Fire restrictions in effect

No wood fires at all. Propane is ok as long as you have a California burn permit and have cleared all flamable material down to bare soil for 3 feet around you. Smokers must smoke in their cars or a space with 3 feet surrounding you of cleared soil. Please do not walk and smoke or flick ashes on the ground. Butts and ash need to go in a metal tin. Be prepared for hot days cold nights no campfires and plenty of mosquitos. I love you.

Uodated directions to the gathering

Hi Family. Updated directions to the gathering are on the lightline. Call 530-ITS-INFO. Please look for pink and/or orange ribbons at every fork in the road. Please note there are 2 signs to Thompson Peak. Go right at the first and left at the second. The Chevron Station is on Highway 395 and Jainsville Grade Road. Turn here not at the sign for Janesville or at the Dollar General Store. If you have a choice between a dirt road or a road with patchy gravel stay on the patchy gravel. Best not to come in after dark. Honey Lake Rest area just south of Janesville on HWY 395 has plenty of parking but no potable water. Be prepared for cold nights and warm days. Mosquitos are plentiful. Fire watch is on steriods but all is safe. Don't believe the rumors on line. Beautiful energy. Reminder. weed is not legal in the forest. Come home. We love you.

Rainbow Family Meet & Greet June 22nd

We invite all people who are interested in learning more about the Rainbow Gathering taking place in Plumas National Forest to a Meet & Greet on Saturday, June 22nd.

On Saturday, June 22nd from 6 PM until 9 PM California time, there will be a Rainbow Gathering Family Meet & Great; Q&A for the public to have an opportunity to meet gathering participants, ask questions, and learn more about the annual Prayer for World Peace.

We invite all people who want to learn more to attend. Gathering participants will be on hand to answer your questions and listen to your concerns.

The meeting takes place in Susanville, California at Memorial Park.

Find the park across the street from 1155 North Street, Susanville, CA 96130.

Howdy Folks aka directions to the gathering

Updated information will be available here for the next week or two. Check back frequently. 

Updated June 18 @ 9:45 am California time.

2024 Annual Rainbow Family Gathering of the Tribes

End of June to July 7, 2024

We invite all to the 2024 Annual Rainbow Gathering to participate in a silent meditation for peace, love, and harmony amongst all beings. We call for intentional action to experience the peace that is present within each and every one of us, guiding us toward a regenerative path for the future generations.

Our dream is for personal and collective healing so that we might honor our symbiotic relationship with our most beloved and beautiful world. We aspire to build together cultures of peace, justice, and love for our children and the unborn generations yet to come.

The Rainbow Gathering is a non-commercial back country camping experience where we practice how to live in peace with people from many cultures, beliefs, traditions, and backgrounds. All people are welcome to fully participate in all Rainbow council circles and activities. This Gathering will take place on undeveloped land currently under the jurisdiction of the United States Forest Service. 

Rainbow Gatherings are non-aligned politically and spiritually. This is a totally free peace and healing gathering open to all peaceful people. The more you contribute, the more you will experience the magic that is the Rainbow Gathering.

The 2024 Rainbow Gathering is taking place on the homelands of the Maidu people of the land currently called California. Learn more about the Maidu Summit Consortium here. Learn how you can help them.

Feel free to arrive a few weeks early to create the gathering and/or stay a few weeks late to clean it all up. Please be respectful of the Maidu's land, culture, and spirituality. Please walk lightly on the land, avoid places that are roped off, and do not camp along creeks or ponds.   

We will be at approximately 6,700 foot elevation. The site does not have as much firewood as we are used to having.  Please be prepared to cook on propane either due to limited firewood or due to fire danger.

DO NOT USE GOOGLE MAPS OR GPS COORDINATES TO GET TO THE SITE -- many roads in and out of the area have not been driven and many roads in these mountains are only accessible for high-clearance vehicles.

RAP 107 - Gathering Consciousness

Please protect this Beautiful Land. Walk softly. Harm no living thing. Harmonize - Blend in. Use only down, dead wood. Cut no living trees. Preserve the Meadows...camp in the Woods. We are caretakers of this land. Everyone sharing makes a strong Human Tribe!

Please Protect the Water Sources by staying out of DELICATE spring areas and the Upper Meadow. Avoid camping, peeing, washing above spring areas. Keep ALL soap out of streams, springs or the creek (even biodegradable soap)! Use a bucket to take your bath 60 feet away from the water source. To be certain of drinking water: boil it!  Use the slit trenches or covered latrines - cover your paper & waste with ashes or lime, wash hands. Break the fly/illness connection: shit-fly-food-you! Dig no shitters near water areas or kitchens.

Protect our Health! Use your own cup, bowl & spoon! Wash them after eating and rinse in bleach-water. Visit C.A.L.M./M.A.S.H. if you feel ill - especially if you have a contagious disease - or are injured. Camp Together - Establish neighborhoods. Community Fires only! ~ Each with 5 gallon water bucket and shovel for Fire Protection. If you are the last to leave a fire PUT IT OUT! Watch your gear: Be Responsible ~ "Tempt Not Lest Ye Be Lifted From." Pets are discouraged but if you must bring them keep them fed, on a leash and out of the kitchens, springs & fights. Clean up their poop. Love them.

!!! PACK IT IN - PACK IT OUT !!!

Cleanup begins when you arrive. Bring in only what is necessary. There is no janitor here...you are the cleanup crew. Separate garbage for recycling. Don't litter - find collection point. Compost in pits only. Take your trash out of the gathering and drive at least 100 miles before depositing it in an appropriate trash can. Do not burden the local community with our trash.

You are the Gathering! Participate in Shanti Sena, the peace keepers council, and all activities, councils, work crews, workshops. Volunteer wherever needed: kitchens, welcome home, firewatch, parking lot, shitter digging, supply, front gate, etc. R-E-S-P-E-C-T your siblings’ different energies. Keep the Balance: Earth, Sky, Trees, Water & People! Look out for those who are struggling physically or emotional and offer your assistance.

Alcohol is Discouraged, Guns are Inappropriate, Violence is contrary to the Spirit. Please take no photographs or videos of people without permission. Discourage Drug Abuse.
Buying and selling endangers our legal right to be here. The Magic Hat is our Bank, donate early to fund our Needs. The Magic Hat goes around at mealtime circles and with the Magic Hat Parade.

This is a 100% free event. Food is free, medical care is free, parking is free. No admission fee ever!

Directions & Site Specific Information

Consensus was reached on 6/17/24 in the morning that "We the Rainbow Family of Living Light at the 2024 Rainbow Gathering Spring Council consent to gather at the "middle way site" in Plumas National Forest." Also known as the upper stretches of Indian Creek.

This gathering is taking place on the ancestral lands of the Maidu people. Please treat it with respect.

Please note:  It will take 1-2 hours to drive from Janesville, CA to the site due to inclines, road conditions, and speed of travel. There is a rest area at Honey Lake. Plan accordingly.

Learn it, live it, teach it -- how to get into the gathering without getting a mandatory court appearance ticket.

Misc. Information

Weed is not legal in Plumas National Forest (or any national forest). 

DRINKING WATER: Bring at least a 2 gallons of drinking water per person. Save your jugs for reuse and refill.

Be prepared for nights into the 30s for the time being. Days will be sunny and warm!

Be prepared to cook on propane. YES EVEN PROPANE REQUIRES A CALFIRE PERMIT. Get a CalFire Permit at any USFS office or online at ReadyforFire.org.

We need more metal buckets and large metal coffee cans as well as hydrated lime for the shitters.  Bring them to Main Supply when you come in. Ask the parking crew where to drop off.

Be your best self. Spiral Up and Unify - plug into existing camps to lighten the load. Meet new people, make new friends!
 

DO NOT USE GOOGLE MAPS OR GPS COORDINATES TO GET TO THE SITE!

DO NOT DRIVE ON GOLD RUN ROAD UNLESS YOU HAVE AN OFF-ROAD VEHICLE.

Directions from Reno, Nevada to Janesville, California

From Reno, Nevada take Highway 395 north approximately 75 miles to Janesville, California (just north of Honey Lake).

Directions from Susanville, California to Janesville, California

From Susanville, California, take Highway 395 south approximately 13 miles to Janesville. 

Directions from Janesville, California

Janesville has a Chevron gas station and a Dollar General Store. 

Begin at the Chevron station on the corner of Highway 395 and Janesville Grade in Janesville, California. 

Set your trip odometer to zero at the Chevron station. 

From there travel south (uphill) on Janesville Grade Rd. 

At 4.6 miles take a right turn immediately after the first cattle guard - onto FR 28N02

YOU WILL STAY ON 28N02 THROUGHOUT THE FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS - if an offshoot is a dirt road, and the other option is gravel, stay on the gravel road. 

At 5 miles in you will veer right on a fork in the road.

At 5.8 miles you will follow signs to the right towards Thompson Peak.

Continue on 28N02 and at 11.1 miles from the Chevron station you will follow the sign to the right towards Red Rock Lookout.

At 13.1 miles you will cross a cattle guard. 

At 14.3 miles you will come to a Y in the road with a wooden corral right in front of you.

Go right at this Y.

At this point, the road will start to change from gravel to dirt.

At 17 miles from Janesville, you will arrive at parking. 

Please copy and share this information freely.

Ignore all rumors of cancellation or organization.

A Day in the Life of the Rainbow Gathering

 This fun video is a few year's old but takes you inside a Rainbow Gathering.

Tribal Outreach Project

 Tribal Outreach Project

In the fall of 2023, rainbow gathering participants circled in California’s Sierra Foothills to start putting energy towards a gathering in California over the July 4th 2024 holiday week.

Out of this initial circle, the Tribal Outreach Project was formed. Meeting weekly since December 2023, our goals have included outreaching to any tribes whose ancestral homelands could potential be the site of the 2024 Annual Rainbow Gathering.

We began by researching the ancestral homelands of the tribes who once occupied the land that consists of the portion of California from roughly Interstate 80 north to the Oregon border, from the Sierra foothills east to the Nevada border.

We have reached out via telephone, email, and/or US Postal Service to approximately twenty different tribes and/or bands of people who were indigenous to these lands’ pre-contact regardless of their status with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Our hope was and is for the ability to gather in a good way for all people including the indigenous nations of the area. While collectively our intentions are to create peace and the positive evolution of the planet, we do recognize that our very presence causes many people consternation.

While our outreach has not resulted in as many conversations that we had initially hoped for due to a lack of response from many tribes and/or bands, we respectfully request that any band, tribe, and/or nation that we have contacted, reach out to share their concerns. Many individuals who attend Rainbow Gatherings are eager for this communication and dialogue.

We understand that there are many concerns in circulation that may be due to misinformation about the rainbow gathering and people who attend; therefore, we would love to hear back from the tribes and/or bands to arrange time for dialogue.

If any tribal group is unclear who to contact, please call the Rainbow Gathering Lightline 530-ITS-INFO / 530-487-4636‬ and leave a message stating your tribe, your name, how and when we can reach you, and someone will reach out to you.

With love and respect,

Tribal Outreach Project

The Tribal Outreach Project is a self-selected bunch of individuals working with the intent to share collective wisdom for the good of the earth and all humanity, within the narrower space and time context of the 2024 Annual Gathering which may happen in California.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this project is appointed by, nor speaks for, the Rainbow Family. No individual or group can speak for or represent the Rainbow Family or any other individual. Our collective voice is heard through our council process, which is not a legislative body but does make nuts and bolts decisions, consensus statements, and/or practical advice from time to time. Yeah, it’s confusing to us, too! This council process happens regularly, usually three times a year. All are welcome to take part.

Pup 107

 Pup 107

Our dog friends are part of our family, and we love them. Bringing a dog to a gathering carries both special joy and extra responsibility. In many ways, dogs are like small children, and need as much attention and care as children do. If you are able to leave them at home, your gathering will be more spontaneous and worry-free, and your dogs will be much safer.

If you do decide to bring them, attach waterproof I.D. tags to their collars with their names, your name, where you are camped, and your home phone number so you can be reunited if you become separated. Be sure they are current on all their vaccinations because there will be many dogs there, and contagious illness spreads quickly.

Be sensitive to your dogs' physical and emotional needs. Offer them food and water often. Make sure shade is available. Even though you are busy, don't forget to give them attention throughout the day. Be patient with them. They're in an unfamiliar environment, and it may be exciting or confusing. It may take them awhile to learn what "out of the kitchen!" means, and you'd probably rather teach them your way than have someone else teach them.

Be considerate of others. Teach your dogs good manners. When coming to a circle, ask them to lie quietly beside or behind you. Keep them out of kitchens, compost pits, and shitters. Don't let them fight with other dogs. Females in heat can cause serious problems, so leave them at home if at all possible. Spaying or neutering your dogs is always a responsible thing to do, and will spare you much hassle in a gathering situation.

Be environmentally aware. Keep dogs out of water sources and other sensitive areas. Pick up their poop, drop it in a shitter, and cover it up, just as you would your own. Remember that dogs are essentially pack animals. When they get together in the freedom of the open woods, they love to run. It's not a good idea to let them do it. They can harm wildlife or get into serious trouble by chasing sheep and cattle. Tying a dog in camp for long periods of time can be unfair both to your neighbors and to your dog. Keep your dog at your side – on a leash if necessary.

As with so many other things at the gathering, respect is the key: respect for your own needs, respect for your neighbors' needs, and respect for your dog's needs. We can have it all. It just takes some attention to detail.

Butterfly Bill's Rainbow Archives

 Butterfly Bill (March 23, 1947 – February 10, 2015) was a long time gatherer who wrote eloquently and in much detail about gatherings and gathering culture.  You can find his website here and learn all about Rainbow Gatherings.

 Find Rainbow Raps, Rainbow history, videos and more.

Patch Adams -- A Love Strategy

Patch Adams (made famous by the film staring Robin Williams) attended gatherings for many years. He made it back to the gathering in Colorado 2022.   He was at Granola Funk Theater and this recording is from that experience (in MP3 format).

Creating your vision at the gathering

How to focalize what you want to see at the gathering. 

Depending on what you what to focalize, you may have to arrive early. 

If you want to focalize an art camp, probably arriving a six or seven days after the solstice will work, but if you want to focalize something that requires prime real estate (main boggie pit, handicamp, Medical Camp, etc) you will probably need to land on site within a few days of the site being known. 

This doesn't mean you have to do all the work yourself, but you need to be the person who is there, holding space, talking to everyone and anyone about your vision, making signs to gather workers to help you build your vision, etc. The focalizer is the person who communicates the need. If others agree with the need or you can convince others of the need, then people will join you in manifesting your vision. If no one else agrees, or they think their are more pressing needs, they will go do other things.

From WelcomeHome.org "We don't have leaders in the Rainbow Family, but we do have folks that help us to focus on what we as individuals need to do. It's through the widespread flow of information about our hipstory, our traditions, our processes, and practical gathering info that we as individuals can make informed decisions. That's a lot of what Rainbow is all about, the empowering of individuals within a group of folks. We can all make a difference.

One of the important things to realize is that focalizers aren't in charge. They aren't in control of anything or anyone but themself. People listen to focalizers out of respect, not because they have to. The best focalizers are invisible at a gathering. Many people that consider themselves focalizers are just info-maniacs. Just cause somebody may have a mailing list, or do a newsletter does not mean they are part of the "Rainbow Bureaucracy,"\, and you can turn over your responsibilities as a human being to them."

 

The gathering is co-created by all of us! Don't you want to be one of us?

We call them Rainbow Gatherings (guest post)

 Today's guest post comes from Carla

We call them Rainbow Gatherings, not Rainbow Festivals, for good reason. Here’s why. 

I suppose new folks have noticed by now that regular gatherers are very picky about word choices. Take, for example, the term “festival.” If someone calls the gathering “The Rainbow Festival,” they usually get jumped on and corrected, sometimes quite rudely, and almost always without explanation. So I will attempt to explain. 

Technically, the gathering does fall under the general definition of a “festival,” which in many countries means a local community-wide religious or cultural observance.

However, in the U.S., “festival” has a very specific meaning, and it has nothing to do with local tradition. “Festivals” here are highly commercial, usually focused around several-day music or themed events. There are ticket sales and entry gates and lots of vendors selling food, drink, and merch. The people attending go as passive observers, and have a wonderful time partying. Nothing wrong with that. Folks come from all over, and bask in the music. These kinds of festivals are good for the heart and the spirit, without question. 

So what makes the gathering differerent, and why does it matter? 

The gatherings, first of all, are peaceable assembly in its purest form. There is no corporation running them. No board of directors. No by-laws. No fees. No entry gates. No merch. No vendors. And most importantly, no hired cooks or janitors or cops, no porters or butlers or maids, no mayor or chair person. 

The gatherings—every inch, every act, every system—are all done by the people who gather together. For free. 

How is this possible? Well, it isn’t, any reasonable person would conclude. But somehow, we’ve been doing it for 52 years now. I’ve been gathering since 1979, and have been involved in most aspects of the temporary infrastructure and systems and processes that create the gathering itself. I am still blown away that it works. Ten thousand people, or more, doing it on their own? Impossible. 

But we do it.

So how does it work? 

Each one of us, individually, finds something they are good at, or love doing, or want to learn, and does it. That includes buying and carrying supplies, cooking, sanitation, fire watch, participating in talking and decision making circles, and a million other tasks that make the gathering happen. 

The best way to enjoy a gathering is not to sit by a campfire and play music 100% of the time, although that is okay and no one will bother you if you do that. But if you really want to experience a gathering fully, become part of this amazing phenomenon, pitch in. Plug in. Get involved. You will quickly form bonds and find community. 

The most important service anyone can provide to the gathering as a whole, without actively pitching in any other way, is to maintain awareness of trash. Keep the scene clean. Haul out every single piece of everything you  bring in, including garbage. 

The folks doing cleanup and site restoration are our own family, not the Forest Service, not someone hired. And it is daunting, hard work. Please be respectful of both the land and the folks staying for this. Don’t burden them with broken lawn chairs, jars of pee, or partly disassembled kitchens or camps. Undo yourself what you have done. Disappear it all. 

If you want to get involved and form bonds, though, find the folks who are doing what you would like to be doing. Then introduce yourself. 

The four most important four words for entry into any kitchen, camp, or gathering system is: 

How can I help?

Cleanup Reports

 A friend of mine has a blog where they have posted a collection of cleanup reports from past gatherings.

Click here to see them.

And if you want to see media coverage of cleanup, click here.

Music as Magical Peacekeeping Tool

The Earth Is Our Mother

 

For family who are more musically included, we have a long tradition of chants and songs not for performance, but for participation. Many of these songs are call and response or chant type songs. We use these songs to create community, help people be more peaceful and create the energy we wish to see in this world.

If you do not already know some of the rainbow songs, there are on-line websites that have the information.  If you play an instrument or even if you do not, try to learn these songs.  Then when you are at a gathering, I'm sure you will find a moment that is calling out for family singing and you will be prepared.

Thanks to family who have taken the time to make this information freely available.
 
Bliss Fire Website
Welcome Home Website

Singing is one of the best tactics to improve the vibration of the gathering. I've even seen people sing to break up hostile situations, calm the anxious, and create community among random strangers. Be the magic!

Tips for Arriving at the Gathering

Are you a first time gatherer or someone coming to the annual gathering for the first time?

First off, make sure you have snacks and 2 gallons of water per person in the car before you pass the last town. (You will need the snacks and one gallon of water for your first day. The other gallon and snacks, you will leave in the vehicle for when you hike out on your last day).

When approaching the Gathering site, remember that you're coming as friends in somebody else's back yard. Treat the local folks with the courtesy, respect and concern that they deserve as members of the Family of Humankind. Be Loving and Kind. Don't be rude, steal, trash the town, disturb the Peace, or try to "shock" people. Be mindful of others' sensitivities. Remember the original Golden Rule when dealing with BOTH Babylon AND Rainbow: Treat Others the Way you want to be treated! Please, make your journey a safe one. Don't be under the influence while driving.

If you stop in the local towns for supplies, please treat the local community with all the respect due them, no matter how they may behave. When you spend money, introduce yourself and say you are here for the gathering.  Make sure the local town's folks know we help local economies. 

If you see family panhandling or loitering, get them out of town and into the gathering. We are our siblings keepers.  We want our impact in the local towns to be positive. Food and medical care is available for all people at the gathering, so there is no need to panhandle the locals.

Keep in mind, that it can take you 3-6 hours to hike your gear from where you park your car to the spot you want to camp -- and that's if you know where you are going. We will be at elevation and if you don't normally live in the mountains, it will take you time to adjust to the altitude.  Trust me on this. Plus you will be making friends along the way, talking to people, etc.

If this is your first gathering, you probably don't know where you want to camp and so you will need time to explore and find a place where you connect with your neighbors.  Check in with INFO for a map of the gathering and recommendations. On the trail, ask people to point you to INFO.

Again, the aforementioned water and snacks will come in very handy while you're trying to find a spot for your tent, learning where to get food and water, and finding those neighbors that will become your lifelong friends.

If you are planning on doing anything with fire, check in at the Fire Safety Station for the latest guidelines.  Remember community fires only. Check out the Rap on Fire Safety in California.

If you plan on driving, make sure your car and driver is 100% legal-all lights work, valid insurance and registration, seat belts, car seats for children. Our government assumes that we are criminals. Please try to arrive during daylight hours as the roads into gathering sites can be tricky and we want you to arrive home safely. If you can make space in your vehicle for a rider or you need a ride, ride share is happening at your local craistlist.org or on Facebook. Please note there are multiple places on the internet where ride share can take place. Explore on your own but make sure to read the following recommendations.

When you are within 30 miles of the gathering, drive like you are taking a driving test, and go a few MPH under the speed limit. Make sure to read Getting into the Gathering without Getting a Mandatory Court Appearance Ticket.

*Always* say no to requests from law enforcement to search your vehicle or your person, no matter what they tell you. It is not illegal for cops to lie to you, and they often will do so to get your consent to search. "You might as well give us permission, because if you do not, we will go get a warrant and you will be here for hours." This is a bluff. Don't fall for it. Their time is much more valuable than yours.

If they insist on searching over your objections, don't prevent them physically in anyway - but continue to repeat "I do not consent." Ask for names and badge numbers, write down time, place, and what happened in detail. Every little thing matters in a court of law, even the things that don't mean much to you or me. If you can, take pictures, videos, and/or audio recordings.

Also, if they ask you if you have contraband, and tell you that if you have just a little bit and give it to them that they will not search you, tell them no. Never, never, never incriminate yourself. That means don't consent to anything, don't give them anything but your license, registration, and proof of insurance, don't admit to anything.

The gathering will be in a national forest and as such federal laws and regulations will be enforced. Don't matter what the state laws are, once you're on federal property, FEDERAL LAWS APPLY. WEED IS NOT LEGAL ON FEDERAL LAND.

If you will be sharing a ride, please meet the folks you'll be riding with at a local coffee shop, make sure you feel comfortable traveling a long distance with them, and establish the ground rules. If you are coming via bus, plane or train, try to connect up with a ride from your destination before you get there. If you are planning on hitchhiking, please travel with a buddy, only bum rides during the day and if you get a bad feeling from a ride, PLEASE don't take it. There will always be another one.


I strongly recommend you plan on arriving home in the morning - the earlier the better. If you are coming home and it's late, my best recommendation is you kick it at a campground, roadside rest area, or motel as you desire. Then get up at dawn and come on home.  The roads into the gathering can be challenging, the signage can disappear, and you will be tired. 

Keep in mind that your journey really begins once you park your car. From there you'll have to hike into the gathering with your gear and try to find a place that meets your needs -- very hard to do after dark.  It can easily take 3-6 hours from the time you park your car until you have your tent set up. Doing it in the daytime is fun, doing it at night when you are exhausted is not my idea of a good time.

Once you pitch your tent, know where it is! Make sure you know what larger camp you are near, mark your space with something as many people will have the same cheap tent from the big box stores.  Don't be the person wandering around at 2 AM trying to find your camp.

NEVER LEAVE YOUR CAMP WITHOUT WATER, A SNACK, A FLASHLIGHT AND A JACKET. You may think you will be gone for 15 minutes, but the reality is things will happen and you may not make it back to your tent for 5 hours.

Let's all get home safely.

DRIVE SAFELY!
Ignore all rumors of cancellation or organization!
Live Lightly with the Land and People!