We call them Rainbow Gatherings (guest post)

 Today's guest post comes from Carla

We call them Rainbow Gatherings, not Rainbow Festivals, for good reason. Here’s why. 

I suppose new folks have noticed by now that regular gatherers are very picky about word choices. Take, for example, the term “festival.” If someone calls the gathering “The Rainbow Festival,” they usually get jumped on and corrected, sometimes quite rudely, and almost always without explanation. So I will attempt to explain. 

Technically, the gathering does fall under the general definition of a “festival,” which in many countries means a local community-wide religious or cultural observance.

However, in the U.S., “festival” has a very specific meaning, and it has nothing to do with local tradition. “Festivals” here are highly commercial, usually focused around several-day music or themed events. There are ticket sales and entry gates and lots of vendors selling food, drink, and merch. The people attending go as passive observers, and have a wonderful time partying. Nothing wrong with that. Folks come from all over, and bask in the music. These kinds of festivals are good for the heart and the spirit, without question. 

So what makes the gathering differerent, and why does it matter? 

The gatherings, first of all, are peaceable assembly in its purest form. There is no corporation running them. No board of directors. No by-laws. No fees. No entry gates. No merch. No vendors. And most importantly, no hired cooks or janitors or cops, no porters or butlers or maids, no mayor or chair person. 

The gatherings—every inch, every act, every system—are all done by the people who gather together. For free. 

How is this possible? Well, it isn’t, any reasonable person would conclude. But somehow, we’ve been doing it for 52 years now. I’ve been gathering since 1979, and have been involved in most aspects of the temporary infrastructure and systems and processes that create the gathering itself. I am still blown away that it works. Ten thousand people, or more, doing it on their own? Impossible. 

But we do it.

So how does it work? 

Each one of us, individually, finds something they are good at, or love doing, or want to learn, and does it. That includes buying and carrying supplies, cooking, sanitation, fire watch, participating in talking and decision making circles, and a million other tasks that make the gathering happen. 

The best way to enjoy a gathering is not to sit by a campfire and play music 100% of the time, although that is okay and no one will bother you if you do that. But if you really want to experience a gathering fully, become part of this amazing phenomenon, pitch in. Plug in. Get involved. You will quickly form bonds and find community. 

The most important service anyone can provide to the gathering as a whole, without actively pitching in any other way, is to maintain awareness of trash. Keep the scene clean. Haul out every single piece of everything you  bring in, including garbage. 

The folks doing cleanup and site restoration are our own family, not the Forest Service, not someone hired. And it is daunting, hard work. Please be respectful of both the land and the folks staying for this. Don’t burden them with broken lawn chairs, jars of pee, or partly disassembled kitchens or camps. Undo yourself what you have done. Disappear it all. 

If you want to get involved and form bonds, though, find the folks who are doing what you would like to be doing. Then introduce yourself. 

The four most important four words for entry into any kitchen, camp, or gathering system is: 

How can I help?