it's not just our opinion, man
what makes peace love & vans different?
We optimize for community and interactions between attendees to promote new connections.
While most hippie-themed events are pretty casual, we strive to make the initial landing into our scene highly organized and disciplined. Instead of parking and camping wherever you like, everyone is parked in rows that form named streets where the “slider door” of the vans face each other in the order that they arrive at the village and we don’t allow you to move to where you think you want to be (unless there is a disability or true need). You can check out the streets on the village map (Florida or Colorado). But, alas, there is a method to our madness (or at least some of it). Without the initial structure, there’s little room left to let go and get our groove on. One of the most important results is that you are extremely likely to make new friends. In our first two years, some of the folks who were the most uncomfortable in their camping spot at first, report back to us that they met their village neighbors and are now close friends with them. All that said, we encourage you to bring your friends too! If you come to the park with them (perhaps meeting outside the park) you may not be in the exact same row, but you’ll certainly be close! Lots more detail about this in our FAQs.
We put a lot of effort into the diverse programming.
Hanging out and meeting other vanlifers is awesome, but we also provide a diverse range of experiences! Examples include killer live music, workshops, star gazing, trivia, nature hikes, and a popular DIY build contest. Check out the schedule pages for the Florida or Colorado events to see the full details! Also, this event is not primarily an “expo”. Instead, it’s a gathering that also happens to have a bustling expo area with some of the coolest cats in the industry showing their products or their vans. Check out the Florida or Colorado sponsors/exhibitors page to see who’s coming!
The sites are incredible!
In Florida, Withlacoochee River Park is a true gem and we work closely with the park management so that our attendees benefit from the beautiful location while ensuring that we preserve it. The site is tucked away about a mile inside the park in a private area surrounded by woods. Most of the village is located on a large grassy field that features some ancient oak trees while the lounge and other areas are tucked into the forest that surrounds the village. Our event team spends about a week on-site setting up the village with stages, signs, lighting, sound equipment, games, and plenty of surprises! The site also features plentiful water connections, electricity, and an on-site dump station.
In Colorado, we’re lucky to be hosted at the incredible Hummingbird Ranch in Rye that offers 360 acres of the most pristine Colorado wilderness in North America. The stellar cascading view of Spanish Peaks Country to the west offer a unique and unmatched level of natural beauty. The refreshing waters of Apache Creek that flows through the property and shaded tree lined camping areas make it a true Colorado camping wonderland!
Finally, to bring the village to life, we create many distinct spaces.
Each offers its own unique fun experience as you cruise through the site. There are various campgrounds that all have their own vibe. You can think of these like neighborhoods. The Village Green is our version of downtown with the Swingin’ Stage, games, and places to hang out. The Leafy Lounge comes alive at night with music, campfires, cocktails, and the late-night crew. You can see this reflected in our village maps (see links above).
