Harvest Homecoming Heritage Fair

This special event is a favorite of many at Oak Spirit Sanctuary.  A homecoming for Oak Spirits and for new and old friends alike! This year’s theme hearkens to the simple enjoyments of a country fair. 

This family friendly festival includes long standing OSS traditions like our Triple Goddess Grape Stomp as well as our annual church meeting on Sunday. 

Programming runs Friday to Sunday evening with a “casual camping” Monday, with no scheduled programming, for those who wish to stay over until Labor Day.

Event Itinerary

A full printed schedule will be available upon check-in.

Friday August 30^th

• 3:00 Event and Gates open
• Opening Ritual
• Meet and Greet Social with refreshments, dance party, and community fire time.

Saturday August 31^st

• Morning Meeting
• Workshop
• Harvest Grape Stomp
• “Country Fair” games
• Chili cook-off and Bread bake-off contest
• Community pot luck
• Main Ritual
• Bardic Circle Community Fire & “Talent Share”

Sunday September 1^st

• Morning Meeting
• Art Raffle
• Workshop
• Annual Church Meeting
• Community Shrine Tending
• Closing Ritual

Monday September 2^nd–Labor Day

• Day of open camping with no programming.
• 3:00 Event ends.

Call for Community Participation!

Chili Chefs and Bread Bakers

Bring your best chili recipe and/or breads of any kind–loaf-style, sweet bread (examples: banana, pumpkin breads, cinnamon rolls)– for a taste-test judging contest and see if yours is the winner! Community Potluck will immediately follow the chili judging so your food items will become your contribution to the shared meal.

Talent

Do you sing, play an instrument, dance, or have a short, family friendly, comedic act? Is there a poem you’d love to share? Do you have a unique surprising skill that you could perform? At Saturday night’s Bardic Circle, in addition to drumming, singing, and chanting, a casually facilitated “talent share” may emerge if there are those among us ready to share our gifts!

Art Raffle & Auction Donations

Art and Craft pieces are always welcome donations that help fundraise at the ticketed events for OSS. Your free-will donated item is greatly appreciated and will be used for this or future events. 

Community Volunteering

Many hands make light work! We are asking participants to volunteer to help with the tasks of this event. Time commitment is minimal, with flexible timeframes to do the tasks so you don’t miss any parts of the event. Take Down crew would be the most vigorous and longer shifts of the available tasks at the end of the event.
 Please sign up for a task onsite when you check in at registration. 

Items to bring for this event

Specific for this event’s programming, rituals, and activities:

• Snacks, Appetizers, Adult beverages, Non-alcoholic drinks if you wish to contribute something to the opening Social Hour
• A potluck dish for about 10 to 12 people with ingredients labeled. Please keep your food item appropriately cooled for food safety considerations until cooking or presenting. If you need help with keeping your item cold until needed, let an event organizer know.
• Chili and/or  baked bread goods if you wish to enter the cooking contests. This dish will then immediately become part of the community potluck
• Grapes for the Triple Goddess Grape Stomp–Any kind of grape. Please do not wash the grapes with fruit and vegetable wash beforehand.
• Drums, percussion and acoustic instruments for Bardic Circle and Talent Share
• Since the weather may be hot: fun water play items to keep cool. Toys like super soakers, small kiddie pools (inflatable or solid plastic), but no plastic water balloons please. A shallow, inflatable pool will be available for cooling off, so bring swim suits or pool clothing.
• Offerings for the altar in the main ritual circle to express thanksgiving for the harvest. Examples: Flowers, vegetables, fruit, written notes of thanks. These will decorate the altar and be offered either to the land or the fire, and will not be returned.
• Items to place on the Community Shrine that represent your individual tradition, craft, or practice. This shrine will be a symbol of the diversity of practice found in our community. Examples: items like: statues, print images, stones, tools, flowers, candles. These items will be collected by their owners before departure.

Natural Laws of Oak Spirit Sanctuary

The Oak Spirit Sanctuary Natural Laws is a document that summarizes the main rules and policies we need to know to be good stewards for the land and to the community.  Please visit that page to familiarize yourself with the Natural Laws.

The Basics of Camping At Oak Spirit Sanctuary

The grounds of OSS are open and do not have designated camping sites as one might expect at a state park campground. You may camp anywhere that is not a ritual or community space.  Tent, pull-behind campers, and drivable camping vehicles are all allowed.  

Camping is rustic and primitive: There are no electric or water hook-ups, no flush toilets, no RV waste disposal.  Porta-potties are available on site. 

There is a shower house for hot showers, with both “open air” and a private stall available. Showers are generally open to “mixed company.”

OSS does not offer trash disposal services. Please plan to remove your own trash and recycling. If you pack it in, plan to pack it out.

 Pets may attend but must be leashed and under control at all times. Owners must clean up pet waste.

Fires can only be made in established fire circles. Please do not start new fire circles All fires are sacred and no trash is ever thrown into the fire. Please dispose of your cigarette butts in your own camp trash, not into the fires. 

If you have accessibility challenges and need more information about the grounds or amenities at OSS or how we can help you, please contact info@oakspiritsanctuary.org.

For full information regarding land use, camping, and expectations of conduct, please see the Natural Laws.

Ice will be available to purchase on site: $3.00 cash $3.25 card payment per bag.

Event Pricing

	Early Registration Discount Until 8/11	Regular Price 8/12 to 8/27	At the Gate
Full Event	$45	$55	$60
Saturday Day Pass	$25	$25	$30

Online Registration Closes Wednesday August 28th

• Children 17 years and younger are free.
• Work day vouchers may be used for up to half off the registration price.
• Outdoor Camping is included with registration. 

If you wish to reserve sleeping space in the retreat center, it is an additional $10.00 per person per night. Space is limited and you must provide your own bedding/cot/camping mattress. Contact: info@oakspiritsanctuary.org for inquiries.

Registration

Online Registration is Closed

Please note: Payment is expected when you register. We do not allow for “RSVP” style registrations (sending in a registration without payment) to hold a price point. The payment amount is determined by the date you pay. Please see the chart with dates above.

Vending

Vending is allowed at this event with your paid registration. There is no monetary fee for vending, but we request that all vendors donate an item for the art raffle. We will still accept vendors with your onsite gate registration.

Vendors

We welcome the following vendors! Please visit their booths and support them with your purchases!

Gate Hours

Friday: Gates open at 3:00 PM and close at 9:00

Saturday and Sunday: Gates open at 9:00 and close at 8:00

Monday: Event ends at 3:00 PM

When you arrive, please check in at the Registration Tent first.

If you anticipate arriving outside of open gate times, please contact info@oakspiritsanctuary.org to make arrangements.

Questions?

We have answers! Contact info@oakspiritsanctuary.org 

Image Credit: “Harvest Festival” by Alexander Grigoryevich