Written by Milkomee Addisu | Photo by Eleanor Trask

The coastal respite for city dwellers welcomed me and an unprecedented number of Bushwick residents at Benner’s Farm. A couple of hours into the drive, we were surrounded by beaches with sailboats containing wailing children who drowned out the chatter of the sparse aquatic life underneath them. Long Island’s charm was completely lost on us. That is, until Kelan Loux realized a micro festival featuring seven New York bands on the Farm’s main stage. Ranging in genre, the seven bands set the sound for a day of unmitigated play. 

Docked at the foot of Benner’s sign were two coach buses composed of a few Fieldtrip alums and new attendees. The open field that extends beyond the barn, chicken coop, rabbitry, main stage, and one hefty pig, housed grueling soccer matches and frisbee tricks. Next to this field sat a wooden fence short enough to interact with the land’s honorable bull and passive sheep. Their gaze was fixed on the camping grounds just a few feet ahead where a few band members and showgoers stayed for the night. As the sound of strings surrendered to the soft lullabies of nature, a massive game of Manhunt ensued in the woods; an activity that grew from the adrenaline of scary stories told around our insular tent village. 

The bill was filled with a wide array of performances from Oeste, Myth Makers, Love Liese, Semi Hollow, Ditto, Lady Di Mega Diva, Port Ross, and the rowdy Claynation. When orchestrating the day, Loux was in the pursuit of reenacting the bewilderment city kids would get when visiting a farm for the first time. The amusement Loux had from those interactions struck a chord of wonder for him. What would you get once you add music, games, sponsors, and a concession stand of BBQ classics? Fieldtrip! 

Loux isn’t the only family member who cares to endow the farm with the arts. While speaking with Loux, he mentioned the family has a long history in “incorporating the culture of folk music, festivals, and farm harvest festivals.” He went on to say, “My family has long supported folk bands and always had summer/autumn festivals on the farm that featured artisan goods and hand-made objects always accompanied by music.” 

A couple of weeks have passed since Fieldtrip ‘26, and jammed toes and bug bites remain. I, along with many showgoers, agreed that, aside from the pesky injuries and awesome bands, the swing—held by the highest branch we’d come across, which swayed like a pendulum and promised retribution for those in its path—was the most memorable part of the day. Curious to hear Loux’s favorite memory of the grounds, he regaled me with core childhood memories: “My favorite memory is hard, but it’s definitely something to do with my family’s parties. It was always like my family quadrupled in size for two days straight. Always laughing and listening to music and singing. I was always the only kid—a really lucky childhood and I’ll never take it for granted. That’s why this is so important to me; I want everyone to feel that same feeling I had of being surrounded by love and art and mischief.”