Welcome to Firefly, a circle of circles of friends. Each year we gather in the beauty of the woods to build our own village from the ground up. This is a unique and inspiring community, and we invite you to create a unique and inspired home within it.
What is a Theme Camp?
A “theme camp” means a camp that’s more than a camp. It can be a place to share your art and your wisdom, to celebrate your beliefs and your community, to spend time with friends and welcome visitors, to host classes or rituals, to party, to chill, to dance, and eventually to sleep. Camps are the organs that make up the Firefly creature; we depend on them for fun and for survival.
See the tips below, Things to know when running a theme camp. Some theme camps have a schedule of events, which you can publish in our official listings (“What-Where-When Guide“) if you choose.
Registering Your Theme Camp
There is an official placement system for assigning and reserving camp sites for theme camps at Firefly. We have plenty of space, so conflicts are rare, and camps who are interested in the same site often end up collaborating to create something even better. Camps with amplified sound or other loud noise should find sites that are not too close to our neighbors. Check the event map or work with Art & Theme Camp Placement for help.
Astral Chill
Astral Chill is the oasis where evocative flights of inner-spatial drone-sound dimensioneering are unfurled. The audio cauldron mingles with the dance of laser insect simulations on the encircling pine bowers overhead—and makes for some unusually heady times. Drone improvisers of all stripes are welcome to collaborate—and everyone should come Chill at our firebowl. Audio/video documentation at https://bit.ly/AstralChillVidClips
Glory Glory Hole-lelujah & the Expl(oral)torium
An adults-only (18+) project
Glory Glory Hole-lelujah is a 2-person spiritual retreat nestled in the woods of Firefly. Share your sexy desires, hesitations, hopes, and dreams with our Staffers. Have conversations you can’t have anywhere else. Ask questions you can’t ask. And maybe more (after all, it is a glory hole).
We will be of service to “innies” and “outies,” depending on staffing. Hours will be posted. We also coach couples to learn tips and tricks they never taught you in school.
New for 2020! The Expl(oral)torium! A self-guided journey through the history of oral traditions.
Hall of Arkham
Flunkies, Burnouts, Melvins and unwanted Hooligans of Hogwarts Extension School of Urquhart Castle, Drumnadrochit, Inverness, Inverness-shire IV63 6XJ, United Kingdom.
APPROACH WITH EXTREME CAUTION.
These wizards are wanted and should be considered dangerous. Beware of any potions, elixirs, spells, enchantments, or other wizardry they may offer you. Whatever you do, don’t go inside their Daedalus, it is believed to be a direct portal to the elder gods and ancient ones.
Love and Lions Den
The Love and Lions Den has been fur-nishing some roar-ingly good times at Firefly since 2010!
Come spin in our fire circle, dance at our big stage, and make sounds, friends & memories.
Where will your TailQuest take you?! RAWWR!
VIVARIA
VIVARIA’s purpose is to foster interpersonal connection among small groups of people. You are the creatures in our terrarium domes – you and a handful of strangers or friends, who decide together to open one of our self-guided activity boxes that create (non-sexual) intimacy through carefully designed 10-20 minute activities. Visit us anytime, or check the event guide for special goings-on.
2019 Theme Camps
Click the “+” sign below to see theme camps from past years.
A.S.K. is here to help you fix your broken art of any kind! Missing that crucial bolt? Blinkies not working? Troublesome code got you down? We’ll have tools and supplies to get your art working again. And if you need it we’ll help match you up with a knowledgeable Firefly to help you with your fix. Remember, “If you need help A.S.K.!” (Located behind the Stage. Staffed hours: 10am-4pm)
Astral Chill is the oasis where evocative flights of inner-spatial drone-sound dimensioneering are unfurled. The audio cauldron mingles with the dance of laser insect simulations on the encircling pine bowers overhead—and makes for some unusually heady times. Drone improvisers of all stripes are welcome to collaborate—and everyone should come Chill at our firebowl. Audio/video documentation at https://bit.ly/AstralChillVidClips
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Their Celestial Ultra-Light Transport spacecraft careened into the woods over central Vermont, drawn like a moth to the gentle lights of Firefly. Travellers to Earth, their vessel’s core was damaged in the crash and pieces have scattered across all of the festival. A kind and warm-hearted group of intergalactic beings, their religious beliefs and practices may seem strange, or even sinister, to outsiders. Their only hope to once more journey through the stars relies on the kindness of Fireflies, to help collect each piece of the scattered core of their spaceship. The travellers will lavish those who come to their aid with libations, wisdom, art of their homeworld, and even induct them into their sacred circle by exposing them to The Ordeal.
Lights, Art, Music… Party! Creating high-quality events and art installations is our camp’s specialty. Since 2011, Lamp has been bringing our winning attitude to the woods for the community to enjoy. Whether you want a delicious cocktail, dance the night away or watch amazing fire performers, we have a place for you. Enjoy the entertainment, stay for the long-lasting friendships.
Live Life and Love Lamp.
We’re definitely not saying Camp Mellow Orange is the mellowest camp around. Firefly has lots of mellow camps, and competition vibes are the scientific opposite of mellow vibes, so far be it from us to claim we’re tops. That said, “mellow” is literally in our name, so come on by for chill tunes, even chiller orange drinks, and very, very chill orange snacks.
Camp Sexy… your destination for all kinds of silly sexy shenanigans! Join our band of weirdos for freaky fun filled events… Scar Bar, Sexy or Die, Minute it to Win It, Yacht Rock Happy Hour, The Messy Nest, Sangria and Showtunes, and Reading Porn to the Blind. See event listings for days and times. You also might be the lucky recipient of a Light Up Hug during your travels through the woods, or find yourself chilling in our space amongst friends. It’s all good, it’s all sexy. And if you don’t agree we’re the sexiest mofo’s at Firefly, you’re just not drinking enough!
Get your dance fix with Diode! Late-night festivities featuring a variety of electronic music styles. An always changing dance floor, cargo net lounges, fire pit to keep warm, LED Art, friendly bar with craft beer, and plenty of space for art and dance under the stars – find us in the open field at the top of the hill!
Femme Domme Camp
{{|You Must Be 18+|}}
Coaxed by the red light, you wander towards the pair of illuminated cubes with harpy feminine silhouettes within. Welcome to the dungeon in the woods, where kinky Fireflies can play and curious creatures are invited to be voyeuristic… or more. With femme dommes of all flavors guarding the torture cubes, we have consent classes, impact demonstrations, Bloody Mary libations, and lustful inspiration.
Don’t be shy, we promise we bite.
Down in Flufferville live sparkleponies with a cause: we keep you hard at work, so we don’t have to. Our mission is to be compulsively and consentually helpful.
Stop by to use our patented Tick Check Booth and refresh yourself at our snack and hydration station on your way to the field or steambath.
An adults-only (18+) project
Glory Glory Hole-lelujah is a 2-person spiritual retreat nestled in the woods of Firefly. Share your sexy desires, hesitations, hopes, and dreams with our Staffers. Have conversations you can’t have anywhere else. Ask questions you can’t ask. And maybe more (after all, it is a glory hole).
We will be of service to “innies” and “outies,” depending on staffing. Hours will be posted. We also coach couples to learn tips and tricks they never taught you in school.
New for 2020! The Expl(oral)torium! A self-guided journey through the history of oral traditions.
Spooks, spirits, witches, ghouls and gluten-free folk- unite! Come celebrate the best holiday of all with allergy-friendly treats, custom Tarot readings in the Tarot Tent, plant/weed walks led by herbalist witches, Happy Hour (witching hour!) drinks, and other Halloween surprises. Bring a cup, wear a costume, cast a spell!
Flunkies, Burnouts, Melvins and unwanted Hooligans of Hogwarts Extension School of Urquhart Castle, Drumnadrochit, Inverness, Inverness-shire IV63 6XJ, United Kingdom.
APPROACH WITH EXTREME CAUTION.
These wizards are wanted and should be considered dangerous. Beware of any potions, elixirs, spells, enchantments, or other wizardry they may offer you. Whatever you do, don’t go inside their Daedalus, it is believed to be a direct portal to the elder gods and ancient ones.
Remember the rainbows at the top of the hill, hot vegan, GF, & vegetarian meals, cozy spots by the fire? Those days are past. Welcome the neon invasion! Your cheer is as obligatory as your scrunchies! Now with cheerful rainbows ™, cheerfully hot vegan, GF, & vegetarian nutriment ™, and your (mandatory) smile!*
*Noncompliance will result in cheerfulness rehabilitation ™, & the rendering of repeat frownies into unicorn kibble. The unicorns are very hungry.
Like the casbah to your Star Wars, our intergalactic MeatSpace station is a trading post oasis home away from home. Warm yourself by our fire pit with random acts of cooking and food sharing — yours or ours.
Join us for our Galactic Fight Club, our famous cassoulet de canard, or our nightly sci-fi screenings.
Barely automated rustic luxury gay space communism awaits! At the crossroads between Pancakes and Lamps.
(*our profile pic was space-pirated without asking. Here’s where the sausages were made.)
Obsidian Beauty Bar was created with the intent to share our gifts and knowledge with others through hair design creations, and mind, body & soul healing methods. Oshun’s Mirror was created to help people use transit astrology to transform their lives. We understand the need for a safe space for grounding & manifestation of intentions. Magic is genderless.
We offer a relaxing safe space to the community in addition to the variety of beauty influences to be experienced, such as hair braiding/styling and accessorizing, nail care manicure, pedicure, and paint and nail art, face makeup and face paint designs, and airbrushing techniques. We also offer the service of yoga in the morning along with affirmations, therapeutic body massage, including shoulders, full body massage, and feet massage
SHH IT’S A SECRET …but we still want you to come hang out! A li’l bat collective lurking halfway up the hill, we promise we only look sad SOME of the time. In these shadows we offer our spooky company, Unhappy Hour libations, and plenty of goth industrial to keep your heart (or stompy feet) happy. So come join us where it’s ok to dance and make zero eye contact with your friends. They still love you, they’re probably avoiding eye contact too <3
Growth happens when we find ourselves outside of familiar territory. Connections are strongest when we rely on each other to succeed despite adversity. Let the familiar take flight and see the world with new eyes. From the loss of vision offered by our blind tours to the loss of security offered by our hunting games, uncertainty and discomfort can be fertile soil for new confidence and new friends.
Shisha Shack is a place for conversation, contemplation, and perhaps even a snack or two. A relative newcomer and centrally located, we have been found to be a retreat from the din around us. Please stop in and introduce yourself, share a tobacco or non! hookah and relax on our platforms and recharge for your continued journeys!
Welcome to Stange Maine!
Home of the Gifting Tree, Pinchie, a Large Lighthouse, the occasional mermaid, and some sea creatures. Thursday and Saturday nights we have our big events. Goth, Industrial, New Wave, 80’s, Slow and Sexy tunes to get you moving on a chilly night.
During events we have a bar stocked with alcoholic and NON alcoholic beverages.
Go, a game that calls from within us the warrior, the philosopher, and the aesthetician. For millennia, humanity has peered into the board and seen the edge of their ability, and the fighting spirit of an opponent. The game can be learned in 10 minutes, but mastery will take a lifetime. Enter the Gojo and join us in a lifelong pursuit for the divine move.
Ulitma Thule returns from afar with a happy horde of Vikings. The MSS Vongboat will be making Grape and Grillage voyages to other camps from her home port at Ultima Thule. Look for our Viking Ship in the field and you will find your way to the Viking Parlor Games. Find your Viking mojo with Rune Readings and prowess with YakityYak Croquet, Yak Hole Melee, and Viking Tetherball. Fireflies are welcome to join us every evening, to enjoy the games beneath the Dragon’s Breath Flame Effect and learn about the voyage that will take our ship to the ethers as a Burn.
The White Dragon Noodle Bar is coming back to Firefly for 2019. We invite you all to come by around 6pm – 8pm for some delicious and rejuvenating noodles. Come for the tasty snacks and stay for the witty banter and wonderful company. Some nights we may even serve up some savory late night broth for all the weary fireflies traveling through the dark forest. Our classic noodles are vegetarian and vegan with a gluten free option available as well. We can’t wait to share our salty hot noodes with our firefly patrons!
Things to know when running a theme camp
Leave No Trace
Firefly is a Leave No Trace event. This means we are expected to remove everything we bring to the land, down to the last cigarette butt. We plan ahead to have minimal impact on the land, and we don’t change the land unless we’re able to change it back. Plan to have your camp sweep the area to search for errant objects, trash, and recycling.
Fire Pits
There are a limited number of established fire pits throughout the Firefly site – these sites have all been pre-approved by the landowner, as they change the character of the land. For this reason, digging new fire pits for personal or camp use is not permitted. All established fire pits are communal–go warm up and meet your fellow Fireflies! Read more on fire pits and camp fire guidelines on the Fire Policies page.
Food and Drink
Firefly participants provide their own food and drink. Collaborating with your friends to plan good meals for your camp can be a lot of fun, and planning extra food or drink to share with visitors can be a great way to make friends and participate. When planning, keep in mind that you will be expected to haul away any trash, so you may want to leave unnecessary packaging at home.
Performance
Firefly attracts amazing DJ’s, musicians, bands, and performance artists, and we often hear from new ones who would like to play for us. There is no official “main stage” at Firefly, and theme camps are popular gathering places, so musicians are frequently looking for theme camps to play at. You may want to provide them with a mellow place to jam. Or if you are ambitious you may want to provide a performance space with amplified sound. If your camp is interested in hosting musicians, post to the Fireflyblink discussion list – they will be happy to hear from you.
Getting In and Out
Depending on how far your camp happens to be from the parking lot, you may need to move your gear quite a ways on foot. Think big, but be prepared. If you’re new to Firefly and planning an elaborate camp, use the discussion lists to network with experienced Fireflies and learn what to expect.
Working with the Land
Nature often puts Firefly to the test with rain, mud, and cold. In these times, your camp has the opportunity to become truly legendary if you can successfully provide your neighbors with shelter, warmth, and dry places to chill.
It is possible to shelter large clearings with tarps hung from trees. Talk to other Fireflies to learn more from our community’s many self-made tarp experts.
The ground at the Firefly site contains clay, so water often collects or flows along the surface before being absorbed. Before you set up, take a close look at your site and think about how it will drain. Choosing the right place for your tent will help you avoid waking up in a puddle.
Ground that is completely cleared of leaves and brush is more likely to erode and turn to mud under rain and feet. Don’t clear an area completely if you don’t need to, and do your best to re-cover cleared areas at the end of the event.
Fire Art
Out of respect for safety and wise use of our land, all projects involving fire should be discussed with the Fire and Safety Team before the event. If you have a project idea that requires fire, or if you have any other questions, please contact the Fire Core lead. Read more on fire art guidelines on the Fire Policies page.
Electricity
There are no wall sockets in the woods. You should be prepared to provide your own electricity – whether it’s by portable generator, solar array, or bicycle-powered boombox machine. If you have questions about providing power for you or your theme camp, reach out to the community – odds are that someone else has faced a similar dilemma at some point in the past. There are some guidelines for generator usage on the Fire Policies page. You can also direct power-related questions to the Infrastructure / DPW Core.
Trails
In order for your neighbors to enjoy your camp, they’ll need to be able to get to it. A volunteer crew marks the main trails at Firefly, but you may want to take responsibility for marking smaller trails near your site. If you notice trails turning to mud-puddles in the rain, do your best to fill or reinforce them with brush.
Fireflies are known to stay up all night, wandering the woods with eyes half-blinded by the many glowy wonders. Marking trails and entrances to your camp with glow-sticks or glow-in-the-dark art can help you find your way home. If you set up any art or structures that someone could trip on, crash into, or be clothes-lined by, it is very important to light them at night.
Getting a Head Start
If you’re thinking big, you may want to start setting up your camp during one of the pre-event work weekends. In this event, we ask that you and your crew also devote some of your time to projects that are vital to the whole event, such as maintaining outhouses, trails, and fire pits. When packing, keep in mind that what you bring to the site over multiple weekends may be difficult to remove in one.
Making Contact
Now that you’ve feeling inspired to create something awesome, we want to know about it! Registering your theme camp allows you to pick a spot for your camp at one of the Work Weekends. it gets you placed on the Firefly event map, and your events will be added to the WhatWhereWhen guide, so everyone knows when the party is at your place. If you have any questions about theme camp registration or placement, contact the Art and Theme Camp Placement Core.
Anything is possible at Firefly with collaboration between participants. If you have a great idea but need volunteers, advice, or resources to make it happen, use the discussion list to find them. You may be amazed by what our community can provide. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!
