Pagan Festivals???

[Mishka]

Ok, just saw this new concept (to me) here and did a search and now I can't find my brain, it got lost in the confusion.

So what kind of "festivals" are there and what are they like?

Are they pagan, or are they broken down into sub-pagan themes, such as Wiccan Festivals, etc.?

How do you find one in your area? Considering I live in the Bible belt I'm thinking it's not advertised the way the Greek Festival is downtown. :jamsessio

Is it useful/helpful? Or is it hokey and wierd? That's rather subjective...but I'm a fairly practical person and don't appreciate extremism and bullsh*t. Did you find it hokey/wierd?

What is the price range of this kind of event? Can you bring the kids? :vamp: :vamp: :vamp:

Thanks ahead of time for any info. General impressions to expert advice appreciated, and everything in between.

[Pandoras]

A lot of festivals, workshops, camps, and other events take place all over the country throughout the year. There are different focuses, different rules, etc. I think the best way to stay on top of what's going on is to check places like Witchvox and the Pagan magazines like Circle and PanGaia.

One of the largest festivals is the Pagan Spirit Gathering. Go to the Circle Sanctuary (http://www.circlesanctuary.org/) site for more info on that.

[Jenett]

** So what kind of "festivals" are there and what are they like? **

All sorts - some are short (day or weekend), others are long (a week or sometimes more). Some focus on a specific community (a number of specific traditions have tradition-only gatherings during the summer sometime), others are open to anyone who is interested/follows the festival's rules.

Most are outside and often involve camping, but there are some that are centered at hotels (much like science fiction conventions.) Some are very small or invite-only, others are very large (thousands of people.)

** How do you find one in your area? Considering I live in the Bible belt I'm thinking it's not advertised the way the Greek Festival is downtown. **

There may or may not be one immediately in your area, but there are a bunch in the southern US. As mentioned, Witchvox, Pagan magazines, etc. are a good way to look. (Trying Google with terms like "Pagan festival" and a state name you live in or near often works.)

** Is it useful/helpful? Or is it hokey and wierd? That's rather subjective...but I'm a fairly practical person and don't appreciate extremism and bullsh*t. Did you find it hokey/wierd? **

Depends a *lot* on the festival, and somewhat on your own interests. If you absolutely dislike group ritual, don't know other people going, and so on, you may not get a lot out of festival going. If you're interested in a place you can try/learn some new things, are willing to read carefully about a festival's focus and aims, then it can be a great experience.

I went to my first festival last summer (and am going again in a few weeks). This one is a small invite-only one in Wisconsin, only about 150 people total. I had a blast. Not every workshop lit fires in my brain, but I got to participate in some really interesting rituals, talk to a bunch of intersting people, and spend a lot of time with my covenmates and generally relax. Going in with some flexible expectations helped a lot: you're more likely to have a good time if your goals for the week being a 'success' are "Have a good time, maybe learn a few things" than if you have really specific desires.

** What is the price range of this kind of event? Can you bring the kids? **

Price depends heavily on location, whether food's included (some festivals do), and what the accomodations are - camping will be cheaper than cabins, for example.

The one I'm going to has a sliding scale of $100 to $200 for the week, and $65 for a meal plan offered by the campsite. (Some people bring their own food: me, I'd rather not fuss with cooking, and I'm not a picky eater.) That's more or less on par for a week or so with camping.

Cabins run extra, campgrounds with lots of nifty extras may be more expensive, etc. Often there's either a requirement for people to do a work shift or a deposit that's asked for (which you get back after doing work shift) to help ensure needed work gets done and costs stay relatively low.

Re: Kids - depends heavily on the festival. Some have separate activities for children (usually with parents committing to help with some of them), others allow kids but don't plan anything special for them. Some may not be appropriate for kids, or for your kids.

Some festivals (depending heavily on the group they're focusing on and where the festival is) may be partially clothing optional, or may have a focus (significant drumming, dancing, ecstatic stuff) that might not be suited for kids or for particular kids. usually festivals are pretty clear about that sort of stuff, though, and you can usually get a good idea by reading the festival website/information.

Witchvox has a bunch of festival reviews, and also a series of pages for planning/etiquette/other stuff to think about that you might want to look at here: http://www.witchvox.com/xfestivals.html (http://www.witchvox.com/xfestivals.html) and here http://www.witchvox.com/festivals/tt00_intro.html (http://www.witchvox.com/festivals/tt00_intro.html)

[Dawa Lhamo]

Well, there are often Pagan Pride Days or similar (Pagan Picnics) in major cities - I've been to the KC Pagan Pride and to the STL Pagan Picnic... those usually run in a local park on a weekend, but have been free to enter. I've also been to the Heartland Pagan Festival (10 years now), which is 5 days over Memorial Day Weekend, at a pagan-owned camp outside KC, KS.

In Missouri there's also Ozark Avalon and Wolvenwold (and I'm sure there are other) camps where festivals of all different sorts are held.

Most pagan festivals, it seems, are all kinds of pagan, though you will get a natural predominance of Wiccans. I think some traditions have their own separate festival-gatherings. You can also get Men's gatherings and Women's gatherings, as well as Sabbat gatherings and more specific gatherings like Festival of Tara (also at camp Gaia)...

I would look on Witchvox for festivals, but also look for campgrounds where a number of festivals might be held (I recommend getting to know the land where a festival is held... it enhances your festival) throughout the year.

And if you have something like this (http://numenweb.org/), then it's very helpful. [Tom, when are you going to update? :awwman: ] Even out of date lists will give you *somewhere* to start.

Good luck!
Tashi delek!
Dawa Lhamo

ETA: Oh, and prices. Well, HPF is about $100, Festival of Tara is $35, PPDs and such are often free. Most major festivals, I think, are between $50 and $200...

[Mab]

go on witchvox. They can give you all sorts of links to events & groups in your area.

[Jenne]

I would love to attend one of these...someday I will, I know it...I just never seem to find the time/remember, dangit!

:ugh:

[MorningDove030202]

I would avoid taking kids to Beltain festivals........it may be too mature for them. Your best bet on finding one would be www.witchvox.com (www.witchvox.com) . I think a good first festival would be a Pagan Pride Day...which are organized almost everwhere....

Dove

[Jenett]

Pagan Pride days are a good way to get some of the feel, but I think there are some significant differences between Pagan Pride and festivals.

1) Duration (a day, where you go home and sleep at night is different from being in festival space for days or a week.)

2) Variety of experiences - a lot of people say that a lot of the reason they like a festival isn't the workshop or ritual experiences, though those can be great. It's the casual conversations around a campfire, or time with close friends, or whatever. Pagan Pride can give you a flavor of some of that, but not all of it.

3) Community nature: Pagan Pride is explicitly designed to be open and accessible to the public, including people who are brand new to Paganism and who happen to be going by at the time and get curious.

Festivals are designed, usually, to help create a short-term community with some specific kinds of focus, where everyone (to at least some extent) buys into basic agreement about some worldview stuff. (or at least says they do, by agreeing to follow the festival rules, etc.)

There's a different intent there, and generally people there are either Pagan or they're familiar enough with it to feel comfortable being there for the duration (and usually are with people who are Pagan themselves and who are keeping an eye on them, answering questions, etc.) There's a different dynamic as a result.

[Dawa Lhamo]

Pagan Pride days are a good way to get some of the feel, but I think there are some significant differences between Pagan Pride and festivals. Oh, I agree, but if you don't have money or festivals are too far to commute, PPDs are the nearest thing for the most part. ^_^

Tashi delek!
Dawa Lhamo

[Mishka]

Really helpful. Thanks guys.

[semi]

All the pagan festivals I've been to are multi-denominational for Wiccans, Druids, Satanists, etc. Everyone is welcome.

Every one that I've been to is skyclad-optional so at least half the people are in various states of nakedness.

The price ranges I've experienced are $10 for a day pass (must be out the gates by 6pm) for Sirius Rising which is happening now (or starting tomorrow?) at the Brushwood Folklore and Nature Center campgrounds in Sherman NY which is in the furthest west point of NY. It's $13.50 for a day if you want to spend the night. Also, our MW friends here Revelmoon (I hope I got the name right, brain farting right now) are playing at Sirius this friday the 15th. Go see them. The festival ends sunday the 17th.

Next week at Brushwood is the annual Starwood Festival which is $200 at the gate for 6 days of madness and revelry. This fest is the best party I have ever been to by night and an extremely varied and informative group of workshops by day. The only mentors I've ever had are people who I met at this festival. Many people come just for the party potential, but there are some very serious practitioners who go to this fest as well. Isaac Bonewits, local MW curmudgeon and Druid extraordinaire (bow to him) sometimes goes there, at least that's what I've heard, not committing to anything, just passing on some info that may or may not be factual, please don't hurt me Mr. Bonewits sir. Also, I go to Starwood since I live only 3 hours away. So look for the scruffy barbarian and buy me a beer.

I went to Pagan Spirit Gathering a couple weeks ago in Ohio, but that was mostly for business purposes. Still it's a great fest. Everything I said about Starwood applies to PSG.

If you are pagan, it feels like coming home when you go to these events. You are free to be you without having to take any crap. Everyone is welcome and accepted except for obvious troublemakers which are very rare. There is usually a special camping section for gays (Rainbow Camp at PSG or the Faerie Woods at Starwood), but I have never seen any discrimination of any kind at these events. The people are so cool that at PSG I lost $150 and had it back in my pocket within 15 minutes because someone turned it in. A friend who I met there said that last year she lost her wallet with all of her money and her plane ticket to get back home. They took up a public collection and raised over $600 for her to get back home. The people at these fests are almost always the nicest people you could ever hope to meet.

I'm trying to think of a downside for these festivals, but I can't think of any. Last year it rained almost every day for Starwood and I was constantly soaked and covered with mud and my tent flooded, but I still had a great time. At PSG the heat was over 100 farenheit almost every day, but I still had a great time.

I personally love going to pagan festivals. It's always fun, I always learn a lot, and I always meet the most interesting people. They're not for everyone, but they're worth trying at least once.

[Jenett]

For more help - there's a relatively new book out called "Dancing the Fire:The Ins and Outs of Neo-Pagan Festivals and Gatherings" by Marian Singer

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0806525347/103-2901532-1255842?v=glance (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0806525347//ref=nosim/mysticwickson-20) is the Amazon link.

I hate recommending books I haven't at least skimmed, but I got a chance to browse through this in the bookstore this morning. There's a section at the front with some Frequently Asked Questions, then some other general information (packing ideas, etiquette, etc.) and then a list of festivals (current as of the time of publication: obviously, details change fast, but it can give you some ideas of what's near you, what kinds of things are included, etc.)

If you're not sure about festivals, you may or may not want to buy it, but I thought you might want to take a look/see if your library can get it.

[Mishka]

Just out of curiosity, do the festivals include vendors, shows, speakers, a combination?

[semi]

Every one that I've been to has had many merchant booths, food stands, workshops, guest speakers, and bands, as well as special entertainment and activities for kids and teens.

[Dawa Lhamo]

Every one that I've been to has had many merchant booths, food stands, workshops, guest speakers, and bands, as well as special entertainment and activities for kids and teens. Ditto that for all the ones I've been to as well. ^_^

Tashi delek!
Dawa Lhamo