Kopparberg Urban Forest Festival*
I think it’s fair to say that Britain goes a little festival crazy during the Summer. But I’m not in to camping, so I was all set for another festival-less year. That was until I was invited to the Kopparberg Urban Forest Festival. So on the longest day of the year I headed to Hackney Wick to celebrate the Summer Solstice – Swedish style.
I wasn’t entirely certain what to expect from Kopparberg, as I’d missed last year’s offering. The venue might have been slightly smaller than Glastonbury, but it had all the essentials. There were street food trucks, a photo booth, a couple of bars, hair braiding and even a DJ booth. I headed straight to the bar for a frozen Kopparberg. It sounds a little odd, but it’s perfectly refreshing on a hot Summer’s day. Next we went for food…we have our priorities straight. I chose Le Bun, a French twist on the typical American Burger. I went for Le Duck Frites; a duck confit burger with straw fries and champagne slaw. Ben went for a more Scandinavian affair with The Hackney Pearl’s Swedish Meatball Sandwich. We shared our dishes, and truth be told, we couldn’t decide whose was better. Both were delicious, and perfect alongside our ciders. After our mini feast, I decided to join the queue for the braid bar. The Braid Bar is pretty well known among beauty enthusiasts, and celebrities alike. With my short, thin hair, I wasn’t sure if they would be able to do anything. Luckily they cater for all hair types, as I saw whilst watching others have their hair braided. I went for the Eva – two small side braids. It didn’t take too long and I was pretty happy with the result (although I wouldn’t pay £10 for it in-store).
In true Scandinavian style there were plenty of fresh flowers. But instead of crowns, these flowers were being weaved into our braids, and the mens beards. As my braids were so petite and tight, I went for a more delicate look. I really loved how it complimented the style of the braids. Ben had actually had his hair and beard cut that morning, so I was a bit sad that we couldn’t adorn his hair too. We still had plenty of time left though, so we headed to the photobooth and snapped some memories. After a couple more Kopparbergs, the heavens began to open, so we scarpered. It’s fair to say that this is one festival I can definitely see myself going back to.
The Kopparberg Urban Forest is on until July 12th – entry is free.
