Rainbow gathering soaked

By Staci Matlock | The New Mexican

7/6/2009

An estimated 10,500 people endured a rain-soaked Rainbow Gathering over the July 4 weekend in the Jemez Mountains.

"A lot of them took cover," said Denise Ottaviano, a Forest Service public information officer of the main July 4 event, when the Rainbow Family typically join hands in a gigantic circle to pray for world peace. This year's national gathering took place around a meadow in Parque Venado about 20 miles from Cuba, N.M.

"It was really hard for people to climb up the trail. A lot of people said their stuff was completely soaked," Ottaviano said.

The Forest Service arrived at the final gathering estimate by taking daily vehicle counts of cars and buses. "We figured the cars were full because people were picking up those hitchhiking to the gathering," Ottaviano said.

She said the number of citations and violation notices handed out equaled less than 3 percent of the people who attended the gathering - at last count about at last count about 320 citations.

Overwhelmingly the notices given out were for drug and alcohol related infractions, she said.