June 25-28, 2009;
Salt Point State Park, Cazadero, CA
This year Sierra Madrone Grove, ADF is hosting Eight Winds Festival the annual gathering of ADF's Northwest Region. This year's event will be held Thursday, June 25th through Saturday, June 28th at the Salt Point State Park. Located on the Pacific Ocean in Sonoma County, this amazing area is a stone's toss from the heart of California's wine country. We will be celebrating Summer Solstice Ritual on a Pacific Ocean beach at sunset—it doesn’t get much better than that!
For complete details about this majestic piece of paradise and directions to the park, see www.tinyurl.com/c27dp.
Accommodations
Rustic camping is available. Space is limited, early registration is highly recommended. Dogs, except service animals, are prohibited.
More about Salt Point State Park
Rocky promontories, panoramic views, kelp-dotted coves, and the dramatic sounds of pounding surf; open grasslands, forested hills, pristine prairies, and pygmy forests- you can experience all of these coastal wonders within the Salt Point State Park. With 20 miles of hiking trails, over six miles of rugged coastline, and an underwater park, you can enjoy a variety of picnicking, hiking, horseback riding, fishing, skin and SCUBA diving, and camping. The weather can be changeable along the rugged Northern California Coast. Even summertime can be cool as fog hugs the coastline and ocean winds chill the air. We recommend layered clothing for your visit.
Sandstone and Tafoni
Ever wonder where the streets of San Francisco came from? Sandstone from Salt Point was used in the construction of San Francisco's streets and buildings during the mid 1800's. If you look closely at the rocks at Gerstle Cove, you can still see eyebolts where the ships anchored while sandstone slabs were loaded onboard. Quarried rocks can still be seen scattered along the marine terrace north of Gerstle Cove. Look for the drill holes along the edges of the rocks that were used to separate the large rocks into smaller slabs.
Tafoni is the Italian word for cavern. It is a natural phenomenon that is common along the sandstone near the ocean's edge at Gerstle Cove and Fisk Mill. Look for a honeycomb type network carved into the rocks forming pits, knobs, ribs, and ridges. For more information on the geology of Salt Point click on link to the left.
Hiking and Horseback Riding:
There are over 20 miles of hiking and equestrian trails to explore in Salt Point State Park. Trail maps are available at the entrance station.
Underwater Park:
The park includes one of the first underwater parks in California, Gerstle Cove Marine Reserve, where marine life is completely protected. The cove affords shelter for the hand launching of small boats and divers come to the cove to explore the wonders of the undersea world.
Marine life can be experienced on land during low tide in the rocky intertidal zone through tide pool exploration. When exploring these areas remember that many of these organisms can be damaged or destroyed by even the simple act of turning over a rock and exposing the animals to the sun.
Facilities and Activities
When utilizing the facilities at Salt Point State Park we ask that you remain on developed trails at all time in order to preserve the park's unspoiled qualities and to avoid contact with ticks and poison oak. Mountain bikes must stay on paved or fire roads, however, fire roads are closed to bicycles from October 31 to April 30. Bikes are not allowed on single-track trails as they cause a great deal of damage to the trail surfaces. Dogs must be kept on leash at all times and are not permitted on the trails or on the beaches. They must be kept in a tent or vehicle at night. For additional State Park regulations please click on link to the left.
Auction
We will be hosting an auction during this event. Proceeds will benefit next year's event and provide some seed money for next year's event. Your winning bids are tax deductible. Please email us if you have something you'd like to donate, your generous donation of goods is tax deductible.
Directions, Travel, and Transportation
Salt Point is located near Cazadero, CA on Highway One approximately 90 miles north of San Francisco.
Entertainment
Bring your songs, poems, instruments, etc. and join us in a night of revelry at our Bardic Circle.
Pets
We love our furry friends but State Park rules state that dogs are prohibited. Naturally, exceptions are made for service animals.
Presenters and Workshops
If you would like to be a presenter at Eight Winds festival please submit your proposal by emailing Brighde at: brighdeindigo@gmail.com
Prices
Fee schedule:
Festival Admission:
Adults—$25 per person for all weekend paid in advance; $35 per person for all weekend at the door.
Children (5 to 16) — $15 per child for all weekend; $20 per child for all weekend at the door.
Children (5 and under) — no charge
The Feather River Protogrove is offering a reasonably priced, optional food plan for those interested (see the meal plan menu below). The fees are as follows:
Adults and children( 10+): $50 per person
Children (5-10 years old): $35 per child
Children under 5: no charge
No RSVPs for the meal plan will be accepted after June 10th, no exceptions.
Special dietary needs may be accommodated with advance notice. Please notify us of any special diets or allergies you may have no later than June 10th or you may not be adequately accommodated.
Vehicle parking is $6 per night, payable upon arrival to the Park
Send payment by check to:
Sierra Madrone Grove, ADF
c/o Eight Winds Festival
PO Box 220034
Sacramento, CA 95822
Please indicate the number of your party and if you are purchasing the food plan.
If you prefer to pay by VISA/Mastercard, you can use Sierra Madrone Grove's Senior Druid Sean Harbaugh’s PayPal account. Go to www.paypal.com, and click on send money. Enter seanthedruid@yahoo.com in the “to” box. In the message box, please indicate number of people in your party and if you are purchasing the food plan. I will send
you a confirmation upon completion of payment.
Proceeds from admissions go to the Sierra Madrone Grove, ADF as a fund raiser to help the Grove. Proceeds from the food plan go to the Feather River Protogrove as a fund raiser to help the Grove. If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Sean Harbaugh at seanthedruid@yahoo.com, or call 916-288-5673.
Meal Plan Menu
The meal plan consists of breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and drinks. Vegetarian and vegan options are available (if, and only if, you specify your dietary needs in advance). Special dietary requirements will also be considered with advance notice. Sorry, changes to the meal plan will probably not be possible onsite so please notify us of your dietary restrictions before June 10th.
Thursday:
Lunch - Sandwich and salad bar (soup if weather is chilly)
Dinner - Burgers & hot dogs (vegan options available), potato salad, green salad, baked beans, and grilled corn. Vegan soup available if weather is chilly.
Dessert - Dutch oven campfire apple cobbler
Friday:
Breakfast - Cowboy scramble (eggs, potatoes, hash browns, sausage (vegan sausage available), cheese, with salsa)
Lunch - Sandwich and salad bar (vegan soup if weather is chilly)
Dinner - Homemade Chili (vegan chili available) with all the condiments (sour cream, grated cheeses, chopped onions, chopped chili peppers, salsa, chopped cilantro, etc), cornbread (regular or spicy green chile), served with guacamole, salsa, and tortilla chips.
Dessert -Homemade sopapillas with honey, sugar, cinnamon, or chocolate syrup (your choice)
Saturday:
Breakfast - Pancakes and sausage (vegan sausage available).
Lunch - Sandwich and salad bar (vegan soup if weather is chilly)
Dinner - BBQ chicken, pasta salad, green salad, baked potatoes, and grilled vegetables. Vegan soup available if weather is chilly.
Dessert - "Peachy" cake
Sunday:
Breakfast - continental style breakfast
Lunch - Sandwich and salad bar (soup if weather is chilly). Leftovers (if there are any) will also be available. Feather River Protogrove will provide lunch bags to take leftovers for your ride home.
Snacks:
Various crackers, chips, pretzels, mixed nuts, fruit, & relish trays.
Drinks:
Hot tea & coffee (available until 11am)
Lemonade, Iced Tea, water.
Weather
Coastal weather can vary dramatically. Please pack appropriate attire. A brimmed hat, heavy sweater, long pants and warm socks are a must. Please be sure to check the forecast before packing.