SH’BANG SH’URVIVAL GUIDE 
Welcome to Sh’Bang! This festival is a little on the different side of things. We embrace a participatory and co-creative culture and vibe. Below you’ll find tips and tricks as you get geared up to thrive at the Festival of Ideas, which has been glowing for 18 years!
WHAT TO BRING
- 👗 CLOTHING: all your fancy colors, styles, and, most critically for the evening, warm layers! It will dip below 60ºF overnight. Be prepared with rain gear.
- 🔦 FLASHLIGHT: Bring your headlamp or torch: the main areas will be lit, but many spots are very dark.
- ⛺️ CAMPING GEAR: tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, etc.
- 💦 WATER BOTTLE: a metal or plastic (no glass!) bottle. Filtered drinking water is available on site.
- 🏊 SWIMMING: the Quarry lake is a refreshing dip! Note, swimsuits are optional. Floating toys, SUPs, inflatables and more are welcome. NO SUNSCREEN OR OILS in the Quarry lake. Please wash anything off before entering: we’ve a couple showers!
- 🍽️ FOOD: we offer a FULL MEAL DEAL, check ticket page for details! Additionally, there are vendors—but bring some of your own snacks, too. Bring camping style dishes and silverware.
- 👂 EAR PLUGS: amplified sound may play until 2am.
- 🎺 Musical instruments, costumes, mermaid tails, bubbles! Oh, bring bubbles please! 🫧
Remember, this event is rain or shine, come prepared to enjoy the festival in any weather. Aim for self-sufficiency, and support each other. Be the spectacle, wear your craziest. Swing a hammock.
ALL AGES. NO DOGS. Visit us on facebook for more Sh’Bang planning and community!
WHEN TO ARRIVE
You can arrive any time during these Box Office hours:
- Friday 12:00pm-10:00pm
- Saturday 9:00am-10:00pm
- Sunday 9:00am-4:00pm
Final Check Out time: Monday 11:00am! Get outta here! Here is the address for your mapping purposes: 246 Old Highway 99N, Bellingham, WA 98229
BRING SOME COLOR
It’s a festival of ideas! Sh’Bang is a participatory, cooperative event, and we encourage everyone to share their art and creativity. Bring costumes, camp decorations, water toys, crafts to make and share, circus props, ideas… play! The mesmeric mermaids would love you to bring your mermaid tail if you may. Splash!
KIDS are VERY WELCOME
We love having the little ones around and have numerous kid friendly activities in the schedule, from puppet shows, to giant puppet parades, a tea party with a real fairy, face-painting, mermaids, a cardboard crafting zone to make costumes, a special kids piñata, various circus shows, the Soapbox Derby, and great music to dance and boogie, too! We are a festival of ideas and with so many wild beautiful artists in the mix we can’t guarantee any of the content, use your discretion. The swimming area is clothing optional; so, if this offends you stay clear of the swimming area and rest assured that people will be clothed in the rest of the festival grounds. Lastly, there are some dangers to the site including sharp rocks, cliffs, prickles, and deep water so please keep your little one in sight at all times.
SAFETY
We have a security team onsite to help diffuse any situations that arise and to keep people feeling safe. If there is a problem, or you are needing help, stop by the Security station!
LAQ is a former rock quarry in the wetlands! There are sharp rocks and thorny bushes, be careful where you’re walking, especially around the water in your bare feet. We do have trained medics and a first aid team available at all times, we’ve got ya, but take care!
TOILETRIES
Sunscreen, bug spray, and oils muck up the quarry—so if you plan on enjoying the water, get them off your skin before you jumping in. Please use only mineral sunscreen and REMOVE ALL OILS AND SUNSCREEN before swimming. We are surrounded by wetlands, so only use biodegradable soap if you get around to bathing during the weekend. NO GLASS.
RESTROOMS
Don’t pee in the quarry! The NoPee monster will surely get you. Use the numerous and oft-cleaned porta potties OR find a tree and discreetly water it. Splash. Also, we’ve got a couple showers near the Quarry, rinse off!
ALCOHOL
Be respectful, care for each other, take care. Alcohol is not sold onsite. Security team reserves the right to intervene in conspicuous consumption. No jerks!
DRINKING WATER
There is filtered water available on site, but please bring some drinking water for your stay. We strive to be a low waste festival, help us out by coming prepared with reusable dishes, silverware, and water bottles.
NO DOGS
We love the furry friends, and the Quarry during festival time is not a safe environment for them. There are no dogs allowed at the Quarry, so please leave pups and other animal friends behind (service dogs may be approved). Ducks, chickens, and a cat already roam the area and are best left to themselves.
PARKING
We DON’T WANT to charge you for parking! Read below for ways to save on parking. When you arrive, park temporarily in the front lot to check-in at the BOX OFFICE. Parking space is very limited. Please carpool, bike, take a bus, or teleport. Each car on site requires a parking pass—and RVs require an Oversize Parking Pass.
Carpool and you can get FREE PARKING! Scoop some people up (find rideshare folks in the community group): we will reimburse your regular parking pass in FULL if you meet Clown Car Criteria: 4 or more people in a vehicle, you get your parking pass refunded (an oversize vehicle will get $30 off of the Oversize Parking Pass). Bikes, Scooters, Motorcycles, Unicycles all park for FREE.
🚌 SHUTTLE FROM TOWN
This may be the most exciting new thing this year! The festival grounds are better with fewer cars, and this year we’ve finally created an option to ride a shuttle from town. We are offering one-way and unlimited tickets. Here is what you need to know to take advantage of this fabulous parking alternative:
Bellingham pick-up location: Civic Stadium 1445 Puget St, Bellingham, WA 98229. You may park your vehicle here for the whole weekend, or come and go with day passes.
Shuttle hours:
- Friday: 11:30am-7:30pm (final shuttle will leave from Sh’Bang at 7:30pm)
- Saturday: 8:30am-11:30am and 8:30pm-1:30am (final shuttle departs Sh’Bang at 1:30am)
- Sunday: 8:30am-11:30am and 8:30pm-1:30am (final shuttle departs Sh’Bang at 1:30am)
FOOD ~ MEAL DEAL
Allow our kitchen to nourish you all weekend with mindfully sourced meat & garden-to-table produce. We prioritize local, in season, & organic options. We take care of our vegan/vegetarian friends just the same! With the Festival Meal Deal you get 7 meal vouchers. You may split these or share with friends and family as you wish. Team up!
- Meals will be plated on compostable service-ware. Please bring your own plates & cutlery to help reduce waste!
- Coffee & Tea will be available for purchase at the Sh’BANG Coffee Sh’op in the Saloon 9:30am – 3:30pm Saturday and Sunday
- Meal times are 8:30-9:30am \ 1:30-2:30pm \ 6:30-7:30pm (Starting with Friday Dinner).
There will also be food vendors on site, no empty bellies!
CAMPING
Your Full Weekend Pass includes access to the designated fields and forests available for pitching your tent (you may also sleep in your vehicle, let the parking attendants know!). Come prepared, but keep it simple. There may or may not be shade available, be ready for sun and rain. Say hello to your neighbors… love each other. There is only very limited electricity, ditch the electronics. Earplugs might be nice.
For the safety of staff and attendees, you can only drive in and out of the festival grounds during limited times.
NOISE LEVELS
Amplified music will be playing until about 2 or 3 am. If you need quiet in order to sleep, bring along some earplugs. There is forest camping all along our loop road for those seeking quieter camping spots.
LEAVE AT HOME
- Dogs (and other animal friends)
- Sunscreen and Oils (biodegradable soaps only)
- Bug Spray
- Glass bottles or containers
- Illegal Substances
COVID SAFETY
There are currently no vaccine or Covid testing requirements for festival entry, performing or volunteering. We expect everyone who is in attendance to take into account the safety of the community, especially those who are vulnerable. Please click here for more details about Sh’Bang Covid policy and if you have had any recent exposures to Covid we ask that you wear a mask, test frequently and please leave the site if you test positive at any point.
Feel free to look over the current CDC guidelines