Firefly 2009 :: Event Guide

If you are seeking music lineups, workshops, performances, theme camps, and other related information - check out the Themecamps and Projects section.

Firefly, a participatory temporary autonomous zone, starts Thursday, July 2nd at noon and ends Sunday, July 5th at noon.

Firefly will be held on private property in central Vermont - about 2.5 hours north of Boston. The land is 70 acres of wooded mixed pine forest and sloping terrain with some clear and sparsely wooded areas.

The 2009 Layout map of the site will be posted around Firefly and at Firefly Info. You are welcome to print a copy of the site map. Please respect the boundaries of the land and the designated sacred spaces as Firefly is taking place on privately owned land. Camping is not allowed in the main field - please head into the woods to make your campsite. Please remain fully clothed when in view of the public road - this includes when visiting the porta-potties and in most of the main field. The main field is a quiet space after midnight.

Directions were sent directly to ticket holders. If you purchased a ticket, you received a sheet with event information and directions. Please do not post directions to any list.

No tickets will be available at the gate. All participants need a ticket in hand at the gate to be admitted, so please have your ticket available when you arrive at the gate. If you do not have a ticket, sadly, you will be turned away at the gate. There will be no will-call available at the gate - if you bought a ticket from someone else please arrange to get the ticket beforehand.

New this year - bring your ID! The greeters will check your ID and give you a wristband. There are different wristbands for over-21 and under-21. If you do not have your ID, you will be issued an under 21 wristband. People without wristbands will be asked to leave the event so please keep your wristband on.

Arriving during daylight hours is highly encouraged - finding and clearing a campsite in the dark can be tricky. Volunteers, builders, and theme camps may enter on Wednesday, July 1st at noon by permission only - the early arrival request deadline was Friday, June 26th at 3pm. If you were not granted permission for early arrival, please do not come to the site before noon on Thursday, the 2nd.

Important: When you arrive at Firefly please pull immediately off the road into the greeter/parking queue. Do not block the road at any time, for any reason - even for a moment.

When you arrive, plan to spend a few minutes being greeted. After you have been properly welcomed and given the word, you may unload your gear near greeters or proceed to parking to unload your gear from your parked car.

There is parking available, but please try to carpool to the event if possible. Use the Firefly Blink list to find a ride or offer a ride. Please follow on-site parking instruction. It is possible that vehicles may be parked in. Parking is near the event proper, but you will not be able to drive up into the event space to unload. Expect to hand-haul your gear into the woods - a 5-15 minute walk. You are welcome to bring a cart or hand-truck to help move your gear into the woods! Cars will be parked on a sloping field, as tightly as possible.

If it rains a lot there will likely be delays in getting non-4WD cars out. Everyone will be able to get out, just know that if the weekend is very rainy it will take a bit longer - so plan accordingly, maybe get packed up early and then spend some time picking up trash to take home, helping with break down, or lending a hand to those who need it.

If you leave the Firefly event for any reason, you will not be re-admitted. Be prepared with enough water, food, and supplies for your needs for the duration of the event. If you forget something, ask a friendly fellow Firefly!

Early arrival is noon on Wednesday, July 1st through Thursday, July 2nd at noon. If you plan on being on site before Thursday at noon, you must be approved. The deadline to apply for early arrival was Friday, June 26th at 3pm. If you didn't already make contact, please don't show up early.

A very limited number of vehicles will be able to drive up the trail into the event to unload gear during the early arrival period. Only AWD/4WD with high ground clearance will be considered for trail access. Be prepared to transfer your gear to a different vehicle, or to haul your gear up the trail with a dolly. (If you have extra dollys please bring them!)

No vehicles will be able to use the trail after 11am on Thursday - Absolutely NO vehicles will be allowed on the event site or up the trail during the event.

Firefly ends Sunday, July 5th at noon. Please be packed up and able to leave by 3pm Sunday - remember that everything brought up to the site has to brought back out on Sunday, including gear brought up during work weekends. Please take all your trash with you - Firefly is a Leave No Trace event - there is no trash service or trash team - pack it in, pack it out. Make time to do a sweep of your campsite and areas you frequented before you leave Sunday afternoon. Only those who signed up to help with clean-up may remain on the land past 3pm on Sunday - email lnt@fireflyartscollective.org before Monday, June 29th at 11pm if you wish to volunteer for the Leave No Trace Team (doing the very last sweeps to make sure we leave the land the way we found it or better.)

Get involved in Firefly - this is your festival! If you have an event you'd like to run, an installation to build, or a hand to lend then get in touch.

Volunteering before, during, and after the event is strongly encouraged and greatly appreciated. Volunteers are still needed so please check out the participation page and the volunteers page and sign up to help.

If you have some time to spare and an able body at the event there will still be plenty of ways to help: organize a crack team to haul wood out of the woods to communal fire pits, check the kitchen area to see if coffee and tea need to be made, offer help to those who look like they could use a hand, or stop by the Firefly Info kiosk and ask if any volunteer shifts need to be filled!

The 2009 Events Calendar has been compiled and will be posted around Firefly to help promote events, workshops, activities, music line-ups, artwork, etc.

What does that mean? It means that all participants should respect the wildlife and environment where Firefly is happening.

• Pack it in, pack it out. Leave packaging at home. Take EVERYTHING home with you.
• Pick up litter as you go.
• Take an extra bag of trash or recycling home with you.
• Naturalize! After you pack up to leave, scatter brush and tree limbs to make your camp disappear.
• BUTTS... If you smoke, please use a film canister or other container.
• Respect the potties - don't put trash of any kind in them.
• All fires must be in approved fire pits; personal ground fires are not allowed. Burn only clean, natural wood in the fire pits. Respect our wishes to keep trash out of the fire pits.

The seven official principles of the Leave No Trace outdoor ethic are as follows:

• Plan Ahead and Prepare
• Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
• Dispose of Waste Properly
• Leave What You Find (unless it's escaped trash, then by all means find it a nice home!)
• Minimize Campfire Impacts (ground fires can only be in the fire pits)
• Respect Wildlife
• Be Considerate of Other Visitors

More information related to these seven principles can be found at the Leave No Trace website.

There is no trash crew. Take your trash home and plan on taking a small bag of excess Firefly trash or recycling as well. Bonus points for taking extra. A few good rules that minimize overall waste are:

• Think ahead: leave unnecessary packaging at home.
• Keep paper, trash, or cigarettes out of the Firefly fire pits. Take it home with you. Recycle it if you can!
• Bring your own reusable beverage container.
• Bring reusable/washable dishware and eating utensils. These will not be provided.
• Don't forget to bring trash bags!
• Firefly organizers cannot take care of extra trash or accept donations of leftover food supplies - they would need to bring them home in their own vehicles, which are just as packed as yours.

Bring water for drinking, cooking, cleaning. A gallon per day should suffice unless you are watering plants as well. If you like water, bring more. There is a small stream, but it may be a only a trickle at Firefly (ah, the vagaries of nature), so if you wish to bathe, you may explore the possibilities provided below. If you splash around in the stream, please do not use any soap or detergent products - including bio-degradable or natural soaps.

Other ways of getting clean include:

• Bringing a sun-shower: they hold 5 gallons, which is sufficient for 2-3 showers
• Visiting the steam bath (they love water donations)
• Bringing extra water for a bottle-shower
• Bringing wet-wipes

• As in previous years, coffee, tea, and hot water will be provided by a crew of dedicated volunteers in the communal kitchen. Bring your own cup. Volunteer for a shift making coffee and tea: caffeine@fireflyartscollective.org
• You will need to provide enough food for yourself and your friends. Plan to potluck - bring extra food to share.
• Bears don't care for techno, folk, or metal, but in case they are overcome with hunger, keep all of your food outside of your tent; hang it in a tree - don't become a tent burrito!
• A communal cooking area and dish washing station will be available. You can eat, cook, and share food there, but you are still responsible for trash created in this area.
• Cooking is also allowed at campsites; please use camp stoves and do not make fire pits.
• Please take all leftover food and water home with you.
• Carry your cup! You never know when a generous Firefly may want to fill it with something.

Weather happens. Firefly happens rain or shine. It almost always rains during Firefly, which means trails and roads can get muddy, and it can get cold at night. You will still have a lot of fun if you are prepared:

• Bring a variety of clothes and footwear for different weather conditions. (More info on clothes below.)
• Plan your camp to survive the rain. (More info on camps below.)
• When deciding what to bring with you, remember you will need to move your gear on foot.
• Bring a sense of adventure and self-reliance, and if possible, bring friends who will help each other out and keep a good attitude under challenging conditions.

There will be bugs. Be prepared with punks, bug repellent, garlic, or whatever other repellent method you prefer.

There is a small stream. Please, don't use soap in any body of water if you decide to bathe. This includes Dr. Bronners and biodegradable soaps.

Fireworks and firearms are not permitted.

Ground fires are not permitted in the camping areas except in the established fire pits. Burn only wood from the forest in the campfires. No plastic, cardboard, paper, pressure-treated wood, or anything else. More info about
trash burning in Vermont and specific items you shouldn't burn and why.

Fire Pits: For all the camps with approved fire pits (please do not create any more fire pits, the number of fire pits is at max capacity) please follow these guidelines to keep Firefly and the land safe:

• Fires need to be in a fire pit, surrounded by rocks and free of roots (root fires will put a damper on the event).
• Clear at least 5 feet back from the fire pit of brush, leaves, and pine needles so sparks have nothing to jump to.
• Each fire pit is to have at least 2 gallons of water handy at all times.
• When there is a fire, at least one sober person needs to be supervising it.
• If you see an unchecked fire burning, please flag down a friendly ranger to help.
• All fires must be out and cold by noon on Sunday as that is when the event ends.

Fire spinning is allowed. Fire spinning should happen in an adequate clearing, not in dense woods. If you spin, please make sure you are familiar with these fire safety guidelines, and contact fire@fireflyartscollective.org so we know how many people will be spinning. Please do not interfere with spinners... give them space to perform.

If you wish to be a part of the Fire Conclave there will be two brief fire safety meetings held during the event at 5 pm on Friday and Saturday in the main field. Anyone wishing to perform with fire as part of the fire conclave prior to the burning of the Flaming Dream Dragon (Friday night) and/or the BUG (Saturday night) must attend a fire safety meeting, and check-in with a fire safety czar. We are also looking for a few volunteers to be fire safeties during the burns. All are welcome, no previous experience required.

If you plan to sleep, there is ample room to pitch a tent and camp out. Please do not camp in the main field. Depending on where you choose to camp, you may be a 5-15 minute walk from the main clearings and road. You must bring your own tent and sleeping bag. If for some reason you are unable to camp (e.g. health reasons), please email info@fireflyartscollective.org so other arrangements can be made. Sleeping in your car/RV/VW is not permitted - the parking lot is only for parking vehicles.

You'll have more fun if you plan your camp to be safe and to survive the weather:

• It is possible to shelter large clearings with tarps hung from trees. Use the discussion lists 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 to soil - leave the leaves as padding.
• The best camp is one you can find your way back to day or night. A volunteer crew will mark 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. You may want to mark trails and entrances to your camp with glow-sticks or glow-in-the-dark art. 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 up or take them down at night.

For the uninitiated, here is a sample gear list that you should consider bringing:

Clothing

• Cotton Kills, Wool Works! (Wet cotton has almost no insulating value, as well as stays wet for a long time - synthetic/wool fabrics are preferable.)
• Several light layers of clothes are preferable to one bulky layer
• Rain/wind jacket and pants
• Long sleeved shirt and pants - for warmth at night and bug protection
• Sweater/fleece jacket
• Hat
• Light gloves
• Lots of socks
• Boots, sneakers, galoshes, rain boots - bring several choices of footwear - one may get wet and going barefoot/sandal-shod is not recommended - the trails can be boggy and dangerous to naked feet
• Several changes of clothes (in case of rain, and for fun)
• Creative costumes & Firefly evening-wear

Gear and other Necessary Items

• Food
• Water
• Cooking gear (stove, fuel, pots & pans)
• Cup, utensils, covered plate/bowl
• Water bottle(s)
• Tent
• Warm sleeping bag
• Ground pad
• Tarp to create some personal shaded/covered space and/or to put under your tent
• Bug repellent
• Sunscreen
• Flashlight/headlamp (and batteries)
• Work gloves
• Utility Knife
• Towel (especially nice after the steam bath)
• Trash bags for your trash & recyclables

Nice to have:

• Camp chair(s)
• Cooler with ice, if you like to keep things cold
• Compass or GPS or megaphone if you get lost
• Picnic blankets and tarp for underneath picnic blanket
• Art supplies for collaborative art installations

Water: You must bring your own water. You'll need water to drink, cook with, wash dishes, and possibly bathe (if you're into that). One to two gallons per person per day is recommended.

Port-a-loos: There will be rented port-a-loos down by the parking lot. There are some old outhouses on the site which are NOT available for Firefly use - they will be marked and cordoned off. When using the port-a-loos please remember, if it didn't come from your body, it doesn't go into the port-a-loos! The only exception is single-ply toilet paper. Please no trash, napkins, or other items, these will clog up the trucks when they come to clean the port-a-loos. This could lead to horrible situations like overflowing port-a-loos, shit monsters, or even loss of sanitary facilities completely. Use the provided hand wash/sanitizer to stay healthy. Help maintain the potties - replace toilet paper (more is available at the Ranger Station) and remove trash.

Plan on providing your own power. Please talk to us about noise issues if you plan to have a generator or large scale sound.

Not provided.

Children and minors are allowed at Firefly. All participants in Firefly will need a ticket for admission - including children and minors over 2 years of age (wee ones under 2 do not require a ticket). Anyone under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult parent or adult legal guardian. Firefly is not necessarily a child friendly event, it is up to the parent or guardian to decide what is appropriate for their children to see and do. We ask that if you bring children, please act in a safe, sober, and responsible manner, and be aware of where they are at all times.

If you are lost, injured, or concerned about a safety issue (uncontrolled fire, medical concern), please speak to a friendly Ranger. Rangers are happy to talk with you, know the lay of the land, have radios, and can call in our emergency response people. Look for khaki clothes and a laminate.

At the Ranger Station, you can always find either a Ranger or a radio to Rangers, as well as the Big First Aid kit.

No pets are allowed at Firefly. Ensure the safety and well-being of your pet and the other Firefly participants by not bringing your pet to the woods. Firefly takes place on privately owned land and we wish to respect the wishes of the landowner. You will be asked to leave if you arrive with a pet.

If a participant has a serious disability which requires the need of a service animal, please submit a request by Monday, June 29th at 11pm to firefly@fireflyartscollective.org with the following information included:
1) Full name of person with disability
2) Name and species of the service animal
3) Arrival and departure times of person and animal
4) Please specify in detail the service/tasks that the animal provides
5) Please provide an attachment of a doctor's note that demonstrates the
need for the service animal
6) (Optional) Any documentation or certification that the animal in
question is schooled/trained and well-behaved

Upon receiving this information, the board will review each request on a case-by-case basis. Any people that come to Firefly with unauthorized animals will be asked to leave the event.

Vending is not allowed at Firefly. Share, gift, trade!

Firefly 2009 tickets are $40, and sales were limited to three per-person. There will be absolutely no tickets sold at the gate. Please do not bring anyone along who does not have a prepaid ticket in hand as we will have to turn them away (which no one wants to do!)

Use of the Firefly ticket indicates that the bearer agrees to the following terms:

• You are solely responsible for your own survival and well being, including bringing an adequate supply of water and food, as well as your own shelter.
• You agree to read and abide by all rules in the Firefly Event Guide, and to follow federal, state, and local laws.
• You understand that the nature of the event entails certain risks and hazards; you attend solely at your own risk, and no guarantees, expressed or implied, have been made about your safety.
• Photographs, video, or sound recordings of any participants or creative work cannot be used for commercial purposes without the express permission of subjects or artists and Firefly Arts Collective, Inc.
• Commercial vending and/or advertising are prohibited.
• You agree to waive any claim or action you may have against: 1) the owners of the land upon which the event is held, 2) the organizers of the event, or volunteers at the event, 3) the sponsoring corporation, Firefly Arts Collective, Inc., or 4) any other participants, for any action taken, damage incurred, or injury sustained during the event.

• Drunkenness is no excuse for stupidity or disrespect.
• You have a beautiful body! So beautiful it makes the neighbors uneasy. Please remain sufficiently clothed while in plain view of the public road - this includes when visiting the porta-potties and in most of the main field.
• Rangers carry radios and a first aid kit is available at the Ranger Station.
• Have you tried every path? There just might be a surprise!
• Take care of each other! Help each other along the path. Don't wait to be asked: volunteer! You might make a new friend.
• Participate! Create value! Share your art, song, healing, and vision. Shine your light! Do your dance! Share your Firefly vibe with those you meet!