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25110 235th St., McLouth, KS 66048

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The Kansas City International Airport is the closest airport.  It is about a 1-hour drive from the Gaea Retreat Center.

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The ZenFest Facebook Page and ZenFest 2012 Facebook Event Page are great forums to find a carpool ride. You can also use the contact us form on this site to ask the organizers for help arranging a carpool.

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This is not a “spectator” event, a “burner” event, or a rave party. ZenFest is all about the workshops! Bring a notepad and pencil, a cushion or blanket to sit on, any tools required for the class (i.e. drum, poi, singing bowl), and most importantly, an open and attentive mind!

We do have community bonfires Friday and Saturday Night, with open drum circles, room to dance, and (limited) possibilities for fire spinning.

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NO, the Gaea Retreat Center is designed as a recreational retreat center for the purpose of cultural and spiritual education. As such, the camp promotes tolerance, acceptance and respect between groups and individuals. We neither promote nor discourage nudity as it is a personal and spiritual choice.However, clothing is required in many places, such as in public buildings, on or along the main access roads, and open areas adjacent to property fence lines. As such, if you are walking and enjoying Gaea, you should carry suitable clothing to cover yourself when needed, as well as to provide some material to sit on.  Chigger bites on the bum are NOT fun.

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Pets are allowed only under very strict rules:

• Pets MUST be on a leash and attended at all times.
• Pets must not be disruptive vocally. If your pet is extremely vocal, it would be best to leave them at home.  Zenfest is dedicated to helping everyone attain their own zen. Not everyone has the ability to block out the dog that is barking continuously.
• Pets will NOT be allowed in cabins!
• The first time any of these rules are broken, the owner will be given a warning.  The second time, the owner will be asked to leave the property with their pet. No refund will be given, though the owner may return to the festival after arranging for the pet to be taken care of at home.
• Pets that show an aggressive demeanor will be ejected immediately due to safety concerns!

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We are not offering meal plans for 2012, however we are working on bringing in an independent food vendor, with a variety of vegan, organic, and meat fare.  You may purchase food from them, or bring your own food.
 
We will have water coolers set up at key points on the Ridge – please bring a refillable water bottle, as we will not be providing plastic cups, which are wasteful and end up getting left on the ground.

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You cannot tent on the trails, or past first field.  Most of the activities take place on the Ridge, so the areas closest to the Ridge would be your best bet.  These are Pixie Styx, Dava Wood, and Drum Styx.  We will have maps of Gaea available if you are not familiar with the land.

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Parking is only allowed in the parking fields, not in campsites or on the Ridge. You can unload at your campsite, but once your car is parked, it needs to stay parked for the weekend! Driving up and down the hill will not be permitted, unless you have a handicapped tag. Practice the art of Zen Exercise and walk!

Also, carpooling is awesome. Great for the environment, great for your wallet, great for your sanity levels on long drives!  The ZenFest Facebook and ZenFest 2012 Event page are great places to ask if anyone else is driving from your location.

Vehicles with over 2 axels are charged an impact fee on the land.  This fee goes directly towards the upkeep of Camp Gaea.

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• The cabins house 8 people each. Cabin reservation is per individual bunk.
  
• Every person of every age takes up a cabin bunk slot. This is so that the cabins don't become packed with adults and kids all trying to fit onto a limited number of bunks, in a limited space.
• Pets are NOT allowed in cabins.
• Smoking is NOT allowed inside cabins.
• Cabins do have electricity, but we ask that you help Gaea keep costs down by turning off lights whenever possible.
  
• Cabin bunks are padded mattresses, however you will need to bring your own bedding (pillow, sheets or sleeping bag, etc)
  
• Cabin bunk rental is $20 for the weekend, and only available for full-festival registrations, since we have to reserve your cabin slot for the entire weekend anyways.
  

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Fires may only be built in existing fire-pits, or in a portable pit that is high enough off the ground so as not to cause damage to the land.

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Only DOWNED limbs/trees may be used for firewood. No standing trees may be harvested or cut to obtain firewood. You may bring in your own firewood.

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How to Apply

• To apply, select "Presenter Application" under "Registration and Merchandise."
  
• First, click "Add New Presenter," and upload a picture of yourself, type up a short biography, and let us know how best to contact you. Your biography will show up on the public presenters page if you are selected, so it should tell attendees who you are and what sort of background you have in your workshop areas.
  
• After you have added a presenter, you will need to "Add a Workshop." THIS IS WHERE YOU PUT WORKSHOP INFORMATION! Add a new workshop submission for every workshop you would like us to consider. The workshop description will show up on the public schedule if it is selected, so it should explain how the workshop fits into the idea of "find your zen," as well as explain WHY people should come to your workshop!
• We only require 2 hours of workshops (either 2 one-hour or 1 two-hour workshops), however the greater variety of workshops you give us to choose from, the more likely you'll get in!
  
• Workshops are chosen based on strength of the proposal, the variety the workshop adds to the festival, and availability of schedule slots.

About Being a Presenter

• Presenters are compensated by free entry into the festival and  exemption from community service.
• Presenters still have to pay the $20 cabin fee if they wish to stay in a cabin.
• Presenters do NOT need to be at the festival early, and do NOT need to stay for the entire festival. However, we think you will find many other amazing workshops to attend, and you will have a better connection to the community, if you stick around! Plus, we do nightly drum/spin jams that you won't want to miss!
  
• "Contact Us" if you need to arrange to be picked up at the airport by a ZenFest staff member, or if you are coming in a day or two early and need a place to stay.
  

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Not too much, really! First you will need to register yourself and your party just like any other attendee. Then, once your tickets are paid for, you can go to the "View Merchants" page and click "Add Merchant". The information you enter in the vendor registration will be used for your listing on the public Merchants Page. Once at ZenFest, you can set up your own booth (no size limit this year) on the Ridge ONLY. You are responsible for the security of your own wares.

You MUST be logged in with a paid and completed registration for at least 1 attendee to be able to add a merchant!

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ONLY insured spinners may spin outside of the “Fire Spinning Workshop.” If you are an insured spinner, bring your proof of insurance to the ZenFest booth to receive your “insured spinner” armband. 

If you are not insured, don’t despair!  Un-insured attendees have the chance to spin fire during the Saturday night “Fire Spinning Workshop.” This is a great time for a “virgin burn,” i.e. for beginners to try their hands at fire spinning in a safe, supportive environment. The Fire-Spinning Workshop is several hours long to give non-insured spinners plenty of time to get their fire fix! The only prerequisite for the Fire Spinning Workshop is to attend the “Fire Safety Workshop.”  Anyone under any sort of influence will not be allowed to participate in the Fire Spinning Workshop.

The fire spinning workshop is an exception to the Gaea Retreat Center’s normal rules. With their cooperation we have worked out this solution to help give un-insured spinners as much time as possible to spin while helping to promote fire safety.

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We understand that sometimes things come up and plans change, and you may need a refund for your festival registration. We try to be as accommodating as possible. Please click on the "Contact Us" link to request a refund.

If you request a refund within 3 weeks of the date payment was submitted, AND more than 2 weeks before the festival start date, then you will receive a full refund, with no extra charges.

If a refund is requested less than 2 weeks away from the Festival, OR more than 3 weeks after payment is submitted, then a 10% service fee will be subtracted from your refund.

After noon on the start date of the Festival, NO REFUNDS WILL BE MADE.

Payments made through PayPal will be refunded back to the PayPal account. Any other forms of payment will be refunded with a check written to the Customer who submitted and paid for the order.

The organizers reserve the right to cancel the event in an extreme situation. In the case of event cancellation, all paid attendees will be notified and will receive a full refund.

MERCHANDISE RETURN POLICY

We will accept returned merchandise in its original condition up to 30 days after purchase.

Shipping and Handling Fees are not refundable. The customer is responsible for any return shipping costs.

The refund will be made to the original customer via the original form of payment.

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