Update June 29

Days are getting warm. Remember to hydrate. The meadow is beautiful. Full moon tonight. Join is at the heart fire. Do not leave anything visible that is not legal in the national forest. The LEOs are training on us. The come through the woods at 2 am. All parking is road parking. Make sure all 4 wheels are off the road. Energy is high and beautiful. Meadow is lovely Pay attention to Milkweed . Please do not trample them Baby bats are being born now in standing dead. Please don’t cut or camp nest them. Both bats and butterflies are endangered. Live lightly on the land.

Update June 25

Please spread the word that there is room for 20 more cars off the road at the front gate trailhead plus liots of off the road near the trailhead. Most of the trails are cartable with 3 people. No easy trails for regular carts but deer carts work well.

Rainbow Gathering Paperwork

For those who are interested in how the gathering was handled via an operating plan in 2010, you can read the operating plan here.

The District Ranger issued us a cleanup letter indicating that we met all the conditions outlined in the operating plan. 

Update June 21

Greetings from the land. Trail from Main Parking to Main Meadow is now cartable. There are steep parts where 2-3 people are needed. Tonight we will have dinner circle in the meadow at 6pm. Nights are cold especially down in the meadow. Bring warm stuff. Still working on access for people with mobility challenges. Dogs must be on leash. Tickets for off leash dogs are $380. First court date in Erie, PA on June 30. If you can support family at court it would be awesome. Help Needed. Please contact the Alleghney National Forest Distrct Ranger in the Bradford District. Please ask for Rich Hatfield and ask him to come meet with us on the land to work out an operating plan for this gathering. Please share this info with media in the area. We need to put pressure on the Incident Management Team to sit down with us and collaberate on creating a safe and healing gathering. Come home. We love you!

Rainbow Gathering Meet & Greet 6/20

Rainbow Gathering Meet & Greet Saturday, June 20th

 

1 PM in Tidioute

 Behind Hollow Hill Outdoors at Schwab and Main Street in Tidioute.

 5 PM in Sheffield

Sheffield Park behind the Uni-Mart on South Main Street is Sheffield. 

 

Why?

Rainbow gathering participants will be on hand.

• Learn how to participate.
• Share your concerns.
• Ask any questions

Please join us.

We Love You! 

 

 

 

Howdy Folks

Updated information will be posted here as it becomes available over the next week or so. Check back frequently as information will be refined. New directions may be added. Existing directions may be clarified.   Site specific information will be added.

Last updated on 6/23/26 at 10:35 AM Eastern Time 

2026 Annual Rainbow Family Gathering of the Tribes

End of June to July 7, 2026

 

We the people, participating in Spring Council/Counsel/Circle of the Rainbow Family of Living Light, on the land of the Allegheny National Forest, on the Ancestral Lands of the people known as the Seneca, of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, having lovingly found consensus: 

We invite all peaceful beings to gather in the Allegheny National Forest for the 2026 Annual Rainbow Gathering from July 1-7 on the lands currently known as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to pray for world peace and the healing of the earth.

Come a week early to help create the gathering, stay a week late to haul trash out of the woods.

Parking will along the road. Keep all 4 wheels off the road. There are some pull outs where you can get off the road. First come, first serve.

                   
Please note the 119 Road is now 1 way from Sheffield to Tidioute so you must use the Sheffield directions.

Dogs must be leashed. Unleashed dogs are a $380 fine. 

Directions from the east via  Sheffield, PA to Main Parking

Go to Sheffield PA, One tenth of a mile from the end of Route 666 (where it meets Route 6) there is a Uni-mart gas station. Turn onto this road, go past the park and cross over the bridge. Continue onto High St (State Road, SR2002) and follow for 11.2 Miles. Make a left onto Mayburg Road (FS 116 and 119.) Make an immediate right onto FS119  and drive 5.3 miles.  Main Parking is here. All parking is on the road.

Make sure all four tires are off the road or you will be ticketed.  

There is no real Handicamp at the moment. The best trail we have in at the moment does not have parking nearby.   Drop off only. Trail from main parking to the meadow is usable for carts, but there are some steep parts. 

If you get to the Hearts Content Recreation Area, you passed FS116/119. 

The back gate has very limited parking and unless you can park in a ditch, FS 119 is your best bet. 

There is a bus from Warren, PA to Sheffield that drops you off at the park in above instructions.  Find details at Bus Route. 

Greyhound goes to Bradford PA, which is about 40 miles south / southeast of Sheffield.  That's about as close as you can get. 

Very cold down in the gathering. Maybe low 40s on the night of  June 19.  Warmer on the road.  LEOs keep rolling in people at night on the road   Park and get in the woods ASAP!

Welcome Home!

Arriving at the Gathering 

Read Tips for Arriving at the Gathering, especially if this is your first annual gathering. 

Rap Raps 107/701 before you come. 

 

 

 

Peace and the Planet

In order to live in a peaceful world, we need to treat our planet, Gaia, with the respect, love, and attention to her sustenance with which we treat our children. Climate change is the result of mistreating our amazing planet. Climate change is about changing weather patterns that make it hard for people to find drinking water for their children, that create flooding of homes and agriculture land, and that wither our crops under relentless sun.

When people are hungry or thirsty, violence can easily erupt over food and water. Not just in Dafur but everywhere including the gathering.  How then do we show with our actions that we are actively working to protect Gaia from climatic changes that threaten world (and local) peace?

Reduce the number of campfires. Burning carbon increases global warming. Plus if you see the cloud of wood smoke in main meadow at a gathering, you'll realize that reducing the number of campfires will improve the health of every gathering participant. Click here to learn more about the negative impacts of campfires on human and planetary health.

Reduce/reuse/recycle - adopt a zero waste lifestyle. Only buy products that you will consume or that will last you for a long time. For example, buy rice in bulk with reusable containers instead of throw away plastic packaging. Buy reusable forks and knives for a gathering not single use plastics. Packaging and throw away junk contributes to climate change. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that by cutting the amount of waste we generate back to 1990 levels, we could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 11.6 million metric tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE), the basic unit of measure for greenhouse gases. 

Plus the less stuff you bring to a gathering, the less stuff YOU need to haul out when you leave. You would be amazed at the amount of camping gear that gets left behind at a gathering.  Re-use that tent or find a loving home for it if you do not want it anymore. Don't leave it behind for the cleanup crew.  YOU are the clean up crew. The less we buy and bring to the gathering, the less clean up we have to do. Buy food in bulk, bring gear to keep you warm and dry and forgot about the rest. Recycling of aluminum cans takes energy which contributes to climate change.  Use reusable stainless steel containers for your beverages and stop giving your money to the multi-national conglomerates like Pepsi and Coca Cola who don't care about the seventh generation and are wrecking your health and the health of the planet.

Put your money where your mouth is. Walk your talk.  We can change this world by spending our money in ways that create the change we want to see in this world. Shop at your local co-ops. Buy locally grown produce. We can make a difference, one person, one family, one clan at a time. Let us follow the wisdom of our Lakota siblings and heal this beautiful planet that gives us so much.

We are the people we have been waiting for to create a future for the next generation. How are you going to step up and create the change for which Gaia is praying?

Together we can change our future

 

Tips for Arriving at the Gathering

 

Are you a first time gatherer or someone coming to the annual gathering for the first time?

First off, make sure you have snacks and 2 gallons of water per person in the car before you pass the last town. (You will need the snacks and one gallon of water for your first day. The other gallon and snacks, you will leave in the vehicle for when you hike out on your last day or for extra trips to the car).

When approaching the Gathering site, remember that you're coming as friends in somebody else's back yard. Treat the local folks with the courtesy, respect and concern that they deserve as members of the Family of Humankind. Be Loving and Kind. Don't be rude, steal, trash the town, disturb the Peace, or try to "shock" people. Be mindful of others' sensitivities. Remember the original Golden Rule when dealing with BOTH Babylon AND Rainbow: Treat Others the Way you want to be treated! Please, make your journey a safe one. Don't be under the influence while driving. 

Did you read Avoiding Mandatory Court Appearance Tickets?  

If you stop in the local towns for supplies, please treat the local community with all the respect due them, no matter how they may behave. When you spend money, introduce yourself and say you are here for the gathering.  Make sure the local town's folks know we help local economies. 

If you see family panhandling or loitering, help them get into the gathering. We are our siblings keepers.  We want our impact in the local towns to be positive. Food and basic medical care is available for all people at the gathering, so there is no need to panhandle the locals.

Keep in mind, that it can take you 3-6 hours to hike your gear from where you park your car to the spot you want to camp -- and that's if you know where you are going. It may be hot or rainy and muddy! Trust me on this. Plus you will be making friends along the way, talking to people, etc.

If this is your first gathering, you probably don't know where you want to camp and so you will need time to explore and find a place where you connect with your neighbors.  Check in with INFO for a map of the gathering and recommendations. On the trail, ask people to point you to INFO.

Again, the aforementioned water and snacks will come in very handy while you're trying to find a spot for your tent, learning where to get food and water, and finding those neighbors that will become your lifelong friends.

If you plan on driving, make sure your car and driver is 100% legal-all lights work, valid insurance and registration, seat belts, car seats for children. Our government assumes that we are criminals. Please try to arrive during daylight hours as the roads into gathering sites can be tricky and we want you to arrive home safely. If you can make space in your vehicle for a rider or you need a ride, ride share is happening at your local craistlist.org or on Facebook. Please note there are multiple places on the internet where ride share can take place. Explore on your own but make sure to read the following recommendations.

When you are within 30 miles of the gathering, drive like you are taking a driving test, and go a few MPH under the speed limit. Make sure to read Avoiding Mandatory Court Appearance Tickets.

*Always* say no to requests from law enforcement to search your vehicle or your person, no matter what they tell you. It is not illegal for cops to lie to you, and they often will do so to get your consent to search. "You might as well give us permission, because if you do not, we will go get a warrant and you will be here for hours." This is a bluff. Don't fall for it. Their time is much more valuable than yours.

Weed is not legal in any national forest!

If they insist on searching over your objections, don't prevent them physically in anyway - but continue to repeat "I do not consent." Ask for names and badge numbers, write down time, place, and what happened in detail. Every little thing matters in a court of law, even the things that don't mean much to you or me. If you can, take pictures, videos, and/or audio recordings.

Also, if they ask you if you have contraband, and tell you that if you have just a little bit and give it to them that they will not search you, tell them no. Never, never, never incriminate yourself. That means don't consent to anything, don't give them anything but your license, registration, and proof of insurance, don't admit to anything.

The gathering will be in a national forest and as such federal laws and regulations will be enforced. Don't matter what the state laws are, once you're on federal property, FEDERAL LAWS APPLY. WEED IS NOT LEGAL ON FEDERAL LAND.

If you will be sharing a ride, please meet the folks you'll be riding with at a local coffee shop, make sure you feel comfortable traveling a long distance with them, and establish the ground rules. If you are coming via bus, plane or train, try to connect up with a ride from your destination before you get there. If you are planning on hitchhiking, please travel with a buddy, only bum rides during the day and if you get a bad feeling from a ride, PLEASE don't take it. There will always be another one.

I strongly recommend you plan on arriving home in the morning - the earlier the better. If you are coming home and it's late, my best recommendation is you kick it at a campground, roadside rest area, or motel as you desire. Then get up at dawn and come on home.  The roads into the gathering can be challenging, the signage can disappear, and you will be tired. 

Keep in mind that your journey really begins once you park your car. From there you'll have to hike into the gathering with your gear and try to find a place that meets your needs -- very hard to do after dark.  It can easily take 3-6 hours from the time you park your car until you have your tent set up. Doing it in the daytime is fun, doing it at night when you are exhausted is not my idea of a good time.

Once you pitch your tent, know where it is! Make sure you know what larger camp you are near, mark your space with something as many people will have the same cheap tent from the big box stores.  Don't be the person wandering around at 2 AM trying to find your camp.

NEVER LEAVE YOUR CAMP WITHOUT WATER, A SNACK, A FLASHLIGHT AND A JACKET. You may think you will be gone for 15 minutes, but the reality is things will happen and you may not make it back to your tent for 5 hours.

Let's all get home safely.

DRIVE SAFELY!
Ignore all rumors of cancellation or organization!
Live Lightly with the Land and People!

Rap 110100100 - Tech in the Woods

Tech Etiquette in the Woods

The gathering is an opportunity to employ and enjoy primitive tech. Please keep radios, phones, drones, wifi zones, etc. on the down low, or in private spaces or distant places. 

Please ask for consent before recording sound or images, whether or not posting online. Parents must consent to photos of minors. 

In the US and Canada, you have the right to record law enforcement in public spaces without consent, as long as you aren’t interfering. Please blur bystanders in final images.

Appropriate technology such as solar panels, water filters, pumps, batteries, communication gear, and LEDs for stages and/or shows make our gatherings more sustainable, safe, and enjoyable, but please carefully consider their placement.  Please dispose of batteries properly (pack it in, pack it out) and/or reuse rechargeables. 

There is longstanding community agreement to not use chain saws or other internal combustion engines in the woods once the gathering begins, barring emergencies. 

Flashlights can be helpful at night, but please direct downward, and avoid pointing the beam in others’ eyes (aka “hippie mace.")  Using a red light can help preserve night vision. 

Embrace being Home, unplugging from everyday technology and plugging into the rainbow.  Have fun, enjoy the beauty and family around you & the living here and now. 

Ticks, ticks, ticks

Yes there will be ticks at this year's gathering!

Please prepare to protect yourself.   Please find some basic information here. But you know how to find more information on preventing tick born illnesses.

Remember, do tick checks often.   Find more information at PA.gov Tick Information.

 

 

 

 

Shanti Sena: The Basics (Guest Post)

 

Today's guest post came from Butterfly Bill's website. It was not attributed to anyone in particular, but I did not write this. Unfortunately Butterfly Bill is no longer with us, but his website lives on with lots of great gathering information. To check it out, visit Butterfly Bill’s Rainbow Gathering Site Bliss-Fire.com

 Shanti Sena: the Basics

“We are all Shanti Sena.” We’ve all heard that phrase. But what, exactly, does it mean?

It means that, just as we have no leaders because we are all equal participants in participatory democracy when we are gathered together, we also have no cops because we are all equally responsible for community safety, peace, and harmony.

So that’s it. Pure and simple.

A perfect example was the search for the lost child this last summer. No one had to be begged to look for her. They just went out and did it. That’s Shanti Sena.

Yes, people with radios were a huge help. Yes, the folks who knew how to organize a grid search were a huge help. Yes, the many boots on the ground were a huge help. The communicators, the organizers, and the searchers all worked together. Sometimes people served in all three capacities. Some folks just did one or two of those functions. No one was in charge of everything, but some of the folks who had expertise or tools helped provide direction.

After the fact, we learned that some of our systems and methods for searching for lost kids could use some improvement. Those of us who had been focusing on gathering safety for many years shared ideas about how we might do it differently next time. I have no doubt some of those ideas will be planted like seeds, take root, and grow to become part of our existing systems for emergency response.

So yes, in addition to the good hearts of loving people who show up when the “Shanti Sena” or “Lost Child” call goes out, there are also established systems and methods for doing Shanti Sena work. Yes, there are people with skills and experience who know each other, who share those skills and experience, and who are eager to teach them to anyone who wants to learn.

We don’t have rules. We don’t have policies and procedures manuals. What we have are people who share their gifts, work together, and learn from each other. What we have are people with loving hearts who are committed to peace.

Those of us who have been doing Shanti Sena for decades do not see ourselves as cops, or security, or bouncers. We see ourselves as Peacekeepers. And a true Peacekeeper embraces non-violence as both an ethical and a tactical path. If you use violence while doing Shanti Sena, you are doing it wrong.

So these are the basics of Shanti Sena. It’s simple: people working together for community safety.

How deeply any one person wants to become involved in Shanti Sena work is entirely up to that person. Some people make it the primary focus of their gathering, and respond anywhere they are needed. Some people are always available to step up when they have something specific to offer. Some people really don’t want to deal with it at all, or aren’t good with people, and prefer to chop vegetables. Every choice is valid.

If you’re interested in conflict resolution, crisis intervention, and/or harm reduction, Shanti Sena is the work for you. If you enjoy “culture crafting” – hanging out with people very different than you and building relationships with them – Shanti Sena is the work for you. But how to start?

There is no one right way to do Shanti Sena. Develop skills and your own style, and play with it. But there are some bottom line, common sense starting points if you do want to go further than looking for lost kids:

    Safety first, last, and always
    Everyone has strengths in working with people. Find your own strengths and use them.
    Everyone has skills in working with people. Notice others’ skills and learn from them.
    Work using the buddy system.
    Ask for help when it is needed.
    If a situation is tense, make sure you de-escalate yourself first before trying to intervene with others. Your goal is to de-escalate the situation so people can work things through calmly; the last thing you want is to become part of the problem. (This also means attending to self-care. Remember to eat, rest, and play.)
    If you can’t remain impartial, step aside.
    If you aren’t helping, get out of the way.
    If you seriously don’t like people who are drunk, having emotional difficulties, or being obnoxious, you are probably not the right person to intervene with these people.
    Go to as many Shanti Sena workshops as you can.
    Shadow someone who does a lot of Shanti Sena work. (This might mean hanging around and drinking a lot of coffee with a lot of very cool people you have never met before.)
    Skills matter, but the most important tool you have is yourself and your loving heart.