Pagan Festival Tips

It’s nearly spring, which means festival season is looming on the horizon! I’m at the age where my kids can be left unsupervised for a few days at a time –they’re pretty much feral at this point and can hunt/gather their own food–so I allow myself the luxury of going away for a weekend sans familia every now and then.

2016 was really my first big festival year, and I set myself a goal of attending three to four a year, whether they’re weekend camping excursions, or single day events. At any rate, though, there are a few things I’ve learned so far–just from observation, personal experience, and discussion with other folks–about stuff you might want to bring.

Some of it is a Must Have, like your tent, sleeping bag, and food, but some of it includes things you might not have thought of:

• A sturdy tent: for the love of Pete, don’t go to an overnight event without one. I encountered people who arrived to spend the night but who brought nothing to spend it in. Don’t be that guy. If you want a reliable and inexpensive tent, and don’t already own one, you really can’t go wrong with a Coleman tent, or if you’re lucky enough to score one on clearance, Ozark Trail (which is what I use) makes several great varieties that are easy to set up. Make sure you pack a tarp large enough to cover the top and sides of your tent, just in case a monsoon blows in, which is what happened to me at Blue Ridge Beltane in 2016. I stayed nice and warm and dry and took a nap in my tarped tent during a massive thunderstorm.
• Something to sleep on: if you’re young and chipper and healthy, you can probably just lie right on the ground in your sleeping bag, and more power to you. I, however, am almost 50 years old with arthritis and occasional sciatica, so I have no interest at all in sleeping on dirt. Hell with that. A few years ago, though, I treated myself to a folding camping cot, and it was the best money I’ve spent in a long time. I topped it with a piece of egg crate foam, and it was like sleeping in a Nerf cocoon. In my tent.
• Food: it should go without saying, but please don’t be the person who shows up and didn’t bring anything to eat and doesn’t have any money to go buy any food. It’s not that I mind sharing with you–no one will ever sit at my hearth and be hungry–but you knew you were coming to this event, so next time, plan accordingly. Bring a bag of snacks, at the very least, and plenty of water.

Now, the stuff you probably never thought about:

• An altar table: I use a small tv-tray style folding table that I found at a garage sale for $2, and I toss a cloth over it, add my statuary, a couple of candles, incense, and a few crystals. I set it right outside my tent, so as I start and end each day, I’m reminded of why I’m at the festival in the first place.
• Tent decor: Normally when I camp, I don’t decorate my tent, but when you’re at a Pagan festival, you’re surrounded by other Pagans, and it really does become a small community. I have a hanging I put up over my tent’s zipper flap, as well as a couple of cool pieces of portable hanging artwork. I saw people with flags, coven banners, and all kinds of other doodads. Customize your tent–after all, it’s going to be your home for a few days!
• Drums, bells, and other musical thingies: I guarantee you, if you go to a Pagan event, odds are good that a spontaneous drum circle will pop up. If you have a drum, bring it. Another great option is bells, and especially if you have a jingly bellydance scarf to wear, pack those as well. I did, and it gave me plenty of chances to shake my goodies when I wasn’t drumming.
• A journal and something to write with: If you attend workshops or seminars, you’re going to want to write things down. I also made notes of some of the new chants and songs I heard, because there was a LOT going on at each festival, and even though you THINK you’ll remember it all, you won’t. Plus, a journal is a good place to write down the names and phone numbers of all the cool new people you’ve made friends with!

Are you planning on going to any Pagan festivals this year? What are you taking that’s not on this list?

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