The GentleFolk Present: Festival Guidelines

Hello, my Gentle Friends! This is The GentleFolk, reporting with a few fun guidelines to make everyone's GentleFest the best possible this year.

Respect

Respect to us means more than just respecting each other (everyone has proved pretty amazing at that so far!) We have had the privilege to host our festival at Ignite Retreats, on Treaty 1 Land, and we wish to treat the land with the utmost care. To do this we support the M.O.O.P way of thinking.

What is M.O.O.P?

Matter Out Of Place. If it didnt grow, live, or start there then don’t leave it there. That means we wish for everything from cigarette butts to glitter to be disposed of in the proper places (did you know there is Biodegradable glitter now?! We are obsessed).

Safety

We have a professional Security team, an Enviro Team, and two harm reduction teams, Project Safe Audience and SaferFolk, on site volunteering their time. If you see anything concerning, reach out to our volunteers in neon vests for support or anyone with a walkie talkie.

A community of helping hands

Every year we have new and old Gentle Friends attend the festival. We have always encouraged the inclusion and help of strangers and friends alike! Got a wagon and see someone struggling to haul stuff in? Help out! See someone sitting alone, offer to have them join you! Help our more novice campers set up a tent! These random acts of kindness have been what makes our community one of the most amazing out there and we hope to continue to embrace it as we grow.

Gate Hours:

  • Friday: 2PM to 10PM  (14:00 - 22:00)

  • Saturday: 10AM to 10PM  (10:00 - 22:00)

  • Sunday: 10AM to 2PM  (10:00 - 14:00)

  • Please arrive during the above gate hours. We have a gate between our general parking lot and the festival grounds to improve the safety of our attendees, which will be locked at night.

  • Where: Ignite Retreats
    From Winnipeg, drive North up Highway 7, left / West on Highway 415 just before Teulon, then left / South on 3 Rd E. There will be some colourful signage to assist you.

  • Once you arrive, please remain on site all weekend (except Bands and Day Pass holders). We don’t want any driving under the influence or unnecessary and potentially hazardous movement of vehicles.

  • All tickets (Regular, RV, or Day Passes) should be purchased online before the end of the day Thursday, August 22, 2024 in order to be on the gate list. We will have a limited number of tickets at the gate, so we encourage you to buy them online before August 22nd!

  • Festival + Camping Pass: $150

  • Friday Day Pass: $50

  • Saturday Day Pass: $70

  • Sunday Day Pass: $40

  • RV Passes: $25

  • No physical tickets - Everyone’s name is on a list and we will check it at the gate. You must have government photo ID and your purchase confirmation email on your phone. Limited cell reception there so we encourage that you screenshot or print your ticket purchase confirmation email to be safe.

  • Bag checks - we will be conducting checks of bags and coolers at our front gate/parking. Please no glass, weapons, or illegal items.

  • Day Passes expire when the music ends (Friday Day Pass: 1AM Saturday morning, Saturday Day Pass: 1AM Sunday morning, and Sunday at 5PM). Day Passes do not include overnight camping - please have a sober driver to escort all pass holders home! If in the event you cannot drive home, let one of our volunteers in a vest know and we’ll be happy to make arrangements for a ticket upgrade with you.

  • All merchandise purchased online before the festival is to be picked up at the Merch booth on-site during the festival.

  • No refunds - Ticket transfers are allowed but must be approved first by contacting info@thegentlefolk.com. Be wary of online scams! Contact us first to ensure they are a real person.

  • Pets - We are truly sorry, but your bestie cannot attend. No dogs or other living animal pets, please.

  • Underage drinking and illicit substances are illegal.

  • 18+ please. However, we do welcome families with Day Passes for the Sunday afternoon music. Please ensure all folks under 18 are supervised by their parent at all times.

Site Instructions:

  • Parking - upon arrival, our volunteers will guide you to the three different parking areas (General Parking, Bands & Volunteers parking, and RV parking).

  • Vehicles On-Site: If you have a vehicle on the site (ex. RV, band, food vendor) you must ask a volunteer to radio for a Marshal to escort your vehicle off of the festival site. We allow a very limited number of vehicles to drive into the festival grounds to avoid damage to the land or accidents.

  • GentleShuttle: for hauling your camping gear from our General Parking to the festival grounds Center Camp. Look for the signs!

    • Rules: All items must be packed into bags or bins. Loose items will be left behind. All food must be contained inside a HARD BIN/COOLER. We are not responsible for any damage to property so pack appropriately.

    • Hours: Friday 2PM to 8PM, Sunday 11AM to 5PM

  • RV - Register your RV by purchasing the add-on with your festival + camping pass. When you arrive you will be greeted by our volunteer teams and directed to your spot for the weekend. There are no RV hookups available (no power, no water, no sewer).

  • Generators - We prefer no generators so all of our attendees can enjoy an off-the-grid festival experience, but if you have one and wish to use it for short periods of time you can, but we request quiet time between sunset and sunrise.

  • If you are not camping with an RV, you will walk from the General or Bands & Volunteer parking lots to our designated camping areas to set up a tent.

  • Tent Camping - If you’re a band member, please camp in the Band Camping area so our stage crew can find you if they need. Regular attendees can choose either the quiet (Sunrise) or loud (Sunset) camping zones.

  • Fire - We will have an enclosed and monitored fire at Centre Camp in accordance with current RM of Rockwood restrictions, however it won’t be lit all day and is not really appropriate for cooking, so please bring your own propane cooking stove or take advantage of our food vendors. Coal stoves are not recommended due to fire hazards.

  • Lighting - The property is off-the-grid but we do our best to run lighting along main paths and in areas we expect people to be. However, it can be very dark at night so bring a flashlight, head lamp, or device with light.

  • Bring cash or card for food, coffee, band merch, and GentleFolk merch:

    • Food Truck: bright side kitchen

      • Hours: TBD

    • Bodacious Boutique: a collection of local vendors

      • Hours: various hours, as our bodacious vendors please!

    • GentleFolk Merchandise: t-shirts, hoodies, and festival keepsakes

      • Hours: TBD

  • MOOP - Matter Out Of Place - haul in, haul out! See trash? Throw it out! We will have pocket ashtrays and recycling/garbage bags to hand out to people.

  • Recycling and Compost - in addition to garbage collection, we have built a beautiful receptacle to collect recycling and compost! Please adhere to our instructions for what is garbage, recycling, and compost.

  • ZERO TOLERANCE policy to harassment, violence, assault, homophobia, racism, etc. - Be excellent to each other! If you see or hear of anything untoward, please notify our volunteers in vests and we will have security assist you right away. Please review our Policy / Code of Conduct before attending our events.

  • Poison ivy and poison oak! There is lots of it in the treed areas. Don’t go crawling around in the woods or under the stage. Stick to the manicured paths and you’ll be fine!

  • Rain or Shine - bring clothes, rubber boots, bug spray, sun screen, etc. for all potential August weather.

  • Bring a water bottle - fresh well water provided! 

  • Glass - Avoid bringing glass. We love wine but try a bag instead of a bottle! More fun too.

  • There is very little cell phone coverage or data on the festival site. Prepare to unplug! For safety, we have internet for our Security team and select admin members with the ability to phone 911 at any time.

  • Please respect the land and the land owners - Stay in the festival grounds, do not go into the Tipi, and do not swim in their pond. Minimize the numbers of vehicles driving on the land and carpool!

  • By attending the festival, you consent to photography and videography solely for the use of The GentleFolk’s marketing, publicity, and advertising into perpetuity (website, social media posts, grant submissions, etc.). If we post a photo of you online that you would like taken down or if you have any significant concerns about your image being shared online and want to reconsider whether you would like to attend please contact us at info@thegentlefolk.com.

  • The GentleFolk will never sell your personal or billing information to any third party without your permission (we cannot think of a reason why or how this would happen but we want to assure you that your personal information is protected)

    Now that you have read this, there is only one thing left to do...

    Enjoy the festival!