The Timeless Magic of Tent Living in Ocean Grove

ONE SUMMER RESIDENT'S TAKE ON WHY THIS TRADITION FEELS LIKE HOME

- BY BECCA HERBISON

Nestled in a corner of Ocean Grove, our tiny tent house is quiet and still today — a far cry from the hustle and bustle that will pervade this unique “tent city” in just a few weeks’ time. Still, the excitement among the Tent & Cottage community is building as we watch for our own particular “signs of spring.” Case in point, just this morning I was messaged that Move-In Day is just 45 days away and that the tents on the south side of the Great Auditorium are already up!

A question I'm often asked is, “What is so special about tent life?” I must admit, it’s not for everyone. Our first year someone told me that we are “stewards of history,” which resonated. The tradition of Ocean Grove's tent community dates back more than 150 years to 1869, when the town was founded as a Methodist summer camp meeting site. That same year, I was told if you sneeze in one tent someone will say “bless you" from another. I smiled, thinking it was some sort of “tent myth” — till one day when I sneezed, and my neighbor yelled “bless you” from next door!