In light of the sad news of Parachute Music Festival’s end, I have decided to compile a list of memories from the past 10 years of my attendance at Parachute.
1. Nathan and his kissing booth! Everyone (Simon) was shouting “KISS HIM! KISS HIM! KISS HIM! I’m not sure of exact numbers, but I’m pretty sure Nathan got over 20 kisses! Good man!
2. That year when Grace called Rachael a b!%#h! Rach sat in the car for a while after that!
3. When Simon drove into Parachute with a trailer filled with sheep
4. When I was in the moshpit and I looked beside me to see an old granny rocking out to Switchfoot
5. The year our tents flooded nuff said.
6. When Nathan & I did an all nighter
7. When Hayden took nodoz and went and jumped on some random guy’s back
8. When Katelyn’s Nokia died from the rain during Sunday Night worship
9. When Parachute Band sung Living Rain on mainstage, then it actually began raining
10. The adventures of Rachoni (What would Parachute be without a bit of Rachael Raponi drama!)
11. When Sheridan and I found a cellphone sliding along the floor on the roller coaster loop ride, and we met up with the girl after behind the ticket booth
12. Grace and her watermelon. She decided to just bring a huge watermelon to Parachute and scoop the insides out and eat it. So refreshing!
13. Hayden and his racoon leg, thanks to Kirsty’s hairdressing skills!
14. The boys and their never-ending supply of coke
15. When Kirsty chased after Nick (pre-marriage) and stole his hat
16. The year the frogs came
17. That random guy I met who caught a frog and was carrying it round the village on Sunday night, its name was Fred.
18. People floating down the flooded roads on blow up mattresses
19. People getting baptised in the flooded puddles
20. When the Ferries boys kept getting free ginger beer by leaving the movie building and coming back in again through a different entrance
21. My first Parachute with Grace and Aunty Janie in 2004, and our neighbours that got kicked out
22. When I lost my voice from singing (screaming) to Mumsdollar’s last ever performance as a band
23. When they used Cocoa-Cola as the communion juice
24. The V Rocket Man!
25. Crazy Village dancing, ghosting, games, chanting, people-watching, and more
26. When Rachael and Sheridan posed next to Matt and Dayna’s sign, then they actually walked past and got a photo with the real deal!
27. The Mexican wave of throwing glow sticks in the air
28. When the mist tunnels were actually on- so good!
29. The tent neighbour who spent a lot of time in his tent…smoking…
30. And last (but not least) WHEN JAMES TRIED TO KISS ME!
Parachute will have a lasting legacy in the lives of everyone that has attended. I am thankful for how it has brought us all together as a family. The yarns we had…some marginally inappropriate… The opportunities to see high quality international performances from bands (and speakers) we would most likely never get to experience live in little ol’ New Zealand.
Thanks for making my teenage years that much more incredible Parachute! I’m looking forward to seeing where you go as an organisation next!
1. Nathan and his kissing booth! Everyone (Simon) was shouting “KISS HIM! KISS HIM! KISS HIM! I’m not sure of exact numbers, but I’m pretty sure Nathan got over 20 kisses! Good man!
2. That year when Grace called Rachael a b!%#h! Rach sat in the car for a while after that!
3. When Simon drove into Parachute with a trailer filled with sheep
4. When I was in the moshpit and I looked beside me to see an old granny rocking out to Switchfoot
5. The year our tents flooded nuff said.
6. When Nathan & I did an all nighter
7. When Hayden took nodoz and went and jumped on some random guy’s back
8. When Katelyn’s Nokia died from the rain during Sunday Night worship
9. When Parachute Band sung Living Rain on mainstage, then it actually began raining
10. The adventures of Rachoni (What would Parachute be without a bit of Rachael Raponi drama!)
11. When Sheridan and I found a cellphone sliding along the floor on the roller coaster loop ride, and we met up with the girl after behind the ticket booth
12. Grace and her watermelon. She decided to just bring a huge watermelon to Parachute and scoop the insides out and eat it. So refreshing!
13. Hayden and his racoon leg, thanks to Kirsty’s hairdressing skills!
14. The boys and their never-ending supply of coke
15. When Kirsty chased after Nick (pre-marriage) and stole his hat
16. The year the frogs came
17. That random guy I met who caught a frog and was carrying it round the village on Sunday night, its name was Fred.
18. People floating down the flooded roads on blow up mattresses
19. People getting baptised in the flooded puddles
20. When the Ferries boys kept getting free ginger beer by leaving the movie building and coming back in again through a different entrance
21. My first Parachute with Grace and Aunty Janie in 2004, and our neighbours that got kicked out
22. When I lost my voice from singing (screaming) to Mumsdollar’s last ever performance as a band
23. When they used Cocoa-Cola as the communion juice
24. The V Rocket Man!
25. Crazy Village dancing, ghosting, games, chanting, people-watching, and more
26. When Rachael and Sheridan posed next to Matt and Dayna’s sign, then they actually walked past and got a photo with the real deal!
27. The Mexican wave of throwing glow sticks in the air
28. When the mist tunnels were actually on- so good!
29. The tent neighbour who spent a lot of time in his tent…smoking…
30. And last (but not least) WHEN JAMES TRIED TO KISS ME!
Parachute will have a lasting legacy in the lives of everyone that has attended. I am thankful for how it has brought us all together as a family. The yarns we had…some marginally inappropriate… The opportunities to see high quality international performances from bands (and speakers) we would most likely never get to experience live in little ol’ New Zealand.
Thanks for making my teenage years that much more incredible Parachute! I’m looking forward to seeing where you go as an organisation next!