BROWNS VALLEY, CA (MPG) - Jan “The Man,” a caretaker and camp host at Sycamore Ranch in Yuba County, celebrated his 81st birthday much the same way he spends most festival weekends: picking up trash, maintaining campsites and making his rounds by golf cart.

The morning of May 10 was quiet at the 10th annual Untz Festival as many attendees caught up on sleep after a late night of music and festivities. Jan seemed perfectly content handling business as usual.

“Last year was actually the first year I stayed here all the way through,” Jan said. “I love it, basically because of the people. The music’s not my bag, but that’s OK. It’s the people. The people are what make this more than anything.”

An open-air installation welcomes visitors during The Untz Festival on May 10 at Sycamore Ranch in Browns Valley.

Jan’s sentiments were echoed by employees, volunteers and attendees throughout the weekend, many of whom highlighted the event’s strong sense of community and safety. Security guards stationed at the entrance described the event as one of the “chillest” festivals they work each year, citing few incidents despite hundreds of attendees on site.

“It’s usually the big concerts with alcohol that you really have to worry about,” said Jeremy, one of the guards. “People get drunk and go crazy, but alcohol isn’t the focus here.”

The three-day underground bass music festival drew attendees from across California and beyond. Organizers capped attendance at approximately 2,500 people this year in an effort to preserve the festival’s intimate atmosphere.

“This is my first time in California and my first Untz,” said an attendee who went by the name Tropics. “The atmosphere they curate here is so homey and inviting and warm. It feels very intentional.”

Festival attendees Tropics, left, and Rose relax at a community camp installation at The Untz Festival on May 10 at Sycamore Ranch in Browns Valley.

While some attendees are new to the festival, others such as Noralina Freedom have attended since its early years in Mariposa County nearly a decade ago.

Based in San Francisco, Noralina specializes in handmade clothing crafted from upcycled silk saris and surplus fabrics, transforming discarded materials into one-of-a-kind wearable art pieces. Each year, she returns to the festival with her children, balancing business with family tradition.

“They’ve grown up going to festivals, so they do like it,” Noralina said. “Definitely my youngest. He’s more of a dancer than the others. My daughter is really into hula hoops and flow arts and even started doing aerial silks classes back where we live. It’s kind of like growing up in the park, you know? We’re actually about to head to the sock puppet workshop now. We missed it yesterday and the kids really want to go.”

Vendors such as Noralina often camp beside their booths and appeared largely unconcerned about locking up their goods at night. Many simply lowered a tent flap, pulled in a display rack and trusted fellow festivalgoers.

A decorated campsite features stuffed unicorns and handmade touches during The Untz Festival on May 10 at Sycamore Ranch in Browns Valley.

That sense of camaraderie could be felt throughout the campground. Open camps welcomed visitors. Small treasure boxes filled with trinkets and supplies dotted the trails with handwritten invitations encouraging passersby to “take one, leave one.” Campsites became explosions of color and creativity, decorated with whimsical mascots ranging from cats and aliens to unicorns and handcrafted art installations.

“I think it’s really cool to see people living their passion,” said Kylee Torkkola, a project manager for capital improvement projects with Yuba County Public Works. “That’s what lights my heart on fire. Watching the culture and the community, the big sense of community that’s created here, is such a beautiful thing to witness.”

For Jan, the festival remains another way to connect with people at one of his favorite places, Sycamore Ranch. He continued making his rounds throughout the day, knowing festival cooks would soon have a special strawberry birthday cake waiting for him.

For more information about The Untz Festival, visit http://theuntzfestival.com.

Artwork, including pieces created live during performances, is displayed at The Untz Festival on May 10 at Sycamore Ranch in Browns Valley.