Contributed Photo Mysteryland, a music festival known for elaborate stage shows, will be hitting Bethel Woods, for Memorial Day Weekend 2014.

Mysteryland is coming

Story by Frank Rizzo
KAUNEONGA LAKE — September 20, 2013 — Representatives from Bethel Woods and Dutch event producer ID&T showed up at Tuesday’s Town of Bethel Planning Board meeting to disclose plans for Mysteryland, slated for Memorial Day 2014.
A 20-year-old festival of electronic music held annually in the Netherlands and Chile, Mysteryland will make its U.S. debut at Bethel Woods on May 23-26, 2014. The 20th edition of Mysteryland in its home country took place on August 24 and all 60,000 tickets reportedly sold out.
According to a press release, ID&T has been in talks with Bethel Woods for over a year.
“We chose ID&T’s Mysteryland brand as the first modern era festival on the hallowed grounds for its belief in many of the same principles as our own organization. Creativity, unity, social responsibility and a focus on the ‘experience’ of the guest,” said Bethel Woods CEO Darlene Fedun, who was present at Tuesday’s meeting.
The same release went on to note: “The festival offers its guests a creative journey, combining music with theatre, movies, interactive installation art, street performers and spectacular shows at bizarre decorated stages. To create this amazing spectacle, the festival organizers collaborate with a wide range of creative people from all over the world.”
Only 20,000 tickets will be sold. Visit Mysteryland.com and sign up. The tickets will be sold in order of registration later this year.
Shades of Phish?
Bethel Supervisor Daniel Sturm said the discussion Tuesday got quite detailed, encompassing such topics as traffic, emergency services and security.
Organizers are seeking a special use permit to allow 7,500 campers on property along Best Rd. reportedly owned by Bethel Woods.
“I have complete faith in the Planning Board review process,” Sturm said. “The [board] will do its due diligence and if it accepts the plan then we will certainly support it.”
Sturm made reference to the Phish concerts at Bethel Woods two years ago on Memorial Day Weekend. Those, too, brought tens of thousands to the area.
“There was fear of possible negative impacts from the Phish concerts, but they never materialized,” Sturm said. “I would say [Phish] had a positive economic impact.”
Sturm said some concerns were brought up at the meeting, such as traffic and possible impact on the farmers.
“But this is the time to discuss [the plans and concerns],” Sturm said, adding, “We have a good review team that is competent and I have confidence in [its members].”
No decisions were made by the Planning Board on Tuesday.