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Third Annual

Hog Farm Celebration & Friends: In Open Celebration

September 22-23, 2023!

 

Join us for an intimate weekend gathering of our extended family and friends in the tradition of the Hog Farm in Open Celebration, and on the site where we hosted the the Hog Farm Pignic. This is a great family-friendly party and a fundraiser! We are opening our beautiful home at the Black Oak Ranch to our community and aim to raise some money to help keep the Ranch in business and thriving. This year we are raising funds to rebuild our collective gathering space, the White House, which burned down last year. 

 

Great Music. Light show. Games. Bingo for prizes. Excursions. Costumes. Hog Farm Film Festival. Bring your own tent/van/RV or camp in one of our beautiful tipis!

 

Delicious, locally sourced meals prepared with love included in the ticket price as well as a nightly happy hour (beer and wine). What a deal!

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This is a small, intimate event. Tickets are limited so please purchase in advance.

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Entertainment
ENTERTAINMENT & ACTIVITIES

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We will have entertainment on Friday and Saturday and activities throughout the weekend!

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ENTERTAINMENT

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Friday:

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  • Jerry's Middle Finger: It’s no longer a secret that California-based Jerry's Middle Finger (JMF) delivers the best Jerry Garcia Band tribute experience in the world - performing and celebrating the music of JGB with unparalleled sound and energy.

  • Wake the Dead: The World’s Only Celtic All-Star Grateful Dead Jam Band. Since 2000, this hot Northern California septet has been blending Celtic traditional music and the songs of the Grateful Dead.

  • Campfire Jam: If there's gas left in the tank, we will be tending the fire for a late night campfire jam.

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Jerry's Middle Finger

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Wake the Dead

Saturday:
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  • Poor Man's Whiskey: Northern California’s outlaw music bards bring a reputation for high-energy live shows and an incomparable fusion of bluegrass/old time, southern rock, and old school jam to stages and festivals worldwide.

  • Electric Tumbleweed: This blend of Psychedelic Rock, Outlaw Country, and soulful Americana is a new phenomenon fueled by many years of collective experience.

  • Tumbleweed Soul Duo: Tumbleweed Soul Duo is an American Roots project based in the San Francisco North Bay, featuring Adam Walsh and Stephanie Salva.

  • Late Night Hog Farm Campfire Jam

Poor Man's Whiskey

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Poor Man's Whiskey

The Real Sarahs

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Electric Tumbleweed

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Tumbleweed Soul Duo

ACTIVITIES

 

  • Nightly pre-dinner happy hour (Friday & Saturday): 
    Enjoy beer or wine and delicious locally-sourced and lovingly made appetizers while listening to our afternoon musical sets. This is a great way to wind down into the evening and connect with everyone at the event.

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2019 ACTIVITIES (Stay tuned for 2023 activities, many old favorites and some new stuff!):

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  • Bubble Magic!
    Tom Noddy is Bubble Magic! He will be performing his unique bubble and comedy show on both Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Perfect for all ages!

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  • Ancient Oak Hike with Evan Engber: 
    Evan is the found of BioEngineering Associates, Inc. and a Hog Farm resident. Evan has spent several decades working on and exploring our land. This year he will take us out to visit the oldest oak tree on the Black Oak Ranch, a majestic valley oak that is at least 500 years old! This flat hike will start out across our pasture/sports field, across Ten Mile Creek and out through the beautiful creekside woodlands that make up our campground for our larger festivals and out to the ancient oak.

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  • Release the Oaks! Forest Restoration Hike:
    Join fire ecologist and Hog Farm Family member, Eamon Engber, for a short hike through a Douglas-fir/black oak forest that was recently thinned and pile burned to reduce fire hazard and restore forest composition. We will tour the 30 acre project area and discuss forest resiliency, fire hazard, and fuels management in the face of a changing climate. We will also identify trees and understory plants, talk fire ecology, and discuss management options for small landowners. Mostly flat except for one arduous, but short (100) meter hill at the start.​​

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  • Labyrinth walk with Wavy Gravy:
    Join Wavy on a morning walk through our beautiful Labyrinth. Wavy will share the significance labyrinths and guide us through a unique meditative experience.
     

  • Bingo for prizes: 
    One of the traditions of the Hog Farm was a fun game of Bingo for prizes and a staple of the Grateful Dead backstage scene. Join Wavy for this fun tradition!
     

  • Hog Farm Storycorps: 
    What have you always wondered about the Hog Farm (where are the pigs?). What amazing tale do you have from back in the day? How about WAY back in the day? What exactly did the Hog Farm do at Woodstock? What is the history of the ranch property and how did we end up here? What kinds of other parties and events have we had here and what cool things happened during them? We want to tell stories about the Hog Farm that not necessarily everyone would know (within reason, folks) and that recall how we all met, traveled and settled here at BOR. Join us!
     

  • Hippie trivia!
    Join us for hippie trivia on Sunday morning during brunch! Do you have good trivia questions? Let us know! (hogfarmfamily@gmail.com).

 

  • Piñata party & games!
    Play Giant Jenga, corn hole, hula hoops (not just for kids)!
     

  • Kidz zone: 
    Miss Rossi will be joining us this year in our Kids Zone! She will be hosting a creative space for kids to play and make art. Saturday afternoon she will be holding a pour-paint class for children. Pour-paint activity available for adults for a fee).

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  • Handmade crafts fair:
    We will have a wonderful selection of handmade crafts at our crafts fair on Saturday afternoon. Come support your local artists! If you're interested in participating in the craft fair, please email: joaniebatik@yahoo.com.
     

  • Croquet w/ costumes: 
    Join us on for a "proper" croquet tournament. All ages welcome! No experience necessary. Don't forget to bring your costumes! Maybe you'll win our shiny new trophy?!

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  • Yoga with Sarah: 
    Join Sarah both Saturday and Sunday for sound healing and gentle yoga.

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SCHEDULE

2023 SCHEDULE (stay tuned!)
Sample 2019 schedule below

 

Friday:

2:00PM: Gate opens

4:20PMish: Happy Hour w/ delicious apps! Games available!

4:20PMish: The China Cats

6:00PM: Opening circle

6:30-8:00PM: Dinner

8:00PM: The Garcia Project (2 sets) + light show

8:00PM: Hog Farm Film Festival

Late night: Acoustically Speaking campfire set

Late night: Campfire Jam (bring instruments, no drums please!)

 

Saturday:

8:00AM: Roll your own breakfast for early risers

8:30-10:00AM: Hot Breakfast

10:00AM: Ancient Vally Oak Hike with Evan Engber (depart from Rainbow Stage)

11:00AM: Bingo for Prizes w/ Wavy Gravy

12:30-2:00PM: Lunch

1:00PM-dark: Craft Fair

2:00PM: Croquet with costumes! (Heat 1)

2:00PM: Pour-paint class for kids in the Kids Zone

3:00PM: Bubble Magic show

3:00PM: Restorative Yoga & Sound Healing with Sarah (meet at the Rainbow Stage)

3:30PM: Hog Farm Storycorps

4:20PM: Happy Hour w/ delicious apps! Games, arts and crafts

4:20PM: The Garcia Project (encore performance)

5:00PM: Piñata Party

6:00PM: Dinner circle

6:30-8:00PM: Dinner

7:30PM: The Real Sarahs

8:00PM: Hog Farm Film Festival (repeat showing)

9:00PM: Poor Man’s Whiskey

Late night: DJ in the Big Top

Late night: Campfire Jam

 

Sunday:

8:00AM: Roll your own breakfast for early risers

8:30AM: Yoga with Sarah

9:00AM-12:00PM: Brunch + bagged lunches for stragglers

9:30AM: Labyrinth walk w/ Wavy

10:00AM: Hippie Trivia at brunch

10:30AM: Forest Restoration Hike with Eamon Engber (depart from kitchen)

11:00AM: Croquet Heat 2

11:30AM: Bubble magic show encore performance

2:00PM: Event close

Info

INFO

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No DOGS! (or other pets of any kind)

 

No FIRES (except in our fire pit)! We are in VERY DRY northern California in the summer and fire danger is VERY HIGH. This means NO candles, lanterns, incense and NO personal cooking, BBQs or stoves except in the designated picnic table area at the main kitchen.

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WEATHER: While we expect and hope for nice weather, it can rain in late September at the Ranch. We will hold event rain or shine unless we expect heavy rain. If we expect heavy rain, we will postpone the event until next year. In this unlikely event, refunds will be available.

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Arrival:

Weekenders: Plan on arriving any time after 2PM on Friday and departing by 2PM on Sunday.

Friday ONLY: Feel free to come after 2PM on Friday and depart that evening or Saturday morning. Saturday ONLY: Feel free to come any time on Saturday. Please purchase a weekend ticket in order to participate in Sunday brunch or any activities on Sunday. Day ticket holders are welcome to camp the night of their ticket.

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Accommodation:

Staying at the Facility

TIPIS are available on a first come first served basis. Tipis sleep 6-10 comfortably so if you are a smaller group and want to be in a tipi you might be paired up with other folks. Tipis have sleeping mats, but bring warm sleeping bags/bedding!

 

CAMPSITES - there are many around the facility, so bring a tent and bedding. 

 

RVs are welcome to park in the parking lot outside of the facility (no hookups available). Please let us know if you are planning to bring an RV so we can plan accordingly.

 

There are hot showers available in our beautiful outdoor shower facility as well as flush toilets. It is dark at night, so make sure to bring a flashlight! 

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HOTELS/MOTELS: There are a limited number of motels in the town of Laytonville (10 mins from the ranch) and a larger selection in the town of Willits (25 mins from the ranch).

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What to bring:

  • Clothes for cool and warm weather (it can be warm during the day
    and get VERY cold at night this time of year, make sure to come prepared!)

  • WARM sleeping gear if you are camping (it gets cold at night!)

  • Insect repellent

  • Flashlight

  • Good shoes for walking

  • Towel & toiletries

  • Swim wear (in case it's warm enough to swim)

  • Rain wear (while we will cancel the event if we expect lots of rain,

we may get light rain that time of year so please come prepared!)

  • Costumes for croquet or just for fun!

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Food & Drinks: We will provide the following meals:

  • Friday dinner

  • Saturday breakfast

  • Saturday lunch

  • Saturday dinner

  • Sunday brunch

All meals will have plenty of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options lovingly prepared by our amazing cooks! We have a wonderful organic farm (Irene's Garden) on the Ranch and we will source as much of our ingredients from the farm and other local sources as we can at that time of year.

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There is plenty of drinking water throughout the facility. All meals will have non-alcoholic beverages provided. We will provide a daily happy hour (around 4:20PM Friday & Saturday evenings before dinner) and limited beer & wine during our nighttime activities. Feel free to bring anything else you might want to consume but keep in mind this is a small, family friendly gathering and we aim to maintain a relaxed atmosphere. We ask you to be responsible and respect the vibe of the event! 

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Directions

Getting Here:

 

From the Bay Area: Take Hwy. 101 north 150 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge to Laytonville. Black Oak Ranch is 5 miles north of Laytonville on the west side of the highway. Look for the signs on the left. Note: we are just north of the Kate Wolf Festival entrance.

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From the Sacramento Area: Take Hwy. 5 north to Williams, turn on Hwy. 20 West, follow all the way to Hwy. 101 North–go approximately 40 miles north to Laytonville. Black Oak Ranch is 5 miles north of Laytonville. Note: we are just north of the Kate Wolf Festival entrance.

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From the North Coast/Oregon: Take Hwy. 101 south. The site is approximately 100 miles south of Eureka, 45 miles south of Garberville. As you get close begin to look at the mile marker signs at the side of the road. Black Oak Ranch is at mile marker 74.54. Signs will be on the west side of the road, as will the entrance. Note: we are just north of the Kate Wolf Festival entrance.

 

About 3 hours north of San Francisco, 2 hours north of Sebastopol, and 2 hours south of Eureka.

2018 Photo Gallery

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