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Retreat Policies

Read these guidelines and select polices carefully. By registering for the Retreat, you agree to comply with all of them. Violations of one or more of these guidelines are grounds for immediate ejection from the retreat without refund. Dragonfest’s media policy and media personal use agreement form are attached below.

Combined Policies:
We have incorporated the landowner’s policies into ours.  If there are any questions, please contact the Directors of Ops or the Board of Directors.

  • Please honor all OFF-LIMITS areas of the premises. These areas include the landowner’s private area, the old homestead cabin, and other marked areas. Violation of this request could result in immediate and permanent expulsion from all Dragonfest events.
  • Keep all fires fully contained and above the ground. Unless there are state or county restrictions, wood fires are allowed. However, there shall be absolutely no fires anywhere on the actual ground of the retreat. All fires should be contained in appropriate vessels above ground in an elevated fire pit or burn barrel. Each fire pit must have safety precautions in place such as a pail of water or a bucket of sand within 3 feet of the fire. Violation of this request could result in immediate and permanent expulsion from all Dragonfest events.
  • Leave no trace. Pack out what you pack in. When you depart, no one should be able to tell that someone camped in your space. If your car or RV tends to leak, bring some cardboard and place underneath it. Our ability to use this site in the future depends on us treating the land well.
  • No digging. Tent stakes are fine, but don’t dig a trench for water diversion.
  • Finite potable water is available. Please bring all the water that you will need (1 to 1.5 gallons per person per day). We do have some potable water on site but when it is gone, we cannot get anymore.
  • No pets. The landowner has dogs, llamas, and horses which live  year round on the property. They are friendly, but additional animals are unwelcome. (Trained service animals excepted.)
  • Do not feed the animals! This includes wildlife as well as the landowner’s animals.
  • Drum circles can run late into the night. Please be polite to your neighbors and keep voices at a reasonable level late at night. If you wish to camp in an area that has less night noise, please speak to a gate attendant or someone at the kiosk.
  • Beach-appropriate is the minimum clothing required in areas not labeled clothing optional. This includes but not limited to youthfest, merchants, and the community center.
  • Tobacco Policy Try to your limit smoking to your campsite, car or designated smoking tents. If there is not a smoking tent in the area, please smoke 20 feet away from a community structure or activity. There is no smoking in the Community Center, Kitchen, Kid’s Fest, Workshops, Ritual areas and Merchant booths. Please be kind and bring a personal ashtray to avoid littering the ground.
  • Marijuana Policy We follow state laws regarding the use of marijuana. You must be 21 years of age to imbibe. Do not offer edibles to anyone without informing them of what it is. Keep your consumption of marijuana to your campsite or car. Do not smoke in any common areas which includes but not limited to: Community Center, smoking tents, fire circles, ritual space, roads, paths, or Merchants Row. (adopted June 2019)

Amplified Music: Amplified music is allowed during the Dragonfest retreat. Enforcement of this policy
ranges from a warning up to and including removal from the festival. The following restrictions apply:

  1. Headphones and Earbuds: Headphones and earbuds can be used anywhere and at anytime regardless of restrictions listed here.
  2. Curfew: No amplified music in campsite areas between the hours of 8:00 P.M. and 8:00 A.M.
  3. Common Areas: Permission must be obtained from Ops (or the Ops delegate) before playing amplified music in common areas.
  4. Rituals and workshops: Permission must be obtained from Ops (or typically the Events Coordinator) prior to arrival on site before playing amplified music during workshops or rituals to include Drawing Down.
  5. Freedom Circle: No amplified music is allowed during Freedom Circle.
  6. Merchant Campsites: Enforcement in personal campsites associated with merchants are the responsibility of Merchant Coordinator unless otherwise delegated.
  7. ANY amplified music complaint is sufficient for enforcement of this policy.

Covid-19 Policies:
(Adopted Feb 2023). If there are any questions, please contact the Board of Directors

The Board of Directors, with the assistance of our public health consultant, has decided that vaccinations will not be required in order to attend the 2023 Dragonfest Retreat.

However, we remain firm in our position that you should not attend the retreat if you become ill with a communicable respiratory disease, such as COVID-19, influenza, rhinovirus, Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), etc. at the time the retreat begins.

If your attendance is canceled due to a communicable infection, your registration will be moved over to Dragonfest 2026. You will not be required to provide proof of illness to receive a roll-over of your registration, you simply need to send an email to registration@dragonfest.org. Please be sure to include your original registration information for documentation of the roll-over registration.

Please email board@dragonfest.org if you have any questions or concerns about this decision.

Dragonfest Media Policy v1.0 | Media Personal Use Agreement v1.0

Policies of Dragonfest of Colorado, Inc.

The following select policies (those that specifically deal with the retreat or which attendees should be aware of) have been approved and adopted by the Dragonfest Board (Board).

These policies apply to the operation of the Dragonfest of Colorado Corporation (Dragonfest), it’s governing bodies, and the membership at large. These policies are to clarify Dragonfest’s position on applicable issues and establish guidelines for Dragonfest Retreats (Retreats), their operation, and related activities.

  1. Child Neglect or Abuse. Dragonfest and the Board maintain a “zero tolerance” policy for incidences of child neglect or child abuse. Incidents of child neglect or child abuse SHALL BE REPORTED IMMEDIATELY to the nearest adult staff member who will report it in accordance with the Safety Operations Manual.
  2. Legal Disputes Between Members. All court orders, decrees, settlements, and decisions shall be honored by Dragonfest as fully as possible. When a court has ruled on a conflict between two members that affects attendance at a Retreat, the Directors have determined that “first come – first serve” is the most objective and equitable method to resolve such issues. For example, if the existence of a valid restraining order between two members comes to the attention of the staff, a.) the restraining order terms that prohibit contact between the members must be verified by a board member and b.) only the first member that submits a completed registration form will be allowed to attend the Retreat.
  3. Pet / Animal Policy.Only service animals are allowed at the retreat. Service animal means any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. Under title III of the ADA, Dragonfest of Colorado does not recognize emotional support animals as service animals. Dragonfest holds the owner responsible for any injuries or damages caused by the animal. Operations may assess such damages, as necessary, and may remove the animal, and its owner, from the retreat, if the animal’s behavior poses a threat to anyone’s health, safety, or enjoyment of the Retreat. Dragonfest requires service animals to wear a service vest and be tethered/leashed at all times. 
  4. Dragonfest Copyright/Ownership. Upon submission, all material submitted to Dragonfest or produced by Dragonfest staff or volunteers becomes the property of Dragonfest. Such material includes but is not limited to newsletter articles, narratives, artwork, graphics, web page design, research, compilations, and instructional texts.
  5. Member Identification. Members are required to wear wristbands at all times during the Retreat. Adult members are also required to show valid photo identification when they present their Retreat ticket for admission. No adult will be admitted to Retreat without valid photo identification.
  6. Workshifts. Members who do not sign up for and/or show up for a workshift, without a compelling reason as determined by Operations, will not be allowed to attend Retreat for a minimum of one year after the offense is discovered, unless that individual pays double their adult registration fee.
    1. Second offenses may result in required payment of two additional adult registration fees.
    2. Third offenses may result in banishment.
  7. Retreat Clothing. “Clothing Required” areas, including the community pavilion, merchant space, kidspace, and any areas visible to non-members, shall have a “beachwear” minimum clothing standard. Application of this requirement should err on the side of caution (to include people with kids and conservative ex-spouses.)
  8. Member Removal from Retreat. Operations has the discretion to remove any individual or group from Retreat for cause. If possible, the Directors should be informed prior to removal but, regardless, the incident must be documented through the safety reporting process. Banning people from future Retreats can only be accomplished by Director vote.
  9. Registration Fee Changes. Changes to Retreat registration fees must be approved by Director vote and documented in minutes. The intent of this policy is to operate the Retreat in concert with our non-profit status and with full disclosure to the members. The Directors will do everything possible, within that scope, to maintain the inclusive nature of the Retreat.
  10. Registration Fee Waiver. The Directors allow for two categories of registration fee waivers: Exchanges and Scholarships.
    1. Exchanges. Exchanges are trades of in-kind services, where the entry fee is waived in return for some service. These Exchanges must be coordinated with the Treasurer and documented (e.g., meeting minutes). All such Exchanges will be reported by Operations to the Treasurer as soon as possible where Retreat related, or included in the July Treasurer’s report to the Board, where Dragonfest related.
    2. Scholarships. Scholarships are need based. The intent of scholarships is to allow those members with limited financial means the ability to attend Retreat by subsidizing entry fees. It is to help those with a sustained need; planning and/or payment schedules should be used for temporary financial stress. To that end, scholarships shall not be awarded to the same individual more often than once every three years. The subsidy may be partial or full and is given at the discretion of the Operations and coordinated with the Treasurer and Registration. There is no requirement for scholarship recipients to perform extra workshifts or other compensation.
    3. Summary Report. Exchanges and scholarships will be included in the Treasurer’s report to the Board. A summary report, separate from the regular Treasurer’s report may be called for by the board for the number of scholarships and their total value. Scholarships will be noted in the “comment” field of the recipient in the member database with the year waived and a short comment on the circumstances.
  11. Invasive Body Art. Piercing, and tattooing are the only permitted invasive body art services allowed at Retreat. Under no circumstances may invasive body art procedures be performed on a minor. “Invasive,” in this case, means piercing the skin. Other state licenses are recognized by the State of Colorado under the Colorado Body Art Act. Only merchants are allowed to perform this service at Retreat and only those merchants who have a state certification recognized by the State of Colorado. These merchants must observe the minimum requirements established by Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and proof of state certification must be presented to Operations before performing any piercing or tattooing. Non-commercial, uncertified practice of this service is not allowed at Retreat. Violation of this policy can result in immediate and permanent expulsion from all Dragonfest events and notification of the offending merchant’s state certification agency. More information can be found at the CDPHE Consumer Protection Division website (http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/cp/).
  12. Honoraria. As a rule, Dragonfest does not pay honoraria. The Board feels that subsidizing celebrity guests would fundamentally change the character of the Retreat if it became a common practice. However, the Board supports waiving fees or, in extreme cases, paying honoraria if it would significantly improve the quality of the Retreat without changing that character. Taking such action can only be accomplished by Director vote.
  13. Retreat Planning. Operations shall develop and present to the Board a plan for the upcoming Retreat in accordance with operational policies and timelines set by the board. The Director of Finance, in coordination with the Director of Operations and Director of Communications, shall develop and present an annual program budget to the board for approval.  Changes to the approved program budget require approval of the board.  Expenses that exceed the budget by not more than $1,000, including emergency expenses, may be approved by the board Treasurer or board President.
  14. Retreat Attendance Limits. As determined by the Directors, a Retreat will be limited to the number of attendees that the site can sustainably support and that will not undermine the character of the Retreat.
  15. Approval of Capital Expenses. All capital expenses that are not specifically included in the approved annual program budget and that exceed $1,000, related to Retreat activities, must be submitted to the Directors and receive documented approval. For capital expenses that are not included in the approved annual program budget and are $1,000 or less must be submitted to the board Treasurer or President for approval. Related expenses must be consolidated and itemized. Splitting related costs into purchases less than this amount is not allowed. For example, costs for a tarp system includes the related costs of poles, fittings, tarps, ropes and stakes and must be consolidated into one proposal. If in doubt, ask. The Directors will entertain all reasonable requests.
  16. Retreat Financial Statement. Operations shall ensure completion of all Retreat financial transactions to the greatest extent possible by November 1st of each year. Operations and Finance shall submit a statement of Retreat financial transactions to the Treasurer by that date. All transactions should be documented in the statement, to include outstanding or pending transactions (delayed bills, etc.), so the Treasurer can assist Operations and Finance.
  17. Registration Forms. Registration shall ensure all registration forms, including signed waivers, are given to the Dragonfest Board Secretary as soon as possible. These are legal documents. It is the Dragonfest Board Secretary’s responsibility to maintain these documents on file for a minimum of seven years.
  18. Retreat Staff Applications and Code of Conduct. Retreat staff positions require the submission of a completed application to Operations. Operations is responsible for keeping the application process and forms current. Any changes to the application or process will be submitted to the board for approval after Retreat but prior to selection of the new Director(s) of Operations. Changes will be posted to the Dragonfest.org website before the beginning of the next calendar year. Operations shall also ensure that application forms for all serving staff are given to the Dragonfest Board Secretary as soon as possible. It is the Dragonfest Board Secretary’s responsibility to maintain these documents on file for a minimum of seven years.
  19. Reserved Areas. Retreat camping in certain areas will be restricted at Operation’s discretion for the good of the Retreat and such restrictions shall be accomplished so as not to suggest favoritism. Use of such areas may be restricted to non-camping activities exclusively, camping which is clearly related to function (e.g., drum circle hosts), or other uses as determined by Operations. Unauthorized members camping in such areas may be removed from Retreat upon refusal to move their campsite.
  20. Retreat Early-In List. Those persons granted early admittance to Retreat, must, a.) have a designated staff position, and be able to perform the function of that position, b.) have a membership level that permits early entry, or c.) must be an immediate family member of someone else listed in this section. Operations has the discretion to include or exclude individuals based on such criteria. Board members and their immediate families, are considered to have staff positions under this section.
  21. Staff Transportation Costs. Retreat staff are expected to provide for their own transportation costs in fulfilling their responsibilities. In hardship cases, Operations has the discretion to authorize reasonable expenses to help defray costs directly related to that person’s staff responsibilities as part of a scholarship and must coordinate such expenses with the Treasurer in the form of a trip log for each occurrence. Trip logs will list mileage traveled and/or fares paid. This reimbursement is not a routine practice. It is only to be used as needed and only when other resources have been exhausted. Dragonfest does not pay for mileage or other travel costs related to the retreat or staff functions outside of a scholarship.