OCU students took over The Hippie Store and turned it into That Hippie Place, a clothing store, concert venue and artist hangout.
Before its transition, The Hippie Store, 2412 N. Shartel Ave., had a 4.5-star rating on its Facebook page.
“The lady that owned the store ran it for 10 years and was trying to sell everything out,” said Sarah Feist, music theater senior. “She mentioned to my friend, Larz, that he should take it over, so he took the idea and ran with it. Now, we’re using it as an art space, as well as a store to support itself.”
Feist works with Alumnus Seth Adam and their friends Larz Hoban and Forrest Wright. They host weekly art events and manage the store, using the pre-existing merchandise. The previous owner left records, furniture and several odd items with the group, as well as the entire clothing inventory, which the group sorted through and organized by season.
“We only have the summer clothing on the racks right now, so we’ll start transitioning to fall and winter clothes soon,” Feist said. “There’s a lot more. There are all kinds of vintage and period clothing, as well as some costume dresses I could see us renting out or selling to a theater company eventually.”
The upstairs apartment is condemned, but the space includes a loft and storage to house the off-rack clothing. During concerts and events, racks are pushed to one side, making room for a stage and dance floor space.
That Hippie Place hosted a back to school concert Aug. 28 featuring two bands from OCU, LFNC and One Minute to Paradise. The friends also performed in their own bands, SHAKTI, in which Feist writes the songs, and Moon Sun Reflection, which is composed of the same band members, but Seth and Forrest write the music.
The back to school concert was open to the public, and about 100 people attended throughout the night. All live music events are free, but donations are appreciated, and eventually, there will probably be a cover fee of about $5, Feist said.
Besides concerts, That Hippie Place is used as a venue for activities like flow jams. Flow jams allow people to create flow art, dancing with hula hoops and spinning poi. Poi is a small ball of woven flax, attached to a chain with a swivel. Spinners hold handles and create a rhythmic dance by spinning the poi. Some artists dip the poi in kerosene and spin fire. Free, public flow jams occur every Thursday night.
Other events include movie nights every Sunday evening and musical meditation sessions at 10 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Thursdays.
Adam hosts the free meditation hour.
People usually do light yoga, stretch and relax while I play the harp, he said.
“We’re picking up steadily, and every week we make more profit and have more people come to our events,” Feist said. “It’s funny how people come in and feel welcome. They want to hang out and give us things.”
Local people have donated money and other items like pianos and dresses. A woman known as “Big Mama” occasionally brings in food for the owners and their cats, Feist said. The group often rehearses in the space, and people stop by just to listen and hang out.
“It’s a fun space to mess around,” Feist said. “Random people come in to play chess, practice head stands, unicycle, or learn how to juggle. One time, some high schoolers came in and we did a bunch of round offs.”
Feist and the other owners plan to continue their weekly events and host concerts once or twice a month. They have a Halloween concert scheduled for Oct. 28, but they haven’t set a time yet.
Long-term ideas for the space include selling more local art, opening an art gallery, giving lessons, making it a public rehearsal space, and creating a non-profit organization.
“We have a lot of dreams,” Feist said. “Right now, it’s about getting people here. It’s a store, but it’s an art house where we all help each other. It’s a space to create and have feedback.”
To become involved or schedule a rehearsal time at the store, email thehippiedippyjoint@gmail.com or stop by the space during their business hours, which are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m Thursday through Sunday.
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