Marfa Love

Deep in the West Texas desert, just north of the border to Mexico, Marfa is a unique artist's town. Eclectic, with a strange but positive vibe, Marfa grows on you after just a short while. The drive takes hours from anywhere, along desolate highways with few remnants of life. The Prada Marfa installation - a "store" with no entry but merchandise inside, decaying by design - the only clue for miles that something bizarre and beautiful is about to unfold before you. Heavily influenced by the work of Donald Judd, including vast grounds of the Chinati Foundation, the whole area has become a community for diverse and boundless art. Amidst all of this is El Cosmico, an open-field campground sprawling with Airstreams, teepees and yurts. It has a fashion feel all its own - western, relaxed, oddly urban. The Trans-Pecos Festival of Music + Love takes place here once a year in early fall. For some an event at which to be seen, but for most a place to just be. Colorful hammocks swing from trees, fire heated tea-cup hot tubs front and center, an open-air stage for music where participants come and go as they please. Food trucks and casual make-shift art shops surround the camp. "Joe's", a tarp-covered coffee stand, has long lines every morning. Families, kids and even dogs wander about freely. The festival creates an unusual community that sticks with you.