To reduce congestion at our summer festival, we created new dedicated entrances and exits at Island and Lake Stages. We have plexiglass barriers in some areas of the festival, and we have increased the number of hand-sanitizer stations. We are also trying to be as cashless as possible so you can make purchases of food and merchandise in a safe and reliable way via debit or credit card. Everyone who works at the festival (artists, crew, staff, board, committee members, volunteers, media, facilitators, vendors) is fully vaccinated. As a patron, you will not be required to show proof of vaccination to enter the festival; nor will you be required to wear a mask. However, some areas of the festival (such as the First Aid tent) want you to wear a mask when you enter their tent, and some areas prefer that you do (such as some workshops). All we ask is that you respect other people’s needs for distance and/or masking in certain places. So, please bring a mask, but if you forget or lose yours, we will have some in the First Aid tent. We will also have rapid test kits available there.
We encourage everyone to wear sunhats and to bring a water bottle. You may fill up your water container at the City of Guelph’s Water Wagon near the Main Stage. We have a misting tent for cooling off and, of course, we encourage you to go for a swim to refresh your limbs. We have a First Aid team of volunteers on site as well as an ambulance and two paramedics, OPP officers, a security crew, and volunteer peacekeepers. We also have a robust Emergency Plan and a central communications system. Teams of relevant volunteers are trained in basic conflict-and-crisis resolution, mental health preparedness, and emergency protocols. We have several measures in place and initiatives underway to keep our festival as sustainable as possible. We wash all dishes at the festival, discourage single-use plastics in any form, have a reusable mug program, a shuttle bus system, a sustainable system for moving things around the site via plant carts, wagons, trikes, and quads, a solar water heater, and solar cell-charging stations, among other things. This year, we are raising funds for the purchase of new native trees to replenish the Island after the emerald ash borer stripped it of large, shady trees that kept us cool and creatures content.