Bards in the woods
A Time to rejuvenate with friends, food, music and laughter
At Beird Coeden (Bard’s Grove)
(mka Meadows Group Campround, Buffalo Creek, Colorado)
July 26-29, 2012
A gathering has been organized for those who want to rejuvenate their spirit and inspire their art. Those who have a love of good music and food, and stories and nature, and spending time with friends and laughter are welcome to attend. Each person who enters this ancient grove of pines will be treated as friend and will become a full member of the grove community during the magical time of this gathering.
The gathering will offer workshops during the day to practice and learn the various arts which may include harp, poetry, folklore, creating paints and dyes from natural materials, cooking over live fire, song and singing, acting, dance, drumming and rhythm, and storytelling. All of those who have an inner bard that has not found its way out at traditional, structured bardic circles will have a chance at this three day relaxed, retreat-style gathering to find their voice through encouragement and inspiration from their friends. All workshops are hands on and will emphasize fun and freedom through an environment of encouraged self-discovery, rather than through learning exact structure or perfection. At night the fires will be lit and the words and music will flow like the amber liquid of ale. Saturday night there will be multiple fires with those for music and those for spoken word.
All are encouraged to bring musical instruments to this event no matter what the proficiency level, and on Friday night there will be a special jam session that encourages participation from all. Drums, harps, period instruments especially welcome. Bring some to share if you have them. Anachronistic instruments welcome as well (e.g. guitars).
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This gathering is particularly family friendly with several planned activities such as a nature walk and a capture the flag foam sword tourney for the young and young at heart, and a special ghost/fairy stories around the fire will be held (tentatively) Thursday evening with marshmallow roasting. The site is dog friendly, although dogs must stay on leash due to site rules and safety considerations.
Communal meals are included in this gathering for all participants. The meals will include Breakfasts each morning and evening meals on Friday and Saturday nights with an encouraged pot luck on Thursday evening. Food is likely to be cooked over live fires, and everyone is welcome and encouraged to help with the preparing and cooking of the meals.
Bard’s Grove is located in a lovely isolated meadow with a small brook known for its stories of fairy sightings. Pine Trees surround the setting providing shade during the shady parts of the day. The main communal area is within a sheltered pine tree space with permanent tables. A permanent “pit” style restroom is also on site. There is lots of space for large pavilions and Rvs.
This site is at Meadows Group Campground Site #1, Located about 1 hour west of Denver, in San Isabel National forest, technically listed as in Buffalo creek, although it is about 20 minutes from the town. Roads are pretty good, although dirt and gravel. Trailers are driven on the roads all the time, but slower speeds are advised.
Thursday
· Site opens at 3 PM
· Dinner is potluck gathering
· Bardic Fires at night: special Ghost Story Night with marshmallow roasting for kids.
Friday
· Breakfast: pancakes and eggs and sausage
· Daytime workshops:
Morning: Natural Items for Dyes & Paints Workshop (by Agnes & Rossilin) - Short Nature Walk then using the items to make dyes and natural paints.
Afternoon: Theatre workshop (by Nesta and Robert the Brave) - Will produce a short play with the actors and actresses that attend the workshop. Includes scenic design and costuming. Will perform the play before dinner. All ages welcome
Other activities:
Stump shoot
Capture the flag game
· Dinner: soup and "stone" salad with fresh baked bread (Welsh Rarebit - cheddar cheese on bread)
· Bardic Fires (may be by moonlight rather than real fire) at night: Special Music jam session, then later stories and laughter
Saturday
· Breakfast: pancakes, eggs, ham
· Daytime workshops
Morning: Folktales and telling stories (by EllaAnne)
Afternoon: Singing for Bardic and good bardic songs and maybe poetry (by Bikket)
· Saturday Morning - Warden Archery Shoot (led by current Warden Lorcan). Not to begin before 10 am.. Bring your bow and shoot for the glory of Unser Hafen. Show that you can defend our woods from poachers!!
· Dinner: Cymric special dishes
· Bardic Fires (or moonlight) at night: Singing, storytelling, having fun. Bring your harps, drums and other musical instruments.
Sunday
· Breakfast: pancakes, eggs, sausage or other leftovers
· Pack up starting immediately after breakfast.
· Site Closes at Noon.
· Archery stump shoots
· Rapier duels
· Nature hike through forest
· Fishing (short “cart” ride up the road)
· Communal meal preparation
· The 3-tool rustic stool
· Bird watching
· Make your own staff from downed wood
All Ages activities:
· Nature Walk (Tracker)
· Foam Sword Capture the flag
· “Turn the Page” story telling workshop
· Acting and set design workshop (play to be tentatively performed on Saturday)
· Drumming and percussion
Breakfasts include crempogau (pancackes), eggs, and sausage or ham or bacon
Thursday evening meal is pot luck – bring something to share! E-mail Garin_degent@q.com coordination of dishes. Grill will be lit - so bring something to grill and a side dish to share.
Friday evening meal is Stone Salad (bring an item from your garden to share), Cawl Cennin (Chicken and Leek soup), a vegetarian soup, fresh baked bread, and dessert.
Saturday evening meal includes traditional Cymric dishes, including roasted chicken and Caws Pobi (sharp cheddar baked on bread) and a fruit dessert.
Bards in the Woods is limited to 75 campers maximum and only 25 vehicles may park at the campsite itself. Overflow parking is available at the Trailhead parking lot at the turnoff to Meadows Group Campground.
Pre-paid reservations required by July 16:
$25 Site Fee for ages 14 & over ($5 add’l fee applies to non-members)
Children under 14 are no charge
Day tripping on Saturday is $15, reservations recommended. Those not pre-reserved will not be part of the Saturday evening meal count.
Camping site fee includes Breakfasts on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and Evening meals on Friday and Saturday.
Day trip fee, if pre-paid by July 16, includes Saturday Dinner.
Day tripping on Saturday perfectly ok. No pre-reservations needed if not staying for dinner.
Send reservations by Monday, July 16 to:
Lady Safiyya (Joshi Freville)
200 21st Ave Plc.
Greeley, CO 80631
Please print off the reservation form to include with your site fee.
· From Denver take Highway 285 West to Pine Junction. From the North you can take I-25 to 76 to Business 70 to 285. Or from the South you could also catch 70 west off of I-25 to hwy 285.
· Go West on HWY 285. You will first pass through the town of Conifer. Conifer offers restaurants and major grocery stores. This is a great place to fill up on ice before driving on into the site. You will then pass Shaffer’s Crossing and then Pine Junction, which is not much more than a junction.
· At the Stoplight across from the Pine Junction Country Store you will turn left (south) on Pine Valley Rd./CR 126. and follow it to the town of Buffalo Creek (about 15 miles).
· Continue to follow Hwy 126 approximately 3.5 miles past Buffalo Creek to Forest Road (FR) 550. NOTE: It is easy to miss FR 550 - so be looking for it!! You will want to check your mileage. If you have gone 5 or 6 miles past the town of Buffalo Creek you have probably gone too far. You will turn right (west) onto FR 550 and travel five (5) miles to its junction with FR 543 (Meadows Group Campground road). This is just past the main/regular campground.
· Turn left and travel about a half mile to the Meadows Group campground - first site you come to.
· Bringing a map with you is highly encouraged! If you mapquest or google map search on Buffalo Creek, CO you can follow these directions on paper first before you try to find the roads in person. You will be on bumpy, dirt forest roads for about 30 minutes after you turn off on Pine Valley Road. Drive slow and enjoy the scenery as you are in one of the more scenic places in Colorado. Arrival in the dark is not recommended unless you have been to the site in the past. Typically it is about one hour from the West side of Denver to the campground, but road conditions can greatly alter the time.
Nest verch Gryffry 303-775-1871 nest_verch_gryffry@msn.com for questions about the site or activities.
Garin de Gent 303-775-2441 garin_degent@q.com for questions about food.