Gaea Retreat Center

In 2005, we at Gaea Retreat Center decided to have our own annual Earth Day festival. Our goals for the festival are to gather and celebrate the mother and her creatures, and acquire cultural and spiritual education through community building. We share what we are doing in our own lives to help preserve this planet and everything that calls her home. We encourage you to participate in workshops and activities. Talk with others so we can share, teach, learn, but most importantly, so we can all work towards making Gaea, our camp, and Gaea, our world, a cleaner, healthier place to live now and for generations to come.

The gate will be closed to anyone that has not pre-paid for the festival. Front gate security will only have a list of pre-paid and work exchange registration and only the people on those lists or with a current event armband will be allowed into the festival. To avoid being turned away at the gate, pre-register and pay before online registration closes.

Pets are allowed at Gaea. Pets include any companion animal you bring to camp. For the safety of pets and others, please read and familiarize yourself with our pet rules. They will be stringently enforced.

• All pets must be on a 6-10 foot non-retractable leash.
• Pets may not be tied out or tied to trees.
• Owners should maintain physical control of the animal at all times.
• When away from your pet, it must be in your tent or cabin, in a kennel.
• Pets are not to be confined to your vehicle in extreme heat or cold.
• Pets are not allowed in the dining hall or shower house.
• Do not bring your pet to camp if it has known aggression issues. If your pet is aggressive, you will be asked to remove your pet from the property.
• If your pet becomes a nuisance, as in the case of excessive dog barking, you will be asked to remove your pet from the property.
• You will need to provide proof of rabies vaccination if requested. Please have that available.

All rules apply to animals deemed as emotional support animals.

As stated by federal law, dogs and miniature horses are the only animals recognized as service animals.

Parking is allowed in the parking field located on the south side of the pavilion. The parking area will be marked, and you are asked to park there for the duration of the festival. There will be traffic and parking staff available to guide you. Parking at your campsite is not allowed unless you are sleeping in your vehicle, and even then may be limited due to weather conditions.

Early arrivals are welcome. However, if you are in a reserved electrical spot in an area required for use by Gaea, you will be required to move. Normal camping fees apply for any days that you camp before or after the festival.

Yes you do. A valid form of picture identification is required at event check-in. The ID is also for age verification and to check each person against the NSOPW (National Sex Offender Public Website: NSOPW.GOV).

Yes. One Gaea Buck equals $10.00 off of camping fees. The fee for Earth Day is $60 to tent camp, which would cost you five Gaea Bucks.

Please contact caretaker@gaearetreat.org for code to allow online registration.

There are several work exchange committees: Site, ERI Booth/Welcome Tent, Registration, Trash, Sanitation, Front Gate, Traffic, Safety, Kitchen, and Children’s Tent. Work Exchange is 4 hours for tent camping. If you would like to do Work Exchange please email earthdayworkexchange@gaearetreat.org with your name, contact information, and top three choices of work exchange committees.

A day pass for Earth Day is $60. 

Camping is allowed in all the camping areas and on Sunset Ridge. You can not tent on trails, in rituals areas, or past First Field. Maps may be available at registration if you are not familiar with the land or one can be found HERE. Camp site selection is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Electricity at campsites is not available. Please make arrangements to provide any power you need while camping. Limited outlets may be available for charging devices. Please ask event staff for information.

Fires are allowed in existing fire pits only. Raised portable fireplaces and grills are permitted.

No. You are responsible for providing your own firewood. Deadfall can be collected from the tree lines, but nothing standing is to be cut, living or dead.

In order to get an RV slot with electricity, during online registration you will need to select "Earth Day Camping". There will be an option to add available RV slots duribng registration. The driver of the vehicle should add the appropriate RV ticket option. All others in the group do not select the Rv slot option.

RV space is limited and may not be available at the gate.

Vendors are encouraged at Earth Day. There is no additional cost for vending, regular registration fees apply.

T-shirts and tanks are sold pre-order only at the time of registration to avoid excess inventory. Over-runs MAY be available at registration, but will be in limited supply.

The Community Art Project this year will be creating waypoint signs for key pass. Please bring a key and biodegradable materials to decorate the signs! 

The Earth Day Art Show is open to all artists,all mediums, pintings, works on paper, sculpture, jewelry, etc. Subjects to include but not limited to works celebrating The Earth, Gaea, your world, your spirit, your creativity! There will be works for sale with percentages to go to Gaea and works for just viewing. Come view the show Saturday 11am-5pm in the Dining Hall. (Art drop off is in the Dining Hall before 5pm Friday and/or 10am Saturday.

The children’s tent will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday on the ridge.

Planned activities include:
9 AM: Seed bombs
10 AM: Games
11 AM: Storytime with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
12-1:30 - Closed for lunch 
1:30 - Nature walk to gather items for fairy wings
2:30 - Fairy wings and t-shirt painting
4 - Learning to Drum 

Earth Day meals are free with registration. In order to participate , please bring a dish that will serve you and four additional people (So for a family of four, a dish that will serve approximately 20), to the dining hall each day between 3:30 and 5:30 pm.

Friday nights dinner will be a taco/nacho bar, Saturday nights dinner will be pulled pork baked potatoes!

Also, please remeber to bring your own dishes - there will be a wash station available.