By Leslie Zechman

Friday I was taking a relaxed approach to getting started with some long overdue yoga, though not nearly enough ...

Mother Nature was giving us a good soaking, which I took as a good thing. I wouldn’t need to take time to water the plants. I love having lots of blooms and greens but I don’t have time for their proper care. I did consider that the showers could cause a muddy situation at the farm. A quick reassessment of wardrobe choices would be in order.

The most important thing to consider is comfort and appropriateness. Dress for the most likely weather and your schedule. It is typically super hot in the day, but it can get chilly into the later hours. If you’re comfortable with your bits hanging out, go for it. This is definitely a limited time offer. If you are not at a festival, the beach or otherwise reasonable location to go bare, please wear clothes. My grandmother would run out of ruffles to sew onto the scant clothing on display.

My innate inclination toward perpetual tardiness was looking to have paid off this day. Several of the afternoon sets were canceled as crowds were advised to head back to their vehicles and remain inside them as a result of the inclement weather. As it was not clear when Centeroo would re-open, I let off the gas a bit in getting on the road.

As it turned out, it wouldn’t, and my optimism regarding the rain seemed misplaced. I would have saved myself the white-knuckle ride to Manchester had I checked my phone before leaving. By the time I finally got underway, urgency had set in and after some curious traffic re-routings, I learned from two dudes in a blue truck that the whole weekend was a bust.

So, we were suddenly all canceled now. A little downpour turned out to be a big downer.

A statement released on social media informed attendees, “Today, the National Weather Service provided us with an updated forecast with significant and steady precipitation that will produce deteriorating camping and egress conditions in the coming days. We are beyond gutted, but we must make the safest decision and cancel the remainder of Bonnaroo.”

First attempts at evacuation were made in the areas most affected, while those in camping areas still above water were asked to stay the night to allow the submerged campers to escape deteriorating conditions. Continuing to radiate positivity, stranded Bonnaroovians made the most of the evening with revelry and mud wrestling matches. Hopefully, everyone got out safely and the festival will bounce back next year. However, being that many of its years, the festival has seen substantial precipitation, I am curious to see a post mortem on why this year’s rainfall was so exceptionally disastrous.

Tickets purchased through Front Gate will be refunded.