Who Will Be There


Everyone is welcome. No singing background is necessary whatsoever. We will be a mix of experienced singers and new singers, and you won't believe how great we'll sound together. We will be a mix of city and rural people, and we will love getting to know each other. We will be a combination of many backgrounds, and we will learn from each other's stories and ways. We will be a mix of old, young, and in-between people, befriending each other through the play of song.



We Love Children!

We Love Teens!

We Love Elders!

--and everyone in between.

Our village needs you.



Children are welcome everywhere at Village Fire. There is also a KiD’s TeNt where special activities are planned: crafts, games, songs, and more. If you’d like to help out at the Kid’s Tent, let us know! Whether you are a parent of young children or not, you are welcome to be part of the fun.


Teens' voices are honored in circles large and small, and it is a joy to feel our connections over the many generations. This year we will again be holding some special spaces and events for teens.


We need our elders at camp. We need to see you and we need to see you seeing us as we make our best effort at tenderly and bravely embracing this world. Let us know what sleeping arrangements serve you best.



Our Camp


Nestled in a valley near Decorah, Iowa, Pine Bluff Camp sits astride the Upper Iowa River alongside bluffs graced by majestic White Pines. This June, 300 people of all ages from the Midwest and beyond will gather there to sing, play, eat, learn, and remember. With our whole selves we will once again make beauty and connection, our humble and joyful attempt to show our gratitude for life.


Pine Bluff is a rustic camp. There are a few spaces with roofs: a large picnic shelter, 4 bunk houses, and a bathhouse. We’ll be setting up a number of large tents for shelter from rain and sun. Across the swinging bridge over the Upper Iowa River you can wander or camp on 100 acres of wild land. We will be held together by the land, by the river, by our songs, and by our children, teens, and elders.


Here’s a bit of the landscape of Pine Bluff:


Main Shelter: Attached to the small kitchen there is a picnic shelter which we will extend with large tents. This and the open space will be our eating area.


Open Spaces: There are large fields for running and playing. There’s a volleyball court. There are paths down near the river (adults should accompany children there).


The Bridge and the White Pines: Most of the wild land at Pine Bluff is across the large and sturdy (but swaying!) swinging bridge. Children should only go there with, or with the permission of, their parents who have looked with the eyes that know their children’s abilities, as there are steep slopes that drop into the river.


The River: This camp lies next to the Upper Iowa. In rivers of this size there can be undercurrents. As always, families and friend groups are in charge of their own safety. At this camp, it is important that children and non-swimmers be kept safe by their family groups. Life jackets will be available.


Bathrooms and Showers: There is one bathhouse with two sides, each with 3 showers and about 3 toilets. Though we would love to provide the most comfortable shower facilities for everyone, the limitations of this site only gives us the option of two designations, which we've assigned as gender-neutral and for women only. Apologies to men, who will not have their own separate spot but are welcome in the gender-neutral shower room. These limited bathroom spaces will be supplemented by Porta-potties, which are always gender inclusive.




Lodging


Cabins: There are four cabins with bunks where a total of 60 people can sleep. These spaces provide a sturdy roof and really decent bunks but no privacy. We’ll be saving them for those for whom tenting is a challenge. Note that the cabins are close to where we’ll be setting up the Skylodge, so there will be late-night singing quite nearby. Though the singing will be wonderful, earplugs might be advised for some cabin sleepers.


Tenting Grounds: There is ample space for you to set up your own tent, either near main camp or across the river among the White Pines. If you plan to camp across the river, note that you’ll need to carry your gear across a narrow swinging bridge. No campfires are allowed across the river.

Camper Trailers: The parking space at Pine Bluff is very limited and we have to do some real puzzle-work in order to get all the cars parked. (Carpooling is encouraged!) We don't have room to park campers right there at camp, but a neighbor has offered his yard for a handful of RV/campers to park. Please let us know if you would like to avail yourself of one of these spaces. There are several campgrounds with hookups in the Decorah area if that works best for you.


Sleeping Elsewhere: If you need to sleep in a bed and have some privacy, you could consider staying in Decorah. You can find out about lodging options by visiting the Decorah Visitor's Bureau or Airbnb.



Accessibility


Base camp is fully accessible. We will work with you to see if we can meet your needs; please help us do so by sharing your needs in advance.




Nourishing Food


Friend of Village Fire Ruth Hampton will once again make us tasty whole food meals. (More about Ruth at troutrivercatering.com and awesomecookery.com). All prepared meals are vegetarian, with options that are dairy free and gluten free. Monday’s first meal is supper. On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, Ruthie will make three meals for us. On Saturday the last meal will be lunch. Click below to see this year's menu.


If you're coming for just a day or two, please plan to bring your own food. This way, the folks who are coming for more days can partake of the convenience of the prepared meals. If for dietary or other reasons you bring your own food, please also bring a campstove and cooler. There is no indoor cooking space or refrigeration for campers to use.


Village Fire 2019 Menu

We Pitch In


We are building a village, and in one way or another each of us can pitch in to help hold our camp together. Such good conversations and songs have been born while sweeping the shelters and chopping vegetables! When you arrive at camp we'll tell you more about how the community work systems run. Here are some of the things we'll be doing together:

  • Helping our amazing cook, Ruthie
  • Joining in our dishwashing rotation
  • Tending the coffee/tea and snack station
  • Keeping bathrooms clean
  • General camp tidying


We also have some work trade positions available for a few of the more continual jobs that keep our camp running. These jobs vary, ranging from managing the dish crews, to parking and grounds upkeep, to helping train new shifts of kitchen volunteers. Being a work trader will require missing some of the camp events, as we ask for about a half day of work each day, but will also leave you ample time to enjoy camp. We also ask that you arrive early at camp for orientation and to help with setup. If you are interested in a work trade position (in exchange for the full cost of registration) please let us know by completing this form. We will be glad to hear from you and hope to find the right work trade role for you. There are limited work trade positions available.






Singing Together to Nourish the Soul
and Re-enchant the World with Song




Village Fire