Below are the policies and guidelines that we’ve developed that make our community work- they’re the result of a continuing community dialogue informed by the Ten Principles of Burning Man. These policies are specific to the Firefly Arts Festival in Vermont. Most have been previously listed in the Survival Guide and are summarized here; see the Survival Guide for more details.
Standards of Behavior
- This Code of Conduct is guided by the 10 Principles of Burning Man and regional events.
- All Firefly participants are expected to take personal responsibility for their actions and the effects of those actions on others.
- Firefly Arts Collective will respond to any participant behavior that directly endangers its participants or its ability to hold the annual festival and other community events.
- Firefly Arts Collective expects that all participants will endeavor, as they are able, to resolve their own issues and conflicts, and to not rely on FAC leadership to address all problems and conflicts. Participants accept that the volunteer resources of FAC are limited, and that the Firefly community contains diverse values and goals.
- Firefly Arts Collective leadership commits itself to taking the needs of its community and Firefly participants seriously, to handling reports of issues responsibly, equitably, and in a timely manner, and to making its best effort to resolve matters consistent with our organizational values and community standards.
- Firefly Arts Collective welcomes the stranger, and we share an expectation that all participants will work to create a space that is welcoming for everyone.
Visit the Participant Code of Conduct and Conduct Committee pages for more on reporting incidents, investigations, and specific conduct policies.
Covid Policy
All Firefly event participants are requested to take a COVID test before leaving for the event and stay home if they test positive. Participants who test positive during an event are asked to head home; Firefly will help them find safe transport if needed.
Warnings & Bans
The Warning and Ban Policy details the manner Firefly Arts Collective could ask participants to change their behavior or not attend events.
Photography at Firefly
Firefly Arts Collective recognizes and supports photography at our Events as a form of expression and participation valued by many Fireflies. Some participants feel that photography at Events or the use or publication of personal images negatively affects their experiences, and our Photography Policy is intended to help Fireflies navigate competing desires about photography.
It boils down to: consider Personal Use, Public Spaces, and Consent.
Fire, Art & Setup Policies
Art Car(t)s / Mutant Vehicles are administrated by the Department of Mutant Vehicles (DMV).
Firefly’s vehicle policy covers four classes of vehicle:
- Roadworthy vehicles
- Event operations UTVs
- Art car(t)s
- All other vehicles, motorized or human-powered
Roadworthy Vehicles
Participant roadworthy vehicles, motorized or human-powered, are only allowed during GTFO periods and in accordance with GTFO policies. Roadworthy vehicles are otherwise completely forbidden during the event for the safety of all participants and protection of the trails.
Event Operations UTVs
A small number of Utility Task Vehicles (UTVs) are used for event operations, including transport of DPW equipment, Medical staff, and participant gear for Accessibility purposes.
All event operations UTVs will be clearly identified by a hood placard with the Firefly logo and a “license number” and may only be used for official event business as described above. UTVs must be illuminated at all times.
Except for medical emergencies, all event operations UTVs only operate from dawn to dusk and move at no faster than jogging pace.
Art Car(t)s
Yes! You can bring an Art Car(t) to Firefly! The woods in Vermont being different from, say, the Black Rock Playa, art cars at Firefly need to be different from those at Burning Man to work with the land and event.
At any point organizers may decide that any particular or all art cars should be asked to cease operation. Keep this in mind as you think about and design your car. The land at Firefly is fragile, as is our walking community.
The Firefly DMV will certify all art car(t)s for operation at either day, night or both. Art car(t)s must not operate without first being certified. In 2024, you should submit a Firefly 2024 Art Car Application by 6/25/24 to be certified. Please contact dmv@fireflyartscollective.org with any questions or concerns!
Specific requirements for art car(t)s:
- Silent, or close to silent. They should not be designed as mobile sound systems and any engine should be below conversational level sound (approximately 60dB).
- Small enough to allow foot traffic on the same path without requiring participants to climb off the path and with a low center of gravity so as not to become a tip hazard on rough terrain. Art car(t)s should be less than about 3 feet in width and stable on steep ground.
- Maximum speed of 4-6mph (jogging speed)
- Light enough to not damage the trails
- Decorated to not be identifiable as the original vehicle upon which it is based
- No driving in rain or muddy conditions. No driving during early or late arrival periods.
- No transport of goods, gear, or art other than the vehicle itself
- Drive only on Mercurial and Innerstate paths, within the public space of camps that have given prior approval, and on the field
All Other Vehicles
All other vehicles, motorized or human-powered, are forbidden on trails at the event. This includes, but is not limited to non-event ATV/UTVs, bicycles, and scooters of any kind.
Small vehicles (unicycles, self-balancing scooters) may be used within the public space of camps that have given prior approval, but not on event trails.
Exceptions are possible for personal accessibility devices if they are required to get around the event safely. Personal accessibility devices should meet the same requirements as an Art Car(t) but need not be decorated (although that is always awesome), and may have access to additional trails if they are passable to the device. Please contact accessibility@fireflyartscollective.org to discuss your requirements.
Fire & Fire Spinning
The Firefly Board of Directors and Fire Core Leads take fire safety very seriously. For information about campfires, fire art, fire spinning, or generators, please read the Full Fire Policies.
Work Weekends
See the Work Weekend Policies page for full details. Work Weekend volunteers must register in advance.
Please do not arrive before 6pm on Friday of Work Weekends; plan to leave by 6pm on Sunday. Do not bring pets.
Please do not drive your vehicle into the woods or field without coordinating with a Work Weekend or DPW Core lead. Even 4WD vehicles can get stuck in mud.
Festival & Camping Policies
Tickets & Wristbands
No tickets will be available for purchase at the gate. All participants (over the age of 10) must have purchased a ticket to be admitted. All tickets are will-call: Bring your ID.
The Gate crew will check your ID and give you a wristband. There are different wristbands for people over-21 and under-21. People without wristbands will be asked to leave the event, so please keep your wristband on throughout the event. If you lose your wristband, please talk to Gate.
Early Arrival
If you wish to set up your art or camp before the event, please fill out the Early Arrival Application as soon as you know your plans. Everyone in a vehicle must be on the approved Early Arrival list. If anyone in an early arrival group is not on the list (or doesn’t have their photo ID), then no-one in the group will be allowed entry.
Email early@fireflyartscollective.org with any questions.
Parking
Please see the Getting There & Transportation page for parking policies.
Neighbors & Nudity
Please remain fully clothed when in view of the neighbors or public roads; this includes when visiting the porta-potties and in the main field. Do not approach or bother the horses in their pasture.
Camping
Maps of the site will be posted on kiosks. Please respect the event boundaries and the designated sacred spaces. Camping is not allowed in the main field–please camp in the woods.
Camping in your car or trailer is not permitted.
Loud Sounds & Music
The main field is a quiet space after midnight.
If you plan to bring amplified sound louder than a boombox, contact sound@fireflyartscollective.org so noise impacts on neighbors can be minimized.
Animals
Pets or other animals are not allowed at Firefly.
There is one exception only: Service Animals as defined by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) are permitted to accompany any participant with a disability who requires one. For planning purposes we do request that you email info@fireflyartscollective.org as early as possible to notify us that your Service Animal will accompany you.
No other animals are allowed at Firefly, including emotional support animals and creatures in cages.
Do not bother, feed, or otherwise approach the horses which live on-site.
Leave No Trace
Firefly is a Leave No Trace event. Take everything you brought back out with you, and make sure no trash or other foreign matter is left in your campsite when you leave.
No trash facilities or trash cans are available. Plan to put all your trash into your vehicle and take it home with you–please don’t deposit your trash in local dumpsters.
Anything that is not on the property before we arrive must be taken away. This includes food waste, cooking oil, bacon grease, and other biodegradable items. Cigarette butts must never hit the ground. Remember to look in the trees for random bungee cords, clothesline, or rope.
Trees, holes, & other permanent modifications
- Do not cut live trees. Collect only dead trees for firewood.
- Do not dig holes in the ground for firepits, latrines, garbage disposal, or any other purpose.
- Do not build permanent trails or other installations without permission from Placement or DPW Core Leads.
Water Use
Please do not use soap or shampoo of any kind in the stream and ponds.
Please do not dispose of any rinse-water containing soap within 100 feet of the stream or other surface water.
Bathroom Facilities
Porta-potties are provided for the event near the upper and lower parking lots. These are pumped and cleaned during the event. Please don’t discard trash in the porta-potties as this clogs the pump.
Porta-potty and outhouse structures not adjacent to the parking lots are off-limits during the event.
Feel free to pee in the woods, away from the stream. Do not poop in the woods–there are too many participants in too small of a space.
Vending
Vending is not allowed.
Firearms
Firearms are not permitted.