Weather
We’ll be in the Santa Clara foothills where it’s usually quite hot during the day and can get colder at night (low 90s to high 40s F). Be prepared for all kinds of weather. Layers of clothing are the way to go! Rain is unlikely, though it can dew overnight.
Accommodations
Stone City has basic camping accommodations including pit toilets, running cold water (drinking water), and central showers (with hot water). You’ll need the following:
- Sleeping pad (sorry no electricity is available for air mattress pumps)
- Sleeping bag/warm bedding
Please contact our Camping coordinator at festival@ancientways.com if you have special needs or plan to camp in your vehicle.
Necessities
The following things are necessary for everyone to have:
- Water bottle (we encourage refillable water bottles rather than lots of small disposable plastic bottles)
- Flashlight (the terrain is uneven and since we’re in the country there’s not much extra light)
- Extra batteries for your flashlight and lanterns too
- Roll of toilet paper – we’ll supply some, but it’s always safe to have a back-up roll
- Medications – Bring your usual medications and remember that the hills we’re in can trigger allergies so be sure and bring your inhaler or allergy medications, if necessary. If you’re allergic to bees or insects we ask you to bring your own Epi Pen.
- Cigarette butt canister. If you smoke, you may only do so in designated areas and are responsible for disposing of your butts responsibly in canisters. We’ll be in the dry hills in moderate fire season and a butt that’s not fully extinguished or not disposed of properly could destroy the area and endanger lives.
- Trash bags (we hope to leave less trash behind us than when we get there.)
- Dishes – cup, plate, bowl, fork, spoon, knife (washable)
- Awareness of wildlife (see Wildlife section below)
- Fun! and laughter, and to meet new friends
Comfort – highly recommended
There are a number of items that can help keep you comfortable. These include:
- Mosquito/ tick/ bug repellant
- Warm hat, jacket, clothes for cool evenings
- Basic first aid supplies (Band-Aids, sports tape, etc) - there will also be some supplies at the Festival.
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Emergen-C packets or Gatorade (hot days)
Food
Please bring:
- Plate and bowl, Travel mug, Utensils (labeled with your name)
- Bring foods you would like to eat and share
- Donations of organic, if possible, fresh fruits and veggies, dairy products (cheese, butter, eggs), coffee and teas.
East Bay Food Not Bombs has loaned us the field kitchen, but you can bring a camp stove to prepare your own meals at your convenience. There will be a few BBQ grills available to use – please bring charcoal if you want to BBQ.
There is no refrigeration available and there is no ice available. Please bring a cooler and ICE.
You might want to consider bringing:
- Snacks like granola bars, nuts, jerky, etc. for afternoons and during the night
- Sports drinks for the hot days
There will also be coffee pots to make larger amounts of coffee in the Guest House trailer (Hospitality).
Optional but Suggested
- Label your gear (drums, towels, water bottle, etc.) with your name. It will keep other people from mistaking your mug for theirs and will make it easier to return it to you if you forget it somewhere.
- Cash for the vendor area. We’ll have quite a few wonderful vendors in our Magical Marketplace.
- Food donations. We will have a stone soup available through the event. We ask that everyone bring something to contribute. Other things that often hit the spot include: fresh fruit (that the people maintaining food altars or hospitality can cut up when needed), nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, cookies, etc.
- Instruments: drums, shakers, rattles, didgeridoos, chimes, acoustic instruments to jam on, SONGS etc.
- Decorations for yourself (face/body paint, stickers, fun clothing) and for your camping area (fabric, sarongs, silk flowers, etc).
- Craft supplies. There will be community art projects so bring your paints and brushes, markers, glitter glue, beads, etc. to help beautify our surroundings and create magical art for our circle.
- Journal or notebook and pen
- Camera. Please remember that photos can only be taken with permission and there is absolutely no photography allowed in ritual space.
- Battery or solar powered items.
- There is some cell phone reception up at the camp; Verizon seems to be the one carrier that has reception there.
Wildlife
There are wild animals that live in the hills – small mammals, skunks, raccoons, foxes, bobcats, coyote, rattle snakes and even mountain lions. We share the space with them, but don’t want to feed them. Keep food contained as much as possible, whether in a cooler or well wrapped. Be mindful when walking in the hills, rattle snakes have been sighted in the past, usually basking in the sun.
Fire
Absolutely no open flame is allowed in the campground except for the designated fires areas and cook area. This means no incense, no candles, no candle lanterns, no fires or charcoal except in the fire rings. Camp stoves are allowed for cooking but must be supervised at all times. It’s been a dry spring and things are already getting dry so we need to be VERY careful.
Do Not Bring
- Pets of any type, including dogs!
- Candles or incense for your campsite. There is NO open flame allowed in the camping area except for camp stoves, which must be attended at all times.
- Clothing or cloth that could be ruined by stickers.
