Foxfire Camping Weekend is an opportunity for furries to enjoy a tiny slice of Burning Man culture in the woods of Vermont. The event follows the 10 Principles – more explanation on what these mean to this event is below. A core objective is to leave the woods as serene and beautiful as when we arrive.
The land is an empty pine forest that has grown from old farm fields. You will need to bring everything you require to survive: shelter, food, drinks, and entertainment. Be prepared to carry your things up a long hill along a tricky dirt farm road from the parking lot to the camping area — you may want a garden cart or folding hand truck. There are many flat areas to place a tent. Porta-potties and a water well will be provided near the bottom of the hill &mdash again, be prepared to walk up and down the hill to the porta-potties or to get more drinking water.
Our objective is to have an experience together: endure some hardship, overcome adversity, and revel in triumph with our fellow participants. This is not an “easy car tenting at a campground” event; the “do-it-yourself” ethos is what sets it apart and makes it special.
These are more than just guidelines. We all must abide by the rules in order to assure the continuation of the event and our use of the property.
NO CUTTING LIVE TREES OR VEGETATION - They need to grow. Let them be. You can spread your tent out right on top of the ferns; they'll spring back.
NO GUNS ON THE PROPERTY - Leave it at home. There is absolutely nothing here that you will need it for.
NO NUDITY IN VIEW OF THE PUBLIC - Cover your bits appropriately if you go down to the parking lot or the front gate.
NO PETS - Allow yourself to be the sole source of your responsibilities.
NO PARKING IN THE WOODS* - This is not a “car camping” event. Leave it in the parking lot. Try experiencing 48 hours without hearing an alarm chirp or door slam. (*Some exceptions granted.)
NO POOPING IN THE WOODS - Use the porta-potties. Put only single-ply toilet paper in the porta-potties. DO NOT THROW ANY TRASH IN THE PORTA-POTTIES. NO WIPES. NO SANITARY PRODUCTS. NO QUILTED TP OR WET WIPES. Pack out your trash.
NO ENDANGERING OR THREATENING OTHER PARTICIPANTS - Do not be reckless. Be mindful of other people’s boundaries and personal space. You are responsible for your behavior whether or not you are sober.
Breaking these rules may result in warnings, being asked to leave the event, and being prohibited from future events. Furthermore, real-world assistance for real-world crimes may be invoked if necessary.
Think of the 10 Principles as guidelines for “what makes the culture of the event special”. The more you embrace them, the more you contribute to the magic. Here’s a short explanation of how they apply at this event.
Radical Inclusion - Be open and welcoming to new people, new ideas, and new experiences.
Gifting - Give without expectation of return. Bring extra to share if you can.
Decommodification - No cash transactions.
Radical Self-reliance - Do it yourself. Rely on the strengths and skills within. Plan ahead.
Radical Self-expression - Be yourself, openly and freely. Wear costumes. Or don’t. Bring art.
Communal Effort - We all work together to make this happen. This is by us, for us.
Civic Responsibility - Don’t ruin it for everyone else.
Leaving No Trace - Respect the land and the environment. Take every last bit of trash.
Participation - Challenge yourself to try things you might not. Don’t hide.
Immediacy - Be here now. Put the phone down. Pay attention. Be part of this.
A few notes about the land, the event, and the conduct.
There are ample flat and clear places throughout the property to pitch your tent. You can camp anywhere in the woods. Please don’t camp in any of the fields, clearings, or trails. You don’t need to cut or clear any live vegetation; you can put your tent right on top of the ferns and small plants.
You can set up a theme camp with your friends, or camp solo. You’re free to be near the main camp, or as far away as possible (while staying on the property). Several fire pits are available if you would like to manage your own. Although you may not build your own fire pit, you are free to bring your own above-ground fire structure. Please have a 5-gallon bucket of water nearby any campfire, and do not leave any fire unattended.
Don’t throw food scraps out into the woods. Pack them out. Lots of other events use this land and if they all threw food scraps the property would become a huge trash pile throughout the season.
Feel free to pee in the woods. It helps reduce the load on the porta-potties. You may cross the property-line-stone-walls in order to pee on the neighbors' property.
Expect it to be warm-to-hot in the daytime, and chilly-to-cold at night. Plan on having a day outfit and a night outfit. Bring clothes for a wide temperature range. Layers are great. If it rains, everything is going to be wet. Consider rain gear, and keeping things put away/rainproofed. Thunderstorms are common during the summer, and may happen very suddenly.
The event takes place on the side of a hill, in a forest, on old farm land. You will have to walk up and down the hill a lot. The main road in and out is a small dirt farm road with ruts, rocks, roots, and other hazards. A headlamp, flashlight, or other source of illumination will be critical for navigation in the dark. A cell phone flashlight is inadequate for travel, but can be useful for brief periods around camp.
It’s about ¼ mile (1,300’) from the parking lot to the campsite. It takes 5-10 minutes to make the walk, depending on your stamina and encumbrance. The porta-potties are about 800’ from the campsite, which is 3-6 minutes. Downhill is faster.
Participants should feel free to conduct themselves in an open and expressive manner, free from the boundaries and anxieties of external society, yet with respect for their fellow participants. Here are some specific guidelines:
It stands for “Matter Out Of Place”. It is the enemy of Leave No Trace. Also, it’s fun to say.
Small pieces of litter tend to get lost on the forest ground. Don’t let them get there to begin with. Put your trash directly in a trash bag. Carry a tiny container for little bits of trash like cigarette butts. Check the ground for MOOP when you’re walking around and throw it away when you find it. Leave MOOPy clothes with sequins and glitter at home.
Big items get left behind in communal spaces frequently. Clothes, outerwear, water bottles, props, dishes, and more will quickly clutter up a kitchen, benches, chairs, and other surfaces. Help fight the battle by taking your personal MOOP back to camp with you, so community space remains available for everyone to use.
The event is fursuit-friendly! However, it is not a convention with carpeted floors. Be aware that your fursuit may get dirty, wet, stained, or worse. There are tripping hazards and fire. Be extra careful.
The core of the event is its ephemeral nature, and that of existence itself. To highlight this nature, we will invest a bunch of effort into building a glorious effigy, and then returning it to nothing with fire. For some reason we all cheer when it falls over.
Leading up to the event:
Approximately 2 weeks before the event: the registration and payment form will open. Be prepared to divulge a small amount of personal information (which will be kept 100% private) and make a payment via Venmo, CashApp, or PayPal. You will receive registration confirmation via email.
The day before the event: exact directions to the event and parking instructions will be sent out via email to everyone who has registered and paid. The registration and payment form will close at this time.
Event schedule:
To stay connected to the community and keep up on announcements, please join the Telegram chat group — read the pinned posts to find the most important things, e.g. ticket sales, the event schedule, etcetera. We would love it if you can contribute and participate!
Once you've purchased a ticket, you’ll receive an email confirmation of your registration within a day. Then, the day before the event, you’ll receive an email with a link to a Google doc containing the site address, driving directions, parking instructions, a map of the site, and information on where to camp. Feel free to haul your gear up the hill and set up if you know what you’re doing, or come find us at main camp and ask around for help and we’ll get you taken care of.
If you need additional assistance or specific accommodations, feel free to ask in the group chat, DM an admin on Telegram, or email foxfire.weekend@gmail.com.
✨✨ SEE YOU IN THE WOODS!!! ✨✨