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NATURITA, Colo. — Amongst cottonwood trees, Camp V rests above Highway 141 just outside of Naturita. While Camp V may be new to some, it’s a continuation of the bustling mining days that once defined the West End.

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—an homage to the transformation of the Western landscape.

“Camp V is a historic mining town that was built in 1942 to house the engineers who worked in the nearby mill,” Binder said.

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.

“We were restoring the cabins during COVID but had the camp open,” Binder said. “When Burning Man was canceled, a lot of people in our community contacted us and said, ‘Because it’s rural, and it’s outdoor, and it’s able to do social distancing—can we please get together?’ A lot of people in urban areas didn’t have that opportunity to connect like we did, having access to so many trails and being outside.”

Planet V has since evolved into an annual gathering focused on art, music and community reconnection.

“Very impromptu, I think it was two weeks before we threw together a group of 75 people,” Binder said. “And it was really special. For us, we hadn’t seen a lot of these people. For a lot of other folks that came, they really hadn’t 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, ‘This is not only a really special community but a special project, a special place in the state. You have to keep going with this.’”

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 “a really beautiful accident.”

“I wish we had a better word for festival than what we do,” she said. “I spent a lot of time researching these smaller gatherings that do incorporate more than music. Really, the English language doesn’t have a word for it.”

She added, “But yeah, we do some really unique wellness workshops. We just created two new gathering spaces—the pavilion, which we call the Vortex, and then this upper space that we call V-Trove. So we’ll have a wellness center that’s open. It can be a space where people can come and wind down or meditate.”

This year’s event also includes a kids zone, sponsored by Citizens State Bank.

“We’re very grateful for that,” Binder said. “So we’ll 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’s just really unique programming in terms of the art, classes, [and] offerings.”

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.

“What’s so interesting about rural places in the West is that there is this sense of freedom,” Binder said. “And I think as humans we really need that opportunity to sit around a fire and connect if we need to—and not have this last call, ‘It’s time to go to bed, you gotta be quiet.’ 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—going to bed when they need to go to bed. It’s just less structured in that sense. Whereas in more populated areas, you do have to have more restrictions and more limitations because there’s just more people to think about.”

She added, “When you’re in a more rural setting, you have that opportunity for more freedom. And I think as humans, we need that opportunity—not only to have that freedom but to have that space to connect.”

Planet V begins Memorial Day weekend and showcases the West End and the rarity of true freedom. For more information, visit planetvfest.info.