What are Work Weekends?
During weekends in June, Fireflies go to the event site in Vermont to improve it and prepare it for the Festival.
There’s road and trail repair, ditch digging, building the Bug and the Temple, putting up huts for Rangers, Coffee Kitchen, and Sanctuary, placing theme camps and art projects, and much more. Come prepared to help with Firefly infrastructure, and when the day’s work is done, enjoy camping and socializing with other volunteers around the fire pit.
Work Weekends are also used for Art & Theme Camp placement and some preliminary Theme Camp preparation.
Important Information
- You must sign up ahead of time to attend a Work Weekend.
- Folks who sign up will receive an email with detailed information/instructions a few days ahead of any work weekend for which they have signed up. Upon arrival, you will need to check in with the Work Weekend Leads and choose or be assigned a task.
- More detailed Work Weekend guidelines and policies can be found on the Work Weekend Policies and Guidelines page.
If you have questions related to any of the work weekends, please email workweekend@fireflyartscollective.org.
Getting There
Carpooling is encouraged. Park in the Upper Parking lot (there will be signs pointing the way).
Signs will give directions to the check-in tent with Work Weekend and DPW leads who can answer any questions and fill you in on what needs doing.
2025 Schedule
Work Weekend #1: June 7-8, 2025
Typical Tasks:
- Taking inventory and setting up infrastructure
- Building or repairing structures and bridges
- Clearing and defining paths
- Chainsawing
- Mowing the Steam Bath hill and the spot where the Bug will be built, and raking the area
- Gathering sticks for the Bug
- Preparing trail lighting
- A lot of picking things up and putting them down
Theme Camps/Art: No one may work on Art or Theme Camp sites this weekend, because art and theme camp placement has not yet occurred.
Work Weekend #2 + Placement Day: June 14-15, 2025
Typical Tasks:
- More chainsawing
- Splitting logs and stacking wood walls
- Continuing to work on structure/bridge build and repair projects
- Mowing/Weed Whacking areas where Portos and Dumpster will be placed
- Help the Bug building crew
Theme Camps/Art: The Art and Theme Camp Placement process begins Sunday at 11am. Refer to the Placement Guidelines for details. After your Art object or Theme Camp site location has been settled on Sunday, you may clear sticks away, fly tarps, and begin preparations for big theme camp infrastructure and art project setup.
Work Weekend #3: June 21-22, 2025
Typical Tasks:
- Finishing up remaining infrastructure projects
- Drainage, structure and bridge building and repairs
- Last round of mowing and raking of the Steam Bath hill (for the sake of tick prevention)
- The Bug Builders need help building the Bug’s body and gathering more sticks for it
Theme Camps/Art: If your camp is placed on previously unoccupied ground which requires more preparation work, please ask the Work Weekend co-leads how to best prepare your camp’s site during this Work Weekend. Theme camps with large commitments for pre-event setup can erect some infrastructure. This is not intended to replace Early Arrival. Small amounts of equipment can be cached by theme camps (organized, covered with a tarp). Art which requires more complicated setup (e.g. structures constructed on site, complicated integration with trees) can start erection during this weekend. Artists are encouraged to consider Early Arrival as well. Discuss your infrastructure or art setup with a Work Weekend or Placement Lead to make sure it doesn’t cause any problems for other event planning and infrastructure!