Community is a magic all of its own. These festivals are aimed at creating life-long friendships that are rooted in teaching and communication.

Attendance is limited so that we have the right mix of teachers and students for small classes and the ability to ask questions. More importantly, it gives us a chance to truly connect with those around us.

Rooted at Gaea Retreat Center in Kansas, our goals are aligned with their mission (and all of our proceeds go 100% back to Gaea) of education and sharing views and experiences.

Why we are public sobriety festivals:

Our festivals are safe, consensual space. As such, Hearth Fires Festivals are no public-intoxication festivals. What that includes: no public intoxication in shared spaces. Dining, classes, ritual space, and the hearth fires events on Saturday nights are shared space, consensual space and intentional community space.

It is perfectly fine for intoxication to be an in-your-camp thing as long as you aren’t hosting a Hearth Fire (camped by one of the fire pits on Sunset Ridge).

In 2024, a new magickal learning festival will begin from April 5-7. This festival, as a companion to Hearth Fires, acknowledges that in order to be able to create the world we want, we need the skills to do so.

Just as it’s sister festival, it will have craft and hands-on classes, but the classes taught at Striking Sparks are aimed at Magickal learning and community. The basics of how to create your own magickal tools, how to learn how to use those tools, magickal technique, and underlying practical skills for stability in your spaces.

Like Hearth Fires, this is a great place to get to know your community. We’ll have evening activities centered around the fire, including short rituals, Bardic Fire, and Hearth Fires community fires hosted by attendees. Whether you are a seasoned practitioner, new to the community, or simply adjacent (and looking to understand), join us!

Our classes, like Hearth Fires, will be different every year (and we’re also really interested in what you want to learn). When you register for Striking Sparks Pagan Festival, you will receive a confirmation email that contains a link to select your top 3 classes, and 3 alternates. Four class periods happen on Saturday (9 am, 11 am, 2 pm, and 4 pm), and our attendees are enrolled in 3 periods (with one period off to rest). We are still considering Friday evening classes and how we might make that work. You do not need to have ANY previous experience for ANY class.

Meal Plans Include:

Breakfasts (Saturday & Sunday 7-9 am)

• Hashbrown casserole in a variety of omnivore, vegetarian and dairy free (all are gluten free)
  
• Oatmeal (GF, Dairy Free)
  
• Muffins (GF, regular)
  
• Toast (GF & regular) and jellies, jams, and goodies
  
• Cereal
  
• Fruit
  
• Milk, juice and coffee.
  

Dinners (Friday & Saturday 6 - 7 pm)

• Main Dish (Sparks 2024 Friday - Enchiladas & Jambalaya, Saturday - Baked Potato Soup)
  
• Salads
• Bread side (GF available as well)
• Desserts (variety, GF & Non GF)
  

Classes are cool. We like teaching. But the truth is that the point of this festival is to share time with each other. The classes mostly happen on Saturday (exclusively on Saturday for Hearth Fires in October), but we have activities happening throughout the weekend to bring us closer.

In 2021, around 65 people gathered at Gaea Retreat Center. We had 12 teachers, a few staff, and one guy running around in the kitchen. Today we have more than 20 teachers at this spiritual, community-driven retreat that is focused on learning and filling bellies and souls.

Friday and Saturday nights are community time with rituals, fires, cocoa, cider and cookies. Saturday you will be in 3 different classes (2 hour intensives) on subjects that you pre-register for. Sunday morning we have a farewell ritual to head back into the world.

Schedule:

Friday:

• Fest opens at 3, including Temple and Registration
• Dinner at 6
• Ritual and Bardic Fire at 8:30

Saturday:

• Breakfast from 7:30 - 9
  
• Classes at 9, 11, 2, 4
• Dinner at 6
• Ritual and Hearth Fires at 8:30

Sunday Breakfast from 8-10 with closing ritual to follow

Our classes are different every year (although we do have repeats). When you register for Hearth Fires, you will receive a confirmation email that contains a link to select your top 3 classes, and 3 alternates. Four class periods happen on Saturday (9 am, 11 am, 2 pm, and 4 pm), and our attendees are enrolled in 3 periods (with one period off to rest). You do not need to have ANY previous experience for ANY class. Some DO have age limits, but other than that, come as you are. Here is a sample of our previous class offerings:

Culinary Arts:

• Camp Cooking
  
• Fermentation
• Kitchen Witching
  
• Mead Making
• Sourdough

Fine Arts:

• Life Drawing
• Print Making
  
• Painting
  

Fiber Arts:

• Crochet
  
• Felting
  
• Hand Sewing
• Machine Sewing
• Spinning
• Weaving

Survival Arts:

• Rope Making
  
• Solar Applications
  
• Water Desalination
  

Metal Works:

• Blacksmithing
• Wire Wrapping (Jewelry Making)
• Silversmithing

Woodworking:

• Chainsaw Woodcarving
  
• Wood Burning (pyrography)
  

Other Crafts:

• Alcohol Tinctures
  
• Candle Making
  
• Drum Repair
  
• Fletching
• Gardening
  
• Incense Making
• Leather Working
• Oil Infusions
• Soap Making
  
• Tea Making

Once you register, be sure to follow the Facebook page for 2024 (Our festival next year will be October 11-13. Announcements, including teachers, planned meal information, and more usually start around Midsummer.

A base festival ticket includes tent camping! We also allow RV camping (very, very limited unless you do not require power) and cabin camping (also very limited - before you register email cabins@gaearetreat.org to ensure space).

Camping at Gaea is wonderful, but April and October can be cold. We recommend long underwear, heated long underwear if you have it, tent heaters, and lots of blankets.

Even if you are in a cabin, bring a space heater!

As to our classes, we have (as of fall 2023) figured out how to shelter most of our classes (if it’s below 62 degrees or raining, we’ll be sheltered. If it’s above 62, it’ll be out in the gorgous sunshine).