What are Work Weekends?
During weekends in June, Fireflies go to the event site in Vermont to improve 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 be emailed 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 relating 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 indicate which way folks need to walk to get to the Check-in tent with Work Weekend and DPW leads who can answer any questions you may have and fill you in on what tasks need doing.
2024 Schedule
Work Weekend #1: June 7-9, 2024
Typical Tasks:
- Taking inventory of and setting up infrastructure
- Building or repairing structures and bridges
- Clearing and defining paths
- Chainsawing
- Mowing the Steambath 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 14-16, 2024
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 noon. 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 big theme camp infrastructure and art project setup preparations.
Work Weekend #3: June 21-23, 2024
Typical Tasks: We finish up any remaining infrastructure projects like drainage, structure and bridge building and repairs. Last round of mowing and raking of the Steambath 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 inquire as to how to coordinate with the Work Weekend co-leads 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. Make sure to discuss your infrastructure or art setup with a Work Weekend lead to make sure it doesn’t cause any problems for other Event Planning and infrastructure!
Work Weekend #4 (Bug Build Weekend): June 28-30, 2024
The 4th weekend is very close to the opening of the festival, and runs from Friday afternoon through dusk on Saturday. Sunday is not part of this work weekend. You MAY NOT stay on site until the festival starts. This weekend is much smaller and is intended to complete particular projects which require additional time. Depending on the number of attendees, lunch may not be provided during this final weekend.
Tasks: General-purpose volunteers are not needed. Participants should coordinate with Core leads ahead of time and come prepared to work on a specific project, such as Infrastructure/DPW, Bug or Temple.
Theme Camps/Art: If you need extra setup time for pieces and want to erect art during this weekend, please coordinate with the Work Weekend core leads before arriving.