Have some questions about the Annual Firefly Gathering? We’re happy to help!
If you have a question that you don’t see answered below, please don’t hesitate to contact us via e-mail at [email protected], call us at (828) 237-2551.
Getting a Pass
Arrival day is Tuesday, July 16. Classes begin Wednesday, July 17 and run through Sunday morning July 21, with closing circle early Sunday afternoon, followed by general departure time.
Registration is open from 2pm – 8pm Tuesday, and 8:30am – 8pm Wed-Sat. Please see the “Arrival” section for more info.
Passes include 2 class sessions per day with hundreds of classes to choose from, with one class Sunday morning; camping, access to 70 acres of the Wild Human Preserve to explore, access to Youth Village (for kids), and an amazing line-up of evening entertainment and connection opportunities.
Passes do NOT include meals or parking, so bring cash for food vendors and plan for meals. Parking Passes go on sale April 1st, with early access to parking for all who purchase passes before March 25th.
A Parking Pass must be purchased for every vehicle that enters the event. Please Note: Passes do not include parking. On-site spots are limited, and we encourage you to choose your parking as soon as possible to have the most optimal options available to you.
Click here to purchase a parking pass.
Want to Carpool? Click here to join the Firefly Gathering ride board page.
Yes! We have an amazing youth program for all young people ages 3 and over (the youngest must be potty trained to participate). Our youth village offers engaging games and play, crafting, stories and songs, educational adventures and other nature-based and age-appropriate activities. This programming is offered during class times so that parents can enjoy attending classes themselves!
Teens are welcome to participate in the adult classes offered at the event. Some classes will have an age requirement, so check the sign-up sheets. Teen Camp is a place where teens aged 13-17 can gather and be heard, supported and mentored in the evenings, after taking classes of their choosing during the day. All teens must have a registered adult over 18 present at the event and designated as being responsible for them.
Please note, there is no reliable cell service or WiFi . Plan for your family members attending the Gathering to enjoy being disconnected from the inter-webs and reconnected to the web of life, and also for your friends and family who are not attending to not be able to reach you. We cannot locate individuals at the event.
Contact us via e-mail through [email protected], call us at (828) 237-2551, or send us a direct message on our Facebook or Instagram pages. We’re happy to assist you!
Please contact us at [email protected] to discuss your access needs and we would be happy to see if we can accommodate them. The physical nature of the event grounds do limit our capacity to make this event physically accessible for those who have difficulty traversing gravel, uneven and potentially muddy terrain.
If you are interested in the skills offered at the Annual Gathering but cannot participate given the conditions, please consider our Perennial Workshops. These classes vary location and are often more accessible, depending on the site.
In an effort to make The Firefly Gathering more accessible, we offer discounted tickets for those who help us create the magic and organize the event. We call these Worktrade Passes, which cover half to all of the ticket price; plus, being part of our crew is an awesome way to connect with the community, get to know people, and become an integral part of the fun! The Worktrade Application is currently live. Click here to apply!
At The Firefly Gathering, we deeply desire to have a diverse community of people rooted in the wisdom and skills that Firefly has come to be known for. Our Equity Fund was created to welcome folks from the following communities who support reparations and/or an equitable redistribution of wealth and would not have access to The Firefly Gathering without this discount:
- Indigenous or Native American, Black, Latino/a/x
- Other peoples of the global majority, or racialized communities
- Ethnicities underrepresented in the Southeastern earthskills community
We recognize and welcome the wisdom that flows into our community from these participants, and offer this support towards the goal of nurturing a powerful and truly representative community of earth-centered people ready to stand strong and lean into the work of healing the trauma that colonialism and oppression has bestowed upon us all. The Equity Intake Form will be available March 1, 2023.
Upon purchase, you will receive an e-mail with your QR Code Pass. Registrants should also expect to receive a Welcome Letter closer to the event. When you arrive at the gate, please be prepared to identify yourself by the name given when registering.
We do not offer refunds. If you’re unable to use your ticket, you have two options:
1) Get credit for future events and classes. The credit is a dollar amount that can be applied towards any ticket (while tickets last) and is not an actual ticket. Credit is valid for 3 years.
2) Transfer your ticket to someone else.
To receive credit, transfer your ticket to another person or redeem credit email us at: [email protected] 14 days prior to the arrival day. We do not offer refunds. There are no credits for no-shows.
Firefly retains the right to cancel events at any time due to public health concerns, natural disasters, alien invasion or other unforeseen circumstances. In the event of a cancellation, all tickets will automatically become credit for future events and classes. You can read our full Cancellation Policy here.
Packing and Preparing
Yes! The towns around Green Mountain have hotel and Airbnb options available. Begin your search, and stay tuned as we gather more information to share here!
The Firefly Gathering has a strict NO DOG policy. Exceptions are only made for true service dogs. Any service dogs on the property must be registered in advance. Email [email protected] to register your service dog. Dogs MUST remain leashed at all times, be very well behaved and be impeccably cleaned up after. Failure to do so will result in the animal needing to be removed from the premises immediately; no refunds will be given if people cannot return.
We highly encourage folks to save money on parking by carpooling! Have a large vehicle? Haul your friends! Check out this Carpooling site to connect. All carpooling is organized independent of Firefly, but we are happy to direct folks and encourage connections.
YES! Bring cash with you; there are no ATMs or credit card payment options available at the gathering. Here are a few places that will require cash:
- All unpaid parking fees will require cash (preorder is recommended for onsite parking, as it typically sells out before the event!).
- While most classes are free, some require a materials fee if the instructor has purchased or spent a lot of time gathering and preparing materials. Bring cash incase one or more of these classes appeal to you.
- Each year we have an amazing RAFFLE for our Equity Fund, which helps provide tickets for folks from underrepresented marginalized communities. You won’t want to miss out!
- You will also want cash on hand to get some Firefly merch, check out our instructors crafts, books and other hand crafted items for sale in the Firefly Maker’s Store. These craft sales are an additional way we can appreciate our instructors and take something wonderful, useful and educational home with us.
- In addition, we will have food vendors selling food at all meal times, and there will be a Bizarre Bazaar on Saturday where items and services will be available for sale or trade; and we have on site screen printing! SO much fun!
Be sure to bring a water bottle for each member of your group, including young-uns. Please come prepared for sun, rain, heat, and cold, as anything is possible at this time of year in the mountains. A suggested packing list is included in the Welcome Letter.
There is no such thing as bad weather, just unprepared people. We are in a temperate rainforest, so chances are it will sprinkle once or twice-maybe more. The Firefly Gathering is held rain or shine. There is no provision for a rain date, and no refunds are given on account of inclement weather. Bring your rain gear, check your rainfly for holes ahead of time, and bring plenty of warm, non-cotton socks and under layers to stay warm even when you’re wet.
Arrival
Detailed directions will be sent closer to the Gathering to all ticket holders. The closest town is Green Mountain, NC.
Your Pass includes arrival and camping the night before and of the pass date. Please note arrival times below, and that registration closes promptly at 8 PM each evening.
For Full Passes and Wednesday Pass holders, arrival day is Tuesday, July 16th between 2 pm and 8 pm, or Wednesday between 8:30am – 8pm.
For one day and three day passes starting Thursday – Saturday, arrival time is between 5 PM and 7:30 PM the night before your pass, or between 8:30am – 8pm the day your pass starts.
At the Gathering
There is very limited cell service and no WiFi available at the Wild Human Preserve. Plan to enjoy being disconnected from the inter-webs and reconnected to the web of life!
There will be spring and well water available on site. Port-a-potties will be available in various convenient locations around the grounds. These will be freshened and stocked daily.
We do not provide showers, however, two lakes are available for swimming. If you like or need to stand under warm falling water, we encourage you to bring a solar shower bag (available online or at camping stores).
Class sign-up happens at the event. There are two main class sessions per day (morning and afternoon). Sign-up sheets are located at Firefly Central on the bulletin boards, available the evening before. For example, if you want to take classes on Friday, you sign up for them Thursday evening or Friday morning. We are not able to reserve spots for certain classes ahead of time. You must be there to put your name on the list or find someone willing to sign you up. If you sign up for a class, but change your mind, please cross off your name so others can fill the spot. If a class is full, you can try to find the instructor and ask for permission to join the class.
Be aware that there may be additions, deletions or schedule changes right up to (and including) the day of classes due to circumstances beyond our control.
PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to reduce waste, we will no longer be printing individual class schedules for folks. You will receive a link in the Welcome Letter to download to your phone or to print your own ahead of time (remember, no wifi on site!). The classes will still be posted online beforehand and on the sign up board at the event. Thank you for your support in this small but tangible step towards a more sustainable event.
Youth Village has offerings for kids starting from 3 (must be potty trained) to 12, running during class sessions at Firefly Gathering- generally 10 am – 5:30 pm, with a break for lunch.
Teens are encouraged to take classes during the day, and then relax and build connection at Teen Camp in the evenings.
While you may want to stay forever, all campers must leave by 5 pm on Sunday.
There is a river onsite that is great for swimming. All swimming is at your own risk. There will be NO lifeguards posted or safety supervision provided at any time by Firefly staff or volunteers. We ask for folks to swim clothed at all times in the upper pond, as it is near the center of the event and in view of family camping. The lower pond is clothing optional. No fishing allowed anywhere, unless in a class.
Fires are allowed only in fire locations marked on the map or in well-established fire rings. No private fires allowed. All burning fires must be attended at all times and must have a fire extinguisher and bucket of water at the ready.
There will be food vendors on-site selling breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack foods and beverages. You can also bring your own propane stove to cook on at your campsite, as well.
Please keep track of your things during the event and take them back home with you. If you lose track of something while you’re there, check our Lost and Found, which will be at the Camp Store. If you realize you left something of value when you return home, contact us to see if we found it. We will hold found items for one week after the event. Unclaimed items will be rehomed.
