019s open. It can be a space where people can come and wind down or meditate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year\u2019s event also includes a kids zone, sponsored by Citizens State Bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very grateful for that,\u201d Binder said. \u201cSo we\u2019ll have flag making, a talent show and a kids-of-all-ages parade because we really want to celebrate the child in all of us. You know, Planet V is for everyone, so there\u2019s just really unique programming in terms of the art, classes, [and] offerings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The festivities begin on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, with themes throughout the event such as Velvet Galaxy and Cosmic Creatures. Musicians range from established local acts to up-and-coming performers from the Denver and Santa Fe areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s so interesting about rural places in the West is that there is this sense of freedom,\u201d Binder said. \u201cAnd I think as humans we really need that opportunity to sit around a fire and connect if we need to\u2014and not have this last call, \u2018It\u2019s time to go to bed, you gotta be quiet.\u2019 We want to encourage these spaces for meaningful conversations. Or, I think, people need to howl at the moon. Also, if they need to rest\u2014going to bed when they need to go to bed. It\u2019s just less structured in that sense. Whereas in more populated areas, you do have to have more restrictions and more limitations because there\u2019s just more people to think about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She added, \u201cWhen you\u2019re in a more rural setting, you have that opportunity for more freedom. And I think as humans, we need that opportunity\u2014not only to have that freedom but to have that space to connect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n