Accessing the Festival

Lughnasadh Festival Weekend is a paid event. Attendees can offset this cost by volunteering at PANFEST events. Additionally, PANFEST sets aside scholarships for attendees who cannot pay. Please contact the registrar by emailing registration@panfest.ca to discuss this option. Finally, PANFEST accepts payment installments for registration costs.

Registration fees:
Adult (18+) Regular: $150
Adult (18+) Current Members: $125
Youth (13-17 years): $75
Children (7-12 years): $25
0-6 years: FREE
Vendor Registration – Weekend – $150 – includes one adult weekend pass

Getting to the Festival: Transit & Parking

The Festival location is at a remote campsite northwest of Edmonton; the location is disclosed in your registration package. PANFEST does not arrange transportation to the festival site, but you are encouraged to use our Discord server or Facebook group to coordinate carpooling.

Driving: directions are included in your registration package.

Transit: there is no transit available to the location.

Parking: Parking is free. There is parking available at the main lodge, but this is reserved for drop-off or pick-up, golf carts and loading or unloading. There is a small parking lot 300 meters away from the lodge and at a central spot near the tenting spots.

Getting around at the Festival

The Festival site is not paved and consists of gravel roads, walking paths and hills of various grades and steepness. PANFEST has rented golf carts to transport attendees and their gear around the festival site throughout the whole weekend.

Events, workshops and rituals will be located in grassy areas or on the main lodge verandah. Family events and workshops will be located in a building near a tenting spot. The Temple (formerly Aphrodite’s Temple) is only accessible via an unpaved walking path with a significant grade however the golf cart transportation will be available throughout the weekend.

Food and Meals

We attempt to accommodate all food allergies and dietary restrictions – please let us know what you need when you register!

Meals will be served at the main lodge, buffet-style, and attendees are asked to eat outside the lodge.

Accommodations

Bunk-bed accommodations are available at the main lodge if you choose not to tent. There are four tenting sites that can accommodate tents of various sizes. Most have adjacent outhouses with power access. Some sites are located in a hilly area, one site has access via the second parking lot. Tent sites are first-come, first-served; however, you can indicate if you need a specific type of tent site when registering.

Entering the Main Lodge

The main lodge is a single-level building built along a slope, and not barrier-free. There are two steep staircases and a ramp for access to the verandah outside of the building. One staircase is 2 meters-wide, the other is much wider. The ramp is adjacent to the wider staircase.

Entrance notes:

• There are three entrances to the main lodge from the verandah. There is one door on the north side of the building beside the staircase. This door opens outward to the left and has no automatic door opener. There is a set of light-weight double doors that open outward along the west side of the hall. There is another door adjacent to the ramp on the south side of the main lodge that leads to a mud room and access to the bunk rooms and bathroom. All door handles are about 4 feet off the ground.

Washrooms

There is one gender-neutral washroom in the main lodge.

• The washroom is accessed from the hall inside the lodge. The washroom has a door that is left propped open. There are three stalls; two narrow and one wide. The toilet seat is 43 cm high (17 inches), and there is a grab bar beside the toilet.
• There are four sinks in a counter which is 93.5cm high (37 inches).
• There is a sharps bin in this washroom, which is also above the ground.
• We offer complimentary sanitary napkins and tampons to visitors available in the washroom.

There is an outhouse available from the parking space next to the lodge.

Amenities

The verandah has numerous wooden picnic tables and spaces for lawn chairs for seating and meals.

There is seating available at the south end of the hall. Seating options include:

• Upholstered fabric chairs and a loveseat at varying widths and weight capacity.

At the north end of the hall, there is a loft space up a set of steep spiral stairs, with adjustable futon-style seating and low tables.

Event and Ritual Information

PANFEST may serve alcohol during events; non-alcoholic options are always available.

There is a possibility for ceremonial smudging and smoke cleanses during or before events and rituals. Participation is optional.

We will provide written dietary information and ingredients on meals and refreshments.

COVID Policy

PANFEST is happy to be a mask-friendly environment. Our indoor spaces are well-ventilated when possible, equipped with Corsi-Rosenthal air purifiers and we have masks available for attendees. If you are feeling under the weather, please stay home and take a COVID test if you are able.

Access Requests and Feedback

If you have any questions related to your own access needs while at the festival, or if you have any feedback for any of our current accessibility measures/descriptions, please e-mail chair@panfest.ca.

Every day of the festival weekend is filled with member-led rituals, workshops, and discussion groups. Content is provided for children, youth & young adults, and for adults (though there are no hard age limits, adults who love to colour for example are always welcome at the Family Program area).

Confirmed for 2025:

• NEW: Non-binary Mysteries Discussion session, to complement the separate Women’s Mysteries and Men’s Mysteries
• Crafternoon workshop series
• Ritual writing part 2

Some staple events at the festival weekend include:

• Grounding workshops
• Women’s and Men’s Mysteries rituals and discussion groups
• The labyrinth

Besides the program of workshops, rituals, and other activities scheduled throughout the day and evening, PANFEST’s Lughnasadh Festival Weekend hosts a merchants’ area. Vendors from across western Canada make the festival a stop on their summer itinerary, offering a variety of Pagan-themed products and services. Check out some of our past vendor partners below:

• 2019 Festival Vendors
• 2018 Festival Vendors

Can someone help, guide, assist a first time Panfester…what do I need to bring? What should I prepare for? How do I participate in events? Are those events extra money? Camping, can I bring a tent; share a fire pit, etc etc etc 💚 thanks so much! Carla, Panfest 2018

We asked our community to suggest what a newcomer might want to pack. Here’s what they said:

Step one: breathe. Most of the information will be in the registration package and confirmation package. But basically, yes, you can bring a tent. All of the rituals and workshops are designed to be inclusive and the people who run them are fantastic. The events and workshops are included (along with great food) but there are vendors so bringing some cash is a good idea. Ron

A Mug

Why do you need a mug? Well, we supply dishes and cutlery along with your meals in the main lodge, but you’ll need something to drink from! And if you don’t bring a mug, prepare to be mocked (kindly).

Toiletries

We have portable showers with heated water. Running water is available at the main lodge only. Bring your toiletries and a towel if you want to shower, bug spray, sun screen, coffee mug and a reusable water bottle for juice and water, any medications you might need, including over the counter eg. Tylenol, allergy etc. PANFEST cannot supply or administer any medication.

Other Things you Might Need

• Any sort of ritual gear or garb.
• A note book and writing implements so you can take notes during workshops
• It usually rains a bit so rain gear if the rain bothers you
• Plan for blazing hot sun and or chilly and rainy, COLD after dark.
• Due to rain, Crocs and or anything you don’t mind getting wet and or muddy. Hiking sandals also a good idea. Comfy and easy clean.
• ***Socks, a pair of sweats, and a Hoody (it can and does get COLD at night)*** and a second pair of footwear (say hiking shoes/boots) for night time.
• Fleece and a rain jacket (just in case).
• Bug spray, toiletries, towel, (no drug store in immediate vicinity, so plan ahead, razor, shaving cream, moisturizer… Bring sunscreen and aloe vera in case of sunburn).
• Ritual garb, a pair of shorts and a tank top.
• And bring some cash to support our amazing vendors!
• A lawn chair is handy to move from fire to fire, if one is so inclined.
• A chair, a blanket, a mug, slip on shoes, bug spray, sunglasses.
• Slippers or the likes if desired for indoors- walking around the lodges or during workshops. Also, some people prefer to wear flip flops in the shower.
• A yoga mat, spare blanket, or similar for sitting on the floor for indoor workshops. The floor is hard and cold!
• If you are camping… And it’s wet.. a mat to put your shoes on or bag to hang and dry your shoes outside your tent .. 😅

If You’re Staying in the Bunkhouse

• An extra blanket or two to hang on the side of your bunk, so you feel a bit more private.
• USEFUL TIP- Tapestry, thin throw blanket, or larger sarong will do and unlike a blanket, less chance of the weight causing fabric to fall from bunk bed. A tapestry that is not as see-thru as a sarong is best. We are not allowed to use anything that will cause holes or puncture marks in the wood bed bunk frame such as tacks or pins. I use wide clear packing tape and it works like a charm (don’t forget yer scissors ✂️). It’s easy to remove while leaving no trace unlike some stronger tapes that can take off wood splinter pieces.
• There are mattresses on the bunks but you will need to bring your own bedding and pillow. Not sure if you were including that as sleep gear! Oh and ear plugs. Many many people snore in the bunkhouse!
• Mug mug mug mug mug (did we mention you NEED your mug??), and a water bottle. Bug spray, bandaids, Tylenol, easy slip on and off shoes, sun screen, big hat, chair or blanket to sit on, clothes for all weather events, and a winning personality.

PANFEST depends on every member to volunteer some time during the weekend. The Volunteer Coordinator matches members to work crews based on festival requirements and member preferences.

The festival site offers both tenting and bunkhouse accommodation. Tent sites are located in several large group camping areas, accessed by foot trails through mixed forest. Large fire pits, picnic shelters, and outdoor tables are available. The Main Lodge has bunk-bed sleeping quarters separated from the main hall by doors and a hallway. Wheelbarrow-style carts are available to move tents and other equipment from the parking area to the tenting sites or other facilities. Flush toilets are available in the Main Lodge, but otherwise very cool outhouses are located EVERYWHERE on site.

PANFEST is committed to ensuring that our event is healthy and safe for all of our members. We recognize that members of our community are concerned about COVID-19, and are striving to host our event in a way that maximizes safety while providing a fun and enjoyable event. With this in mind PANFEST is working toward a set of health protection measures for the weekend. PANFEST reserves the right to adjust these health protection measures at any time in response to the evolving pandemic situation.

The PANFEST Festival Weekend is a large gathering of people from many home communities in relatively close quarters. Regardless of any health protection measures put in place by PANFEST, attending this gathering carries an inherent risk of transmission of COVID-19 and other illnesses. By attending the Festival Weekend, you accept these risks. PANFEST is not responsible for the transmission of any illness as a result of attending this event.

Health Protection Measures

As proposed on July 17th, 2023

Vaccination and Boosters

We strongly encourage all attendees to get vaccinated and boosters if they are eligible.

Rapid Testing

All attendees must complete a rapid antigen test upon arrival at the site. Tests will be provided by PANFEST for this purpose, attendees are encouraged to bring their own tests for use throughout the weekend for their own peace of mind if they so wish.

Masking

PANFEST is investigating how to effectively provide a festival environment that prioritizes safety while acknowledging the realities of hosting an event with people living and dining in close quarters, and using communal washroom and shower facilities. Our protection measures are being developed with reference to the evolving scientific knowledge on virus transmission and changing levels of COVID-19 in our communities. Masking indoors is part of this strategy.

Masks will be required in all indoor facilities throughout the festival at all times, except in cases where masking is impossible (ex. brushing teeth, sleeping).

Physical Distancing

Attendance at this year’s festival is capped at 90 people to allow for spacing in indoor venues, including programming areas, dining halls, washrooms, and bunkhouses. We have added additional bunkhouse space this year to reduce the concentration of people staying in these shared spaces. Additionally, take-out containers will be available at all meals for those who would like to eat outdoors.

Ventilation

Wherever possible we will have windows open (even just a crack in inclement weather) and use fans to improve air circulation in indoor facilities to reduce the concentration of any potential aerosols suspended in the air, helping reduce the chance of transmitting COVID-19. We will also be placing air purifiers in all indoor spaces.

Handwashing Facilities

Hand hygiene including proper handwashing is an important foundational aspect of preventing the spread of illness, especially gastrointestinal illnesses and those with COVID-19-like symptoms. Hand sanitizer stations will be available in washrooms, programming areas, and the Dining Hall.

FAQs

What happens if I get sick before or during the Festival Weekend?

Please let us know! We require/ask you to stay home if you are feeling unwell.

Should you test positive for COVID-19, or become sick, you will be required to immediately isolate yourself and make arrangements to go home. If you are too sick to get yourself home, we will contact your emergency contact (that you provided at registration) to make arrangements to transport you home. PANFEST will refund your fee on a prorated basis, up to a maximum of 50% your registration fee, and the remaining 50% will go towards your next year’s registration.

What happens if I am identified as a close contact with someone during the Festival Weekend?

Close contacts are not required to self-isolate but should wear a mask while indoors and carefully monitor themselves for symptoms.