First, it’s important to know that Spirit Haven Ranch (SHR) is a very energetically charged place. Regular Festival-goers often joke about needing our “Land fix” – SHR really nourishes our energy. It’s such a loving place that, when you enter for Festival, the folks at check-in often say “welcome home.”

Second, Festival is a camping event in rural Texas. Be prepared for critters (and let a Guardian know if you see any critters of the unsavory variety). Be prepared to bring your own food, tent and sleeping items, toiletries (hand sanitizer and baby wipes are essential!), etc. See the next question for a basic packing list.

There’s about 16 official Sacred Spaces at SHR. Each one serves a unique purpose and has its own unique energy, and may be dedicated to a particular pantheon or deity, or energy. These spaces can be particularly energetically charged. We often take first-time-Festival-goers on a tour – don’t worry about having to learn about each space on your own! Just attend one of several Newbee Meetings at Festival.

Each day, there’s a variety of workshops to attend – usually 30 minutes to an hour long. You’ll get an email before Festival with a lineup of events. Each night, there’s a ritual held in Magical Meadow, followed by Revel – where we Revel in the wonder that is our community, dance to the drums, catch up with our friends, and make new ones around the fire. Most people say it’s their favorite part of Festival.

If you have any questions at all once you arrive at SHR, don’t hesitate to go right to Carol’s Corner. This is the hub of Spirit Haven, where folks are ready to help – though you can ask just about anyone you come across for a helping hand!

You know yourself best! If you know you have things you just can’t live without, better safe than sorry.

Also keep in mind that Spirit Haven Ranch is 100+ acres of land in rural Texas – plan for plenty of walking and wildlife.

Here’s a basic packing list to get you started!

If this is your first festival with us, reach out to our coordinator dedicated to Newbees! You’re sure to meet many friendly faces at our daily Newbee meetings. Email our Newbee Coordinator for more info at newbee.lead@spirit-haven.org.

If you’re not a Newbee and don’t have a designated camp, reach out to our Director of Member Services at dir.membersvc@spirit-haven.org to learn more about Open Camping or joining an established camp.

No matter where your new home is, be sure to double-check your area for rocks, mesquite, and stickers before setting up your tent, and remember to move your car to the parking lot after you’ve unloaded.

Unfortunately, Spirit Haven as an org does not have public shower facilities at this time, but you can check in with Clean Camp near the kitchen area to get cleaned up, courtesy of their shared showers. You can also use a camp shower, ask to share the showering facilities of one of your neighboring camps, or visit the truck stop in Flatonia. If you are using a camp shower, you may fill it from any of the spigots around the property.

If you’d prefer to opt out of taking a shower, we recommend bringing baby wipes to wipe down with, plenty of hand sanitizer, and dry shampoo if you’d like to feel fresh!

Check the “what should I bring to Festival” question for a basic packing list.

(NOTE: the water on Spirit Haven Ranch is NON-POTABLE. DO NOT use the spigots for drinking water.)

Our festivals are produced for the members of our organization. We require a membership ($30 for 12 months, $15 for 6 months, non-refundable) in order to attend our festivals. This is for the safety and confidentiality of our members – the general public, who may not have read our Principles or Festival etiquette and rules, can’t enter our Festivals without memberships. 

First, be sure you have an active membership with Spirit Haven. You can renew or purchase a membership here.

Once you have an active membership, check out your membership dashboard by clicking the white “Dashboard” button in the top right corner of your screen. Your member dashboard has a section titled “Festival” – the festival registration form will be there!

Need help? Reach out to our Internet Administrator: internetadmin@spirit-haven.org

All adults who purchase a Full Event registration are required to do (at least) two hours of community service at Festival. During the registration process, you’ll need to choose two Community Service options. You are not guaranteed to get your first choice community service option or general time slot, but we do try very hard to accommodate everyone! 

It’s looking very likely that we will be under a burn ban this Samhain. All in-ground and above-ground fire pits are banned, even if they’re propane. Propane cooking equipment kept off the ground is allowed. Fire performance is prohibited, but LED flow toys are acceptable.

You have two options: refund or rollover.

REFUND: You may request a full refund of your Festival registration fee up until the final registration window closes. After that, and within 30 days after Festival ends, you may request a 75% refund of your fee.

ROLLOVER: You may request to roll your festival registration over to a future event within the next 12 months. Should the event registration rollover NOT be used within the next 12 months, the rollover will be void.

During the Festival registration period, you can email help@spirit-haven.org to request changes to registration details, such as your name, community service selections, etc. You can also request to add or remove selections, such as adding or removing Wednesday Early Entry to your registration. After Festival registration closes, no changes can be made to your registration.

Gate hours:

• Wednesday: noon – 7 p.m.
• Thursday: noon – 7 p.m.
• Friday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Saturday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.

If you arrive after the gate is closed, you may park your vehicle on the side of the road (do not block the road) and walk in your essentials for the night.

In the morning, you will need to officially check in at the Front Gate building and will then be allowed to bring your vehicle on property or park it in the lot.