What to Expect

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What to Expect

**NOTICE: Everything on this page was written by Linda Kerr, and as such, is copyrighted. If you'd like to use any part of this page for your own festival or event, please request permission first, AND give credit and a link back.**

© 2010 Linda Kerr

Note: The info below is exactly what I email or mail to people who have registered for Moondance. It will tell you more about what to expect when you arrive and give you some guidelines. Please read the entire thing very carefully. You'll notice that some (but not all) of the info below is also found in the Rules and the Site Info - let's just say I believe in redundancy. I figure if you read a particularly important item two or three times, maybe you'll remember it! :)

Arrival & Check-In Procedures
Festival Schedule
Trash/Leave No Trace
Driving On-Site
Camping, RV Info
Parking - Where To Park, Where NOT To
Fires, Fire Safety, Firewood
Policy on Animals
Meals, Water
Safety, Security, Contacting Someone On-Site
Volunteering
Other Stuff


ARRIVAL & CHECK-IN PROCEDURES

Registration Hours: Check-in will run continuously at the Registration Booth from Thursday at noon till midnight Saturday night/Sunday morning. Please sign up for a shift when you arrive!

Stop at Registration Booth: All cars must STOP at the registration booth upon entering the site, and again every single time you re-enter the site. You must stop to have every person in your car checked in (again). Absolutely NO ONE will be permitted to enter the site for any length of time whatsoever without having properly registered and paid. Anyone caught doing so will be immediately escorted from the site. If you are bringing something to someone already on-site, they will need to meet you at the registration booth. If someone is paying for you later, you cannot enter until your admission is paid by them. This rule is *not* negotiable.

Early Arrivals: Please plan to arrive on *Thursday* at noon or later! My staff and a few vendors who need to set up early are allowed to arrive on Wednesday with prior permission. The gate will be locked prior to Thursday at noon, and any people who want to arrive before that time **MUST MAKE PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS** and must pay $10/person/day at the gate upon arrival. Keep in mind that Moondance starts THURSDAY at noon (and *ends* on Sunday at noon) - people arriving early put a drain on electricity, propane, gas, water, etc., plus just make it hard for the site owners to do their mowing and maintenance.


FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Thursday: The site opens Thursday at noon Eastern Daylight Time. Come in, register, set up your camp, and meet folks.(If you have to arrive before Thursday at noon, you need to make arrangements ahead of time and be prepared to pay $10 per person per day at the gate.) All cars must be moved to the parking area after unloading. Be sure to read the Schedule & Info Booklet you will be given at check-in! This will have the schedule, last-minute changes to site rules, and important emergency information.

Friday: Classes and workshops begin on Friday morning; we will have a drum circle that night

Saturday: Classes and workshops continue. We'll top off the evening with live music, a ritual, and a drum circle

Sunday: The site closes Sunday at 12:00 noon EDT. ALL PEOPLE MUST BE OFF-SITE BY 3:00 PM ON SUNDAY!!! We'll need people to help clean up, starting early that morning.


TRASH/LEAVE NO TRACE

Take Home Your Own Trash: We follow a Leave-No-Trace (LNT) ethic for Moondance and FallFling. This essentially means that YOU are responsible for removing any and all trash that you bring or generate while there. There are no dumpsters nearby or on-site; you will need to take all your trash home with you when you leave. DO NOT LEAVE BAGS OF TRASH AT THE SHOWERS, THE STAGE, OR ANYWHERE WHEN YOU LEAVE!! If you are caught leaving trash behind when you leave the site to go home, you will NOT BE INVITED BACK! Also, please DO NOT toss cigarette butts OR bottle caps on the ground or in the main bonfire! Anyone caught doing so will be placed on cigarette butt/bottle cap duty, OR will not be invited back again. Take your pick.

LNT: If you'd like to read up on LNT, here are some good LNT principles & ideas as they apply to Burning Man specifically: http://www.burningman.co m/environment/resources/lnt.html. Prepare ahead of time; remove all excess packaging from things, bring things in large containers rather than several small ones, prepackage your food before you leave home, plan to recycle some of your trash (glass, cans) later, check your camp and surrounding areas for MOOP (Matter Out of Place) very carefully before you leave.


DRIVING ON-SITE

Drive Slow: When you come in the gate off the road, please remember to drive SLOWLY. In dry weather, the dirt roads are way dusty. The faster you drive, the more dust you stir up. This dust then settles back down on everyone's cars, tents, food, hair, and in their sinuses. Yuck. So drive slow enough so that you don't stir up a dust cloud (yeah, like 2 mph - seriously!).

Don't Park in the Roadways: Most of the roads at Cherokee Farms are pretty obvious and are easy to keep clear. But some of the roads, especially through the woods, are rather narrow. ALL ROADS MUST BE KEPT CLEAR ALL WEEKEND!!! This is so emergency vehicles (i.e., large fire trucks) can get in and out. If roads are not kept clear, cars will be towed! A worst-case scenario is that the fire folks could shut the whole festival down. Very bad news. So do your part, and keep your cars and tents out of these narrow roads.

Driving Around On-Site: You can drive in most anywhere to unload, but then you must go park your car in the parking area. Do NOT use your car as transportation on-site during the festival.


CAMPING, RV INFO

Parking RVs & Campers: There is *tons* of room for campers, but the only hookups are in the main front field, and are limited to (I think) four hookups. Please be prepared to be self- contained all weekend. Generators can be run if they are quiet, or if you are parked far enough away from everyone else so as not to bother other campers with the noise.

Electricity for RVs & Campers: There are maybe four hookups in the main front field for RVs and campers for electricity *only* (no water or sewage); I don't know if the system will handle air conditioning. All these hookups must be reserved and paid for ahead of time. Apart from these few limited hookups, non-vendor RVs and campers MAY NOT PLUG IN to the electrical grid - not at the reg booth, not at the Stage, not at the Pavilion - not anywhere - especially to run AC. The system as a whole is just not built to handle it. Vendors with RVs or campers may plug in if the electricity fee is paid, but this is only for lights and small appliances (absolutely not for air conditioning).

Camping Areas: You can pretty much camp anywhere, except where the vendors are, on the flat area where the Pavilion and the main fire circle are located, the stone circle in front of the showers, and in Smokey's front yard. All other areas are public domain and are up for grabs, but please ASK before you set up next to someone else, in case they have that area set aside for their group. There is a large map at the registration booth and one in the schedule booklet, so you can find the camping and parking areas.


PARKING - WHERE TO PARK, WHERE NOT TO

Parking Areas:There is a ton of parking space at Cherokee Farms. You must move your car to the parking area after unloading.

Places NOT to Park: ALL cars must be moved to the parking area after unloading: the only exception is vendors with prior permission to park at their booths (these vehicles are anchored for the duration of the festival). DO NOT park your car in a no-parking area, then leave it for any length of time! If you must park your car temporarily somewhere (as to unload), leave your keys in the ignition so we can move it in an emergency.


FIRES, FIRE SAFETY, FIREWOOD

No Ground Fires: Except for fires in designated firepit (pre-built) areas, all campfires must be contained and off the ground in some manner, so they don't scar the ground. In mowable, grassy areas, where the site managers have to mow with a bushhog, rocks, charcoal, bottle caps, and other trash tends to get left behind; these items can damage the bushhog blades ($$$ to repair), and injure or even kill the mower operator!

Fire Safety: Use common sense with your campfires and tiki torches. After battling a forest fire at a previous festival, we're a bit paranoid about fires. If you light a fire, stay with it. If you light a fire, stay with it. Keep a fire extinguisher or bucket of water by your fire at all times. Rake away all leaves and debris from around the fire. DO NOT build up a big, roaring fire and leave it! (Leaving a small fire or bed of coals for a short time is okay.) Be sure that tiki torches are not close to overhanging limbs, and are not placed where they will light a tent on fire if they fall over.

Firewood: The firewood at the drum circle is FOR the drum circle. If you plan to have a fire at your campsite, PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN FIREWOOD! You may also pick up downed wood on-site.


POLICY ON ANIMALS

Pets and service animals are allowed, but must have proof of all current vaccines (bring paper from your vet). Animals (especially dogs, and including service animals) must be well- behaved, quiet, and under physical control at all times (this means leashed or crated, not running loose or under verbal command). You must clean up after your pet, so that "doggie bombs" are not left behind for others to step in. The fee for pets is $35; service animals are always free, but must meet above guidelines. Please fill out the Dog Registration Form.


MEALS, WATER

Meals:All meals are provide-your-own; you'll need to bring food and cookware, and grill or campstove (or buy meals from any food vendors we may have). The kitchen is off-limits to participants. There are sinks at the Pavilion for dishwashing (no hot water, bring your own soap and sponge). Please bring a cooler for your food - there are no storage facilities in the Pavilion for food or drinks.

Water/Showers: There is running water both at the showers and at the Pavilion for washing (bring your own soap and sponge). You should still plan on bringing some water for your campsite - 3-5 gallons. There are showers on-site, but please be aware that they may or may not work at any given moment (although they usually do), and they may or may not have hot water. The water is pumped in from the pond, and the run-off goes straight back onto the ground underneath the building, so please use biodegradable, earth-friendly soap. The showers are heated by propane, which means the supply is not infinite (please be considerate in your usage of the hot water!).


SAFETY, SECURITY, CONTACTING SOMEONE ON-SITE

Respect People: These festivals are an attempt to build community, not further divide people into cliques. Please do your part by following some simple guidelines. When you visit other camps, respect them as you would someone else's house or living room. In other words, introduce yourself, don't just stand and stare. Be considerate about grabbing an empty chair ask if you may sit down first. And if you receive a visitor to your camp, introduce yourself, and make the visitor feel at home. Also, remember that this is a clothing-optional festival consider this if you are bringing kids or new friends. And just because women walk around topless doesn't give you license to stare excessively and make lewd remarks, and it is NOT an invitation to touch. This sort of behavior is grounds for removal from the site!

Getting Help: Festival headquarters is at the Bio-Buzz vendor tent. There are several people on-site who have cell phones in case of an emergency; for all other calls, please go to the corner convenience store and use the pay phone.

Other Legal Stuff: Please be careful about whom you choose to bring to the festival with you, as they may not appreciate the atmosphere, or potentially cause problems. Make sure you know the person well, and can vouch for their good behavior! Along those lines, rules about no illegal substances, theft, threat to or endangerment of others, and other infractions of mundane law will be strictly enforced. Underage drinking (have your ID!), gross drunken behavior, unwanted sexual attention (harrassment), and sexual escapades with someone underage will not be tolerated. Any infracture of these rules will result in expulsion from the festival with no refund, and possible arrest, if appropriate. Parents, watch your kids, especially teenagers, at all times. Finally, Moondance is a private function, and is off-limits to media personnel acting in a professional capacity. This is to ensure confidentiality for our participants.

Emergency Contacts: I will be at home in Auburn just until the afternoon before the festival begins, and after that time you can leave a message on my cell phone (334-787-9332), or just text me. I try to check my phone messages and email ONCE A DAY from Thursday-Saturday during festivals, but I can't guarantee that my phone or email will work. Therefore, you are free to text (best), call me, or email, but there is no guarantee I'll get it, and certainly no guarantee I'll be able to respond quickly or at all.


VOLUNTEERING

Volunteers: Please sign up for at least one job when you arrive. This is considered community service, and is required by all (except vendors). Sign-up sheets will be at the Registration Booth. Jobs include: registration duty, in 2-hour shifts, starting Thursday at noon and running continuously till midnight Saturday night; clean-up on Saturday and Sunday; organizing, setting up, and cleaning up after the party; heralds to announce things, trash pick-up, etc; and many other jobs. Please do your share by signing up, but also, if you see something that needs to be done, like pick up trash, or stock the portapotties with toilet paper, step up and DO IT!

Herald Patrol: We'll have heralds circulating the festival grounds with walkie-talkies throughout the weekend, making announcements, checking for unattended fires that might be a safety hazard, reminding people to move their cars after unloading, making sure the roadways are kept clear, and basically watching for problems that need reporting to the Security personnel These heralds are essential please volunteer for a shift when you arrive!


OTHER STUFF

The Site: Cherokee Farms is a primitive camping site. Civilization (Lafayette, Georgia) is 5 miles away, with a Walmart, restaurants, and hotels. If you don't want to camp, do a Google search for hotels in the area, and you'll find plenty. The nearest gas station/quickie mart is just 2 miles away - when you shop there, PLEASE don't advertise to the locals that you're at a pagan festival! Radical Self-Reliance: This means taking responsibility for yourself and the people around you. Come prepared. This is not an event where all the home comforts are supplied, or even available. You are expected to bring everything you think you will need: clothing, food, water, shelter, toiletries, first aid, toilet paper, etc. You *must* take home your own trash. You must clean up after yourself *everywhere* on site, and be sure your camp and surroundings are free of MOOP. There is no one there to clean up behind you or do things for you.

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