The Pig Trail climbs north out of Ozark in long, lazy switchbacks, and the car ahead of you has a homemade totem riding in the back window: a cardboard alien with LED eyes, nodding hello at every curve. The forest closes over the road like a tunnel, then opens onto Mulberry Mountain, where the camping fields are already a patchwork of shade tents, tapestries and flags.
By midafternoon the first sets roll across the meadow, heavy, strange and gorgeous, and a muralist beside the stage adds one cobalt stroke per drop. The air smells like warm grass and sunscreen.
This is Wakaan, the label festival of experimental-bass producer Liquid Stranger, and dressing for Wakaan means dressing for one very long day on a mountain: warm afternoons, a chance of rain, and music that runs from early afternoon to just past sunrise.
Wakaan 2027 dates are TBA as of October 2026; the 2026 edition ran October 1–3 with a pre-party on September 30, per the official festival info page. We're Magus and Lylyth Fawn, LA visionary artists and festival lifers, and here's how we'd dress for the long haul.
What should you wear to Wakaan?
Dress in layers you can add as the mountain cools. Wear breathable cotton, cargo shorts and a bucket hat for the afternoon, then pull on a crushed velvet hoodie and fleece joggers after dark, with a hooded cloak for the hours before sunrise. Pack a poncho too: the festival runs rain or shine.
The festival's FAQ expects days in the 70s and 80s°F and nights in the low 60s, but National Weather Service normals for the town of Ozark drop from an average low near 61°F in September to about 50°F in October (NWS Tulsa). We pack for the 50s and celebrate if the 60s show up.
| Wakaan clock | Mulberry Mountain | Stack |
|---|---|---|
| Early afternoon | Sun on the meadow, first sets | Cotton tee, cargo shorts, bucket hat |
| Golden hour | The ridge starts to cool | Crushed velvet hoodie or crop hoodie |
| Midnight | Deep bass, dew settling | Fleece joggers, hood up |
| 4 a.m. to sunrise | The coolest stretch | Faux-fur-lined cloak, zipped |
| Whenever clouds roll in | Rain on the hillside | A poncho over everything |
Afternoons on Mulberry Mountain
Ozark afternoons are T-shirt weather. Keep the day outfit light and the sun off your face, and bring a hydration pack: the festival welcomes them, with hydration fill stations across the grounds.
The tee. The Temple of Sound cotton t-shirt ($60, XS–5XL) builds a shrine to the subwoofer: stacks of black speaker cones flank a crowned figure in a golden halo, above a meditating figure, a flower-of-life grid and a glowing violet orb, all in lavender, violet, steel blue and gold. It's 100% cotton at 190 g/m² (the design's story: Play for the Floor).
The shorts. The Golden Phoenix cargo shorts ($65, S–5XL) spread violet and pink feathered wings across the back, over gold filigree spires on black, with teal and violet jewel-like orbs down the legs. The fabric is a denim-like 100% poly at 190 g/m², with a button-closure waistband and multiple cargo pockets for earplugs, lip balm and a folded poncho.
The hat. The Ophanim Grey bucket hat ($50; XS, S/M or L/XL) blooms a smoky grey and silver kaleidoscope star across the crown, with a diamond lattice wrapping the brim. It's 100% poly at 275 g/m²: calm silver in a sea of neon.
Bass-show basics live in our dubstep rave outfits guide.
Does it rain at Wakaan?
It can. Wakaan's official FAQ says rain is possible and asks everyone to bring rain gear, and the festival runs rain or shine. Umbrellas, ponchos and tarps are on the allowed list, so pack a poncho that fits over your night layers and a dry change of clothes in your tent.
- Poncho over velvet. Velvet, fleece and cloaks are warmth layers, so a roomy poncho on top keeps them cozy.
- A dry bag in the tent holding tomorrow's tee and a fresh pair of socks.
- Grippy shoes for wet hillside paths.
More in our guide to what to wear to a festival in the rain.
How late does the music go at Wakaan?
Until the sun comes up. Wakaan's official info page says music is scheduled from early afternoon to just past sunrise each day, and the camping FAQ adds that music plays until the morning each night. Plan your outfit as a stack: start light, then add velvet, fleece and a hooded cloak as the mountain night settles in.
The deepest sets land in the coolest hours, so keep our guide to how to stay warm at a festival at night handy.
The hoodie. The Electric Dragonscape crushed velvet hoodie ($100, S–2XL) swirls cobalt, sapphire and ice-blue scales around a silver horned dragon's face at the chest, with a violet mandala of glowing jewels just below. It's crushed velvet, 95% poly / 5% spandex at 240 g/m², with a drawstring hood and a kangaroo pocket.
The crop hoodie. The Liquid Fire crushed velvet crop hoodie ($75, S–2XL) runs molten orange, violet, gold, lime and cobalt marbling across the body and sleeves, finished with black drawstrings: a lava lamp you can wear. Same 240 g/m² crushed velvet, cropped and long-sleeved, so it suits high-waisted shorts at golden hour and joggers at midnight.
The joggers. The Liquified Abyss joggers ($100; $105 in 2XL, $108 in 3XL; XS–3XL) pour marbled currents of navy, magenta, coral, peach, gold and turquoise down both legs, like paint swirling in a dark pool. A cotton-feel face outside, 308 g/m² brushed vegan fleece inside, with side pockets and cuffed legs. The fit is slim, so order one or two sizes up to wear them over shorts.
The cloaks. Both cloaks share one build: a micro-mink outer with an ultra-soft fluffy microfiber fleece lining in black or white faux fur (listed at 200 g/m²), a double front zipper, heavy drawstrings and four pockets, two deep side pockets plus two interior stash pockets, one of them zippered. Unisex fit, XS–5XL. Nicholas, reviewing a Sacred Grounds cloak in December 2023: "First cloak ever. Super comfortable and warm. Fell asleep with it on. Kept me warm all night."
For him, the Angel Catcher Light Red men's festival cloak ($250) opens the night in rose and blush, with white starburst geometry, mint-blue sparks and a coral flower-of-life medallion glowing between the shoulders under two hexagram outlines. Dawn colors for the last set (its design story: Twelve Cloaks Before Sunrise).
For her, the Void Mandala women's festival cloak ($250) keeps it moonlit: silver-grey mandalas stack down a charcoal back like a column of speaker cones, one stamped with an Om symbol, with smaller mandalas on the sleeves (its story: Same Channel).
Totems, flags and live paint: dressing for the crowd
Bass crowds love a landmark, and Wakaan makes room for one. The festival info page welcomes flags, banners and totems, as long as a totem has no dangerous metal pieces, and the official site invites live painters, muralists and art installations to apply.
- Glow, don't burn. Open flames and fire performance props are prohibited, so LEDs carry the night.
- Leave the markers at camp. The main-stage area bans markers and spray paint, so let the muralists hold the brushes.
For an Ozark bass festival in fiction, read What the Painter Saw.
When should you order Wakaan outfits for 2027?
By Thursday, August 19, 2027, pending Wakaan's official dates. Production runs 7–11 business days for each made-to-order piece and delivery another 6–14, so even the longest case brings an August 19 order to a US address by Friday, September 24, in time for an early-October weekend or even a late-September pre-party on the mountain.
- Dates land earlier? Order earlier too.
- Size up for the stack. For cloaks and hoodies, the Magus Fawn FAQ suggests sizing up, "sometimes even 2 sizes up to fit extra layers under."
- All sales are final, so when a size feels uncertain, email your measurements to art@magusfawn.com. We typically reply within 1–2 business days.
- US shipping is free on orders of $70 and up.
Round out your Wakaan outfit: men's cloaks · women's cloaks · crushed velvet · joggers · bucket hats · men's shorts
Frequently asked questions
When is Wakaan 2027?
Wakaan 2027 dates are TBA as of October 2026. The 2026 edition ran Thursday, October 1 to Saturday, October 3 on Mulberry Mountain, with a pre-party on Wednesday, September 30, according to the official festival site. Watch wakaanfestival.com and the festival's social channels for the 2027 announcement before you book travel.
Is Wakaan Music Festival 18+?
Yes, strictly. The official info page reads "WAKAAN MUSIC FESTIVAL IS STRICTLY 18+," and the FAQ asks every guest for valid ID such as a driver's license or passport. Wristbands must be worn at all times inside the festival and can't be removed or stretched, so keep your ID zipped and easy to reach.
Where is Mulberry Mountain?
Mulberry Mountain is in the Arkansas Ozarks, about 16 miles north of the town of Ozark on Highway 23, the Pig Trail National Scenic Byway. Fayetteville is roughly 39 miles away by road. The festival lists Fort Smith Regional Airport about an hour away and Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport about an hour and a half.
Are totems allowed at Wakaan?
Yes. Wakaan's allowed-items list includes totems, flags and banners, with one condition: no totems with dangerous metal pieces. Build yours from light, soft-edged materials, hold it where the people behind you can still see the stage, and light it with LEDs, since open flames and fire performance props are prohibited on site.
Who started Wakaan?
Wakaan is the experimental-bass label founded by producer Liquid Stranger, home to what Festival Insider calls "the weird, wild, wonderful, and heavy" in electronic music. The label launched its own festival in 2019, and after a pandemic pause it returned to Mulberry Mountain in the Ozarks in 2022.
Written by Magus & Lylyth Fawn, the Los Angeles artists behind Magus Fawn. Magus makes VR and digital visionary art and produces Psy EDM. Lylyth makes fractal digital art and runs design and customer care. We've been selling wearable art since 2020 on Etsy (4.7★ from 144 reviews as of October 2026) and here at magusfawn.com. Come say hi on Instagram @magusfawn.
0 comments