The real fight is at the local level. You have to go to your local politicians and petition them; petition their rules. That has been the unsung song for some time now when it comes to legalizing tiny houses in most municipalities. So why would it be any different when it comes to celebrating the beauty and practicality so many of us see in these small dwellings on wheels?
I don’t remember the first tiny house festival I went to. I feel like it was before the incredible Tiny House Jamboree in 2016. I feel like I went to something before that. But who knows? 2015 was so long ago and the Jamboree was so epic. For the first time ever….WAIT! I remember now. There was something prior to the Jamboree. In June 2015 I met a few other tiny house folks as well as 3 other houses (the premiere of the Morrison 24′ by EcoCabins, coincidentally) in Dayton, Ohio, for a home show that Darin Zaruba (now of National Tiny House Jamboree fame) was taking part in. He was doing something so unusual by gathering together a few tiny house on wheels and displaying them as if they were normal homes. He also brought in a few folks like myself to talk about tiny houses: their history and their future. And then it happened. 35,000+ tiny house advocates, fans, owners, builders, etc. gathered together in one place in Colorado Springs over the course of one weekend, to live out a sort of fanboy dream. It was tiny on tiny! But that was then and this is now.
Two years later now the thirst for tiny houses in general has more or less been quenched by an array of media. But a new thirst prevails. People now want to know what is happening on a more local level. People are curious as to how tiny houses are being treated in their own state. We are entering the era of the local festival.
With people like Ryan Mitchell, John Kernohan, and William Johnston, sponsoring festivals that focus on more regional and even local venues, it seems that the general public is enjoying the attention their own little Mayberry can get in the tiny house community. Consider Pink Hill, North Carolina and the 2017 TinyHouseNC Street Festival.
Of course events like the National Tiny House Jamboree will always be the mecca of mini, there is a marked growth in popularity for the regional and local events that allow tiny houses to make a big impact!
What do you think? Do you appreciate the regional and local flavors becoming popular in the tiny house scene? Let us know in the comments below.
By Andrew M. Odom for the [Tiny House Blog]
The USA and the entire world would be such a kinder, healthier, cleaner and self sustaining environment if we would all just live more simple. We don’t have to be the “Jones” anymore. If we don’t take better care of ourselves and Mother Earth then we can only blames ourselves when it all comes to an end.
It is unbelievable to me that tiny houses are not legal in all the States….pitiful
I couldn’t agree with you more. It is an excellent idea to encourage localized festivals to help more people to see the benefits of living tiny. And more then likely the authorities will have to take notice of the popularity of the Tiny House movement. It won’t be just some shows on TV, but crowds of enthusiasts flocking to see tiny houses and show their interest. Last year in Florida alone, there were the events in Elkton, Eco-Village in St. Petersburg and the Sustainability Expo in Tampa all showcasing Tiny Houses with huge crowds flocking to each event. This year there will be the second event in Elkton in November and in the spring of 2018 in St. Petersburg bringing some very positive attention to the growing movement of Tiny Houses.