ALCOHOL
Alcohol is permitted for all attendees 21 and older, and bringing to share is always encouraged! However, it is illegal in the state of Pennsylvania to serve alcohol to anyone under 21 years of age. If you or your camp is serving or sharing alcohol, you are responsible for ascertaining your recipient is over 21 years of age. The Summerisle wristband is convenient for this purpose – only green wristbands can drink! Failure to comply, even if accidental, can be grounds for ejection from the event.
ART CARS
We dream of the day the land is ready for art cars to dazzle and groove as they slow-putter around our gorgeous home, but alas – that day is not today. This policy may change in the future but, for now, no art cars of any kind are permitted to drive around the property.
ART AND INCLUSIVITY
Summerisle is committed to the complex interposition of all the Principles, in all their complexity (and often, their conflict). There are times when radical self-expression, as the gift it is intended to be, can come to blows with another participant’s own right to refuse that gift, to view it critically, or – at times – to be harmed and offended by it.
While we believe that the juxtaposition and interplay of the Principles can be a source of communal growth and conversation, we equally believe that the safety and comfort of every participant is of the highest priority. In balancing these interests, the Summerisle Board reserves the right to suspend or remove any installations, performances, or art pieces at the event which may make other participants feel unwelcome or unsafe. In so doing, the Board will be equally committed to opening conversation with the artist and the impacted person(s) in order to facilitate a path forward where all feel heard. We are against censorship, but we are for safety and compassion. We hope you will trust us to navigate this delicate balance with you.
CAR CAMPING
In order to emphasize pedestrian space and foster an environment apart from Camp Defaultia, there is no car camping at Summerisle. Unlike the open stretches of the desert playa, our forested mountain space doesn’t easily lend itself to many cars parked along the sides of interior roads or in camp. However, if you need your car at your campsite for accessibility reasons, please email Summerisle directly with your request. Please know that if your request is approved, we will ask you to “blend your car in” via decorations. Email us at summerisleburn@gmail.com.
CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS
Children of all ages are welcome to attend Summerisle! Minors 15 years old and under may enter the event for free, but a $0.00 ticket still must be “purchased” for them, and the minor must still check in at the gate for their wristband & waiver with their designated adult (participants under 18 years of age are not required to have an ID.) Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian (over 21 years of age) who is responsible for them for the duration of Summerisle.
Minors under 18 years of age as of their day of arrival at the event, must be accompanied by their legal guardian, and must have in hand a minor registration form with emergency contact information filled out by their parent or legal guardian. Any child or minor who arrives at gate without a registered guardian will be turned away unless prior arrangement has been made by contacting Gate or Rangers.
Further, we require that parents and their children abide by any posted signage or written/verbal requests at camps and in their event announcements that indicate those events are either 18+ or 21+.
We hope that our participating parents think about it this way: there are plenty of burners who would feel their own freedom of self-expression and experience at, say, a squirting contest or booty pageant, to be harmed and hamstrung by realizing there are underage children present. It can really funk someone’s experience, or yuck someone’s yum. While we are not attempting to govern what a parent believes their child is prepared to see or experience, we do feel that adults at the event should be allowed to direct certain events and spaces be sequestered so that they can be equally uninhibited.
CONSENT
Consent is a cornerstone of any community and, as a long-standing burner family, Summerisle takes consent violation seriously. At the burn, you can report consent violation issues directly to our Ranger team. After the burn, you can report via an online form on our website, located in the “Consent & Civic Responsibility” section.
The Summerisle Burn Board of Directors, serving in their role as conduct committee, will not itself pursue legal action against any individuals. Any information provided will be used to determine if the consent violation warrants action that may range from a Board-arbitrated restorative justice session with the alleged violator(s) and victim(s), to an outright ban from future Summerisle events. The Board reserves the right to forbid entry to any individuals who are believed to pose a threat to our community. So one more time for those in the back…THE 11TH PRINCIPLE IS CONSENT.
COVID-19
Summerisle is continuing to monitor government-issued best practices for events and gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the absence of additional emergency declarations, Summerisle is not requiring, but heavily encouraging, getting the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters before participating in Summerisle 2023. There will not be a vaccine check at gate.
We ask all participants to help us minimize this risk of infection to others. If you have a positive COVID test by the time of the burn, you will be permitted to request a refund in order to avoid exposing others. Please email the Board immediately at summerisleburn@gmail.com to ask for a refund. The email must be timestamped by Saturday 6/17/23 (AKA BURN NIGHT) at 6 p.m. in order to qualify for a full refund.
We will continue to follow guidance from Federal, State, and local authorities in response to COVID-19. Guidance is subject to change, and Summerisle will remain flexible to respond appropriately to any changes in status.
Tickets not refunded will roll over into our Art/Effigy/Temple fund, our fund for discount reserve tickets for marginalized populations, and/or general operations funds.
DRONES
For the safety, immersion, and most importantly the privacy of all Summerisle participants, no drones or their functional equivalents are permitted at Summerisle. The Board may grant event-specific exemptions that are limited in scope, location and time, and can be emailed at summerisleburn@gmail.com to discuss. Failure to abide by a refusal of your request, and discovery of any drone in operation on site without permission, can result in removal from the event without a refund.
FIREARMS, FIREWORKS, HANDHELD LASERS
Prohibited, and grounds for immediate removal from the event without a refund. Mounted, decorative lasers facing upward and above eye level are permitted.
FIRES AT CAMP
Only registered theme camps are permitted to have campfires. There will also be a large fire pit area with unlimited free firewood available for campers. All campfires must be contained in a pit or bowl raised off the ground. A fire pit can be elevated either through the use of kiln bricks/cinder blocks, or by purchasing a pit that is already sufficiently elevated on legs. A fire extinguisher or vessel of water must also be nearby in case of emergency. Consider this a gentle reminder that the land upon which we burn is on loving loan to us, and we hope to return it in the pristine condition it was granted to us!
Lastly, all firepits must be attended at all times by at least one member of whatever camp is sponsoring the pit. All unattended campfires will be extinguished, and leaving a fire unattended is potential grounds for removal from the event. This includes all unattended open flames, including candles, tiki torches, lanterns, etc. If it’s on fire, it needs a fire warden.
FIREWOOD
No firewood may be brought in from outside the local area due to the introduction of destructive invasive species that may live in the wood. Firewood will be available onsite at no additional charge to you. Please use caution when approaching wood piles. Snakes love them, especially at night!
FLAME EFFECTS
Camps are welcome to safely host artistic flame and propane effects. All propane and flame effects must be registered through the online form at Flame Effect Registration. No flame effect is permitted to be active in operation until after the installation has been inspected on-site by our Fire Safety team. Gas stoves, grills, and personal heaters will not require registration or inspection.
GENERATORS
Generators are permitted at Summerisle, but we ask that participants follow some guidelines for their use. First, all generators must have a sound baffle to keep their noise at a minimum (and we encourage everyone to bring the smallest generator to suit their needs, to keep the noise down to begin with). Never bury the generator to muffle its sound.
Second, be mindful of the direction of your exhaust, and carefully illuminate or cover any cords to avoid tripping hazards in the dark. Lastly, generators in camps located anywhere but Oonzylvania or The Crawl should not be left on overnight.
GOOD SAMARITAN LAW NOTICE
The Good Samaritan Law provides protection from prosecution for drug and alcohol possession & underage drinking – both for the victim and those who seek help for them – during an overdose emergency. If someone needs medical assistance, seek help immediately. YOU ARE PROTECTED BY LAW.
GREY WATER POLICY
“Grey water” is in between drinking water and “black water,” which requires a septic waste system for disposal. Grey water ranges from ice-melt in coolers to shower water with soaps, cosmetics, and debris, to kitchen waste like dishwashing water, toothpaste, and saliva.
Grey water that has purely been generated from ice melting in coolers is okay to dump on the ground if it does not contain any food or beverage contamination. Participants are expected to walk cooler melt water away from any personal camp sites or theme camps.
Water with chemicals, food debris, human waste, etc. may not be disposed of on site. You should be prepared to pack out any grey water that is not cooler runoff. Empty plastic milk jugs, 5 gallon buckets with lids, and even cat litter containers with screw on lids are good for this purpose.
Remember, the easiest grey water to dispose of is the grey water you don’t produce. Use waterless disinfectant lotion (available at drugstores) to sanitize your hands before you handle food. Choose an eco-friendly soap for your personal washing and kitchen, and use a spray bottle rather than spigot to wet things. You’ll need remarkably little water to wash up with, given the short duration of the event compared to Burning Man. You can even save up your cooler’s ice-melt water to refill your solar shower bag. When you shower, first get wet and turn the water off; then soap up and scrub down, then turn the water back on to rinse off. Or shower with a friend, and trade off controlling and directing the water supply.
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY
Summerisle, as an organization, respects all local, state and federal laws. Underage drinking is strictly forbidden. Underage participants will be identified by a red colored wristband. The organization does not condone the sale, use, or promotion of illegal drugs or nitrous oxide. The same laws that apply on Main Street, PA, USA also apply to public areas of our events. The same laws that apply at your house behind a closed door also apply to your zipped up tent. Everybody bears responsibility for their actions and the expectation is that we will all work together to ensure group safety. Participants found in violation of these rules will be escorted out of the event.
LEAVE NO TRACE: TRASH, RECYCLING, GRAY WATER, ASH
Summerisle is a Leave No Trace event, and no trash cans or dumpsters will be provided. Each participant must depart with all items they brought with them — including ALL trash and gray water — when they leave the site. Make a plan for how you will handle your trash/recycling at your camp, bring trash bags, clean up after yourself, and respect the land. Doused ash and food scraps must be removed from your site and brought to the venue compost dump. We are lucky to have the gift of food compost collection from a member of the Summerisle family. Pick up your bucket (while they last) at Camp Elemental.
LEAVING THE PROPERTY
In the spirit of radical self-reliance, please come prepared to stay inside the event and bring everything you need to survive. Emergency exit/re-entry will be carefully reviewed ad-hoc by the Board member on call. In the very few cases emergency re-entry is allowed, you must retain your wristband and ticket confirmation to re-enter the event. We ask that all participants leave the cars in the parking lot once they have arrived and only drive through the property again to load out. Please only leave the property in the event of an emergency, an unavoidable work situation, or through any other pre-arrangement with the BoD. This is to prevent unnecessary wear and tear on the land in accordance with Leave No Trace. Repeated comings and goings without BoD approval can result in ejection from the burn
Need information for an emergency run? Read about the local spots to hit here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R-1JbWy1s0V3UkocIOqOqYny2aCRdNeUca4gIcBUkSA/edit?usp=sharing
NUDITY
Nudity is permitted on site as long as it is out of view of the parking lot and Bedford Valley Road. Keep in mind there will be children at the event, so please have a bit of courtesy in what you do in very public spaces. Remember that consent is not only for participants, but for those in situations where they are unable to choose what they are exposed to.
PARKING
Unless otherwise pre-arranged, all vehicles are expected to park in general parking after unloading their car. Once it is there, it may not leave unless it is time to go pick up your gear in camp (please pack first before getting your car!) or in case of an emergency. If you wish to have an RV inside the event, please refer to our RV policy.
RAKE AND RETURN POLICY
You may bring your own rake and rake any loose leaves and sticks to more convenient areas of your campsite. However, in choosing to rake, you are promising to return! As part of your Leave-No-Trace final sweep of your campsite, you are promising to spend time raking the leaves back to where they were before.
While this operates on the honor system, we will be noting areas where leaves are seemingly piled up. Campers and Theme Camps found to have raked without returning may lose choice placement in the following year. We are being given the opportunity to prove we can be trusted to truly leave the property as we found it, and we run the risk – if this privilege is revoked – of not being permitted to rake our campsites at all. So please do your part, and if you rake — return!
RVs
RVs must pre-register with the burn before the event at https://forms.gle/2C5pdA82Cf3AU9dr6. If you are able to fully complete and send in the RV registration form, your RV will be allowed at Summerisle. The form will close when we have hit our capacity limit. No last minute RVs at Summerisle please. If you need to cancel your RV reservation, please email us directly at summerisleburn@gmail.com. Note that there are no hook-ups for RVs at Summerisle and no campfires allowed at RV sites.
SERVICE ANIMALS POLICY
Summerisle follows a strict no pets and no emotional support animals policy. Fort Royale is a working farm with established on-site animals, and we aim for as little disruption to our hosts and their property as possible. There is an exception for fully trained ADA service animals that follow established protocol regarding service animals at the burn.
If you need to bring your service animal to partake in the event safely, please email the Summerisle Board by June 1st at summerisleburn@gmail.com. We will send you the policy and waiver in PDF file format that you need to print, review, sign, and bring to the burn with you to review with a member of the Summerisle Board. We will not consider requests submitted after this due date, no exceptions.
Below is the policy form and waiver that you are expected to read, review with a member of the BOD on site at the burn, and sign. Please review it below now so you know what to expect. We will email you the official PDF with the waiver to print out and sign after you contact us at the email above. Bring that signed document with you to the burn to review in order to get in.
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At Summerisle 2023, we will allow legitimate service dogs who are trained to perform a specific task to mitigate a disability of their human owner. Fully trained ADA service animals must follow established protocol regarding service animals at the burn.
ABSOLUTELY NO PETS AND NO EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS ALLOWED
Please read this entire form carefully and completely. Please do not initial or sign this form until you have reviewed it with a member of the Summerisle Board of Directors. The BOD points of contact for this policy are Sauerkraut (sauerkraut@summerisleburn.com) and OneTrue Scott (scott@summerisleburn.com).
____ Only DOGS qualify as Service Animals for the purposes of this request.
____ Emotional Support Animals are not Service Animals and are not permitted.
____ Service Animals in training are not Service Animals under federal law and are not permitted.
____ Under the ADA, a Service Animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability. Task work is not optional. If an animal doesn’t perform task work, it is not a Service Animal.
____ The Service Animal must at all times be tethered to and in the full voice control of their owner unless actively engaged in the disability mitigation task for which they are trained.
____ A Service Animal may never be handled by or tethered to a person other than their owner. The ONLY exception to this is if the owner is actively inside of a porta-potty, and the dog is being held nearby on a leash by a known, trusted adult during this time.
____ The Service Animal must always be in the “Full Stay” command position when not performing the service for which they have been trained.
____ The Service Animal must be fully trained to urinate or defecate only under the control of their owner.
____ We will ask:
- Is the animal a service animal required because of a disability?
- What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?
____ I agree that violation of any part of this policy may result in my immediate ejection, and the ejection of my animal, with no refunds. No warnings may be provided.
SHOWERS
There will not be any showers or swimmable watering holes on this mountain. If you are planning on purchasing/bringing a solar shower, please bear in mind that body-washing run-off cannot simply be drained onto the land. Start planning for how you are going to capture, collect, and pack that greywater back out of the burn. Likewise, while evaporation ponds work at Burning Man, bear in mind that Summerisle’s time of year is often rainy, and moist forest environments that aren’t ideal for evaporating away used water.
SOUND POLICY
Camps located in Oonzylvania and The Crawl are permitted to have amplified music playing after midnight. All other camping areas have a mandatory midnight turn-way-down on all sound.
Maximum volume all day at 100ft distance from source is 90 dB until midnight. At midnight, all sound camps are expected to be emanating no more than 70 dB at 100ft. Aim your speakers in a north, northwest or west orientation away from Rt. 220. This volume rule will be tightly monitored and enforced by our sound team and, if necessary, a member of the Summerisle Board of Directors or the landowner.
Sound policies are for ANY participant, art installation, or theme camp employing an amplified sound system (1 to 10000W), lloud musical instruments, or any device that generates sound. Theme camps are encouraged to include information regarding any sound equipment they plan on supporting alongside their theme camp registration.
In order to maintain a pleasant atmosphere for ALL participants and our surrounding community, the Sound Team reserves the right to turn down or mute any unattended sound installation that violates the published sound policy. Repeat violations of unattended sound may result in sound disablement (and a long chat with event organizers!)
Sound camps are asked to turn down the volume at 7pm on Burn Night in order for everyone to hear the signal that it’s time to burn the Effigy.
Our Rangers and sound team will monitor sound systems, using an app-based decibel meter. We recommend you use a decibel meter app to be sure your sound installation complies with the event’s sound policies, and particularly when switching between DJs remember that a previous set of tracks may have been recorded at a different sound range than the new DJ, and thus the TCOs (or their appointed volunteers) should be mindful to take new readings.
Remember that both rangers and the sound team are helpful volunteers, tasked with keeping our event sustainable, and we ask that you please work with them. Violations will be logged against your sound permit, and repeated violations or non-compliance with turn down requests made by Rangers will be grounds for sound shut-off for that camp for the duration of the event. Repeated failures to comply with sound policy will be grounds for removal from the event.
TICKETS
Our ticketer this year is Humanitix, a ticketing platform that uses 100% of its booking fees to create greater social impact by funding education and healthcare projects for children around the world. More info can be found here. Questions about your ticket transfers may be addressed here at the Humanitix FAQ page. Tickets will be available for purchase at Humanitix.com and be released in tiers on various dates. You can access more information and the link to purchase tickets at https://summerisleburn.com/tickets/.
Your ticket should be in either your own name, or you must be WITH the person whose name is on your ticket. You must also have a matching, valid, government-issued ID for anyone over the age of 15, to be presented at Gate for entry. All participants must also sign a waiver of liability to enter the event. You may not enter the event to set up before checking in at the Gate, getting checked in, and signing the liability waiver. No exceptions.
If you are transferring or receiving your ticket to a trusted friend or family member, you can do that through the link back to the ticket in your email. If you need to transfer a ticket to a total stranger, please email summerisleburn.com directly for assistance.
Tickets will be released in tiers on various dates that are listed on our ticket page on Humanitix. Kids 15 and under are free, but will still need a “purchase” a ticket via our vendor. Tickets will not be available at Gate this year. No day passes will be available. All tickets must be purchased online. Summerisle is a rain or shine event. No refunds will be processed except in the case of a confirmed positive COVID-19 test result directly before the burn. If you’ve tested positive for COVID-19 and require a ticket refund, please email summerisleburn@gmail.com by 6 p.m. on Burn Night (Saturday of the event).
All ticket purchases, ice purchases, and ticket transfers are due by Monday, 6/5/23 at noon.
VOLUNTEERING
Summerisle Burn is a volunteer-run burn. Even the Summerisle Board of Directors buys tickets to the burn. We can always use more help on every level of the burn. All the gears make the burn go!
We have clarified the roles of the different levels of volunteers going forward. We hope this enables more clarity as to who is responsible for what job(s) at the burn. Please contact us if you are interested in stepping into any higher-level leadership roles, tasks, or shifts.
- BOP: Board on Paper. Irrelevant for most of our planning explanation purposes, but good to know. They are the “legally accountable” board members who are on the nonprofit’s paperwork.
- BOD: Board-effective. Those who play Ozian yahtzee behind the curtain re: addressing the critical infrastructure needs that makes the burn possible at the base level. Many also maintain coordinator and/or lead positions, but this role is theoretically distinct. This is an (almost) year-round job.
- Coordinator(s): Pre-planner(s) for a Dept. or high-level job and head Bish-in-Charge on site in most cases unless it is urgent enough to elevate to BoD This is the person(s) the BOD looks to if something waxes catastrophic. Where every other volunteer fails, this is where the buck stops. More than one person can be a Coordinator of a Department, but they must work together, either via our Discord Summerisle Planning server or by other means of communication.
- Lead(s) (either Of-the-Day, Of-the-Task, or Of-a-Shift): The person reporting directly to the Coordinator, but is the lead on their shift. They make the on-the-spot calls unless it is urgent enough to elevate to a Coordinator or the BoD. More than one person can be a Lead. We invite Leads to be part of pre-burn talks and decisions on our planning Discord channel.
- Shift volunteers: Burn staff filling in open non-Lead slots on Signup.com and keeping the gears turning smoothly during the event itself. They elevate issues to Lead as needed. Most burners fall here!
WATER
Potable water is on site located at a single pump down by the Gate/Main Stage. We strongly recommend that burners bring refillable water cubes and drive in as much as possible. WARNING: It is a long walk on foot when carrying water into camp, even in a cart. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND filling up multiple containers before even driving into camp. Theme camps and groups of people might find it prudent to bring multiple pre-filled containers from the tap at home, and rely upon the pump only as a failsafe.