Every June, the forests of Northern Wisconsin transform into something between a dream and a memory. The Summer Solstice Festival — now in its twelfth year — draws thousands to the shores of Lake Namekagon, where the longest day of the year is celebrated with music, fire, and the kind of communal joy that can only exist beneath a canopy of old-growth pines.
Where the Wild Things Play
The festival grounds sprawl across 200 acres of mixed forest, with stages tucked into natural clearings and art installations woven between the trees. There are no corporate sponsors, no VIP sections, and no cell service — by design.
"We wanted to create a space where people could remember what it felt like before screens," says festival founder Tor Lindgren. "Music sounds different when you can hear the wind in the trees between songs."
The Photography
This year, we embedded photographer Naia Chen with the festival crew for the full four-day weekend. Her images capture the raw, unfiltered magic of Solstice — from the first rays of dawn piercing through morning fog to the final embers of the Saturday night bonfire.
More Than Music
Beyond the stages, Solstice in the Woods hosts workshops in natural dyeing, mushroom foraging, and traditional birch bark canoe construction. It's a festival that takes its setting seriously, treating the land not as a backdrop but as a co-creator.
