Nestled in C Block in the back of Groop Camping at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival sits a camp named “Just Boof It.”
Nashville native David Fitzgibbons, 34, inherited the camp from a past attendee at ‘Roo in 2016. He met Dallas resident Akash Gondalia, 34, at the festival in 2017, and the pair have attended together every year since.
“We were in Nashville for King Gizzard (and The Lizard Wizard), and I met up with Dave, and I had a thought in my mind. I was like, ‘Hey, I can just text Dave whenever I want,’ and I did after that,” Gondalia said. “Dave is absolutely one of my closest friends, zero hesitation.”
At Bonnaroo, strangers can quickly become close friends and, in some cases, found family. The Farm serves as a four-day home to thousands of campers from around the world as the festival emphasizes the idea of communal living.
Gondalia’s camp has grown to more than 100 members in the past nine years. Canadian attendee Keith Arnold, 34, and Californian Seth Rickard, 32, have joined the camp for the past five years after meeting Fitzgibbons and Gondalia at the festival.