Avalonfest '08--the Naked Festival

[danimal1960]

Dubbed by the Music Community as "The Naked Festival", AvalonFest '08 is Avalon Resort's annual Music, Arts and Crafts Festival.


Check it out at: avalon-resort.com

[WriteNaked]

This is a great event! I commend it! A must-do, whether you go naked -- or even if you wear clothes. It's fun, and it's good music. Absolutely!

WN

[Clothesbegone]

As the song goes..."I'll be there..." even though my favorite naked troubadour Randall Williams will not be there this year.

[VANudist]

I visited for the first time last year and really enjoyed it. A great environment, great people and lots of fun. I'm sorry too that Randall Williams won't be there. Sounds like some other great acts will be there though.

[threadbare]

I called Avalon today, they said the campground was just about booked-up for that weekend.
My family & I are planning a day trip ( just 1:15 minutes away) but I'm waiting for them to post who is playing on what day to decide whether Saturday or Sunday.
What are the chances of CFI making a trip to West Virginia that weekend in August???

[threadbare]

For those of you who have been to this event before....My wife & I have a couple of questions.
Did you take your kids and/or were there kids there?
Since this is not an event confined to the nudist community is there any additional security measures put in place?

Thanks

[WriteNaked]

Thanks for the heads-up about the Campground already getting booked up, Threadbare. I called the office this morning and got my ticket -- I figured that $95.00 for the whole event AND for a tentsite makes this a deal that is just too good to pass up!

If you've not camped there before, you'll find it a great place to pitch a tent: there's a lower campsite that was new last summer, and relatively undeveloped but very close to the main pool, with showers. There also are the older campsites in the upper grounds that are close to a couple of different bath houses and more showers. They're a little bit more of a walk, but the walk isn't prohibitive and heck, isn't one of the joys of any nudist experience the chance to hike naked?

Kids are most definitely welcome. True, the performances are public events, but even so, almost none of the spectators wear anything, so the atmosphere is one of fun, congeniality, nudity -- and comfortable safety.

Travel Naturally, by the way, did a feature on the 2005 festival (the first one I was at) in the Spring 2006 issue (No. 58). It's a good article, and would give anyone who's not been to Avalon before a sense both of the place and of the event.

My only sadness about this year's festival is to hear that Randall Williams won't be there. He's great -- and one of the few performers to wear absolutely nothing but his guitar! May his spirit continue. Maybe he'll be back another year?

Cheers,

WN

[VANudist]

I felt that the event last year was very security conscious. There were staff/volunteers all around the entrance and any bags are inspected when you enter the fenced in area (which surrounds everything but the camping sites I think).

I do believe kids are very welcome and I think the environment is very suitable for kids. However, I don't recall seeing many teenage or younger kids last year, so they may not have many other kids to play with if that is important.

Just got my ticket and there are still tent sites available, but no other options.

[threadbare]

I thought I'd bring this one back to the top since it's not that far away.
How many here are planning to attend????

[BearEater]

For those of you who have been to this event before....My wife & I have a couple of questions.
Did you take your kids and/or were there kids there?
Since this is not an event confined to the nudist community is there any additional security measures put in place?

Thanks


Hi threadbare,

I've been to the festival 5 times and yes, there are kids there. A number of the members have children and some guests also bring their own. The members also arrange for events for the kids. Several member counselors, most of whom live or own at Avalon arrange for games and arts and crafts right next to the lodge house to give parents a chance to enjoy the festival without wondering where the little ones have disappeared to. If you go you should call in advance to let them know you would be bringing children and might wish them to be involved. The office personnel can give you more information. If there is no interest they may not run it, but last year there were maybe 7 children involved and they really tried to make it fun for them. If I remember correctly it is done for possibly 4 hours each day and they even arrange for a hay ride around the grounds.

As for security, I have worked it each year along with many volunteers and a professional security guard who basically manages the rest of the people. For the most part the Avalon members take care of a lot of the jobs at the festival. You'd be surprised what an array of jobs these people have away from Avalon, so there is no shortage of skills available including many health care and emergency personnel .

The security group receives walkie talkies and contacts the main gate with any problems that should not be handled by civilians at which point the head of security will come and assist or contact the local authorities if something major arises. The volunteer coordinator is also accessible throughout the festival and works closely with security and Avalon workers. I would not say that there is any shortage of security, but as with any event you should also watch your own items of course.

Avalon has two pools and two hottubs. One pool and both hottubs are indoors with a rolling roof and it opens onto the field that the festival is on. Security works to keep this area open to festival guests only as it borders that music area. The second pool is on a hill just outside the lodge/indoor pool area and has a snack bar. I believe it has been open to everyone at the resort at the time of the festival. In any case, I think you would find it an enjoyable trip. Hope to see you there.

Bear.

[CAMERA]

Randall Williams will be appearing at MAHESO in Davidson Maryland on August 23rd. See MAHESO-Naturally.org.

[nudenwv]

my wife and i have been to avalon twice. we loved it. we would enjoy nothing more than to attend the music fest. we heard how great it was and the crowd they bring in. i would work security if we had the money to go down. hope all who are able to attend have a great time!

[usuallylurk]

We WOULD be going, but I can't take any more time off this summer (it's a 10 hour drive from here to Avalon, and that would require a day in each direction).

Maybe next year ....

[threadbare]

Done that, no t-shirt needed.
Family & I went, had a great time, great music, good food, great people, BEAUTIFUL day.
The way it was promoted I would have thought there would have been about 50-75% more people in attendence. Met & talked with people from all over, from New york, Ohio, North Carolina, Indiana and even some from Frederick MD.
Two things I would love to see change, a wider variety of beer, and more kids!
There were a total of 3 kids there----2 were mine. They had a great time in the pools, but beyond that, they were very quick to let us know------we're bored!!!
Hope to attend next year......maybe leave the kids home(but I would rather let them in the fun too)!!!