Tickets
Tickets

2022 Refuge Outdoor Festival | Tolt River-John MacDonald Park, Carnation, WA | August 12 to August 14

November 1, 2023

Schedule

Fri Aug 12 2022 at 03:00 pm to Sun Aug 14 2022 at 12:00 pm

Location

Tolt River-John MacDonald Park | Carnation, WA

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Refuge Fest is the premier camping experience geared toward Black, Indigenous, People of Color (ALL are welcome)!
About this Event

REFUGE IS BACK! #LeetsMeetOutside

You BELONG outside. Join us for the 5th annual Refuge Outdoor Festival campout. 3-days and 2-nights filled with opportunities to feel liberated and free. Leave rejuvenated and connected.

ALL bodies are welcome at Refuge– Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Allies, Queer, Trans, Disabled. New to exploring the outdoors? Expert in all things outdoors? Just want to kick it? This event is for you! This event is to build community and take refuge. While no space is safe for everyone; we design for emotional and physical safety, accessibility, connection, joy, and belonging. All ages, all experience levels, all people are welcome, sorry only service animals.

Schedule to include a variety of activities including justice conversations, physical recreation opportunities at various levels, healing practices, art creation, and musical experiences. AND of course our silent disco & partner market. Choose your adventure, do as much or as little as you would like.

You have options! Camping at Refuge Fest isn’t just in a tent. We offer a number of camping options including open field camping, private car camping, RV or Campervan sites, REI pre-set camping, and 6-person yurts with electricity.

www.refugeoutdoorfestival.com Follow us on Instagram

What to expect:

  • Black, Indigenous, People of Color and Allies
  • A Safer Space
  • Outdoor Recreation Activities & Workshops
  • Musical Experiences
  • Community Service Project
  • Camping Options
  • Food & Camp Cooking Options
  • Resource & Vendor Market
  • Art
  • Fun
  • Did we mention fun?!!!

Do as much or as or as little as you would like.

This is for you if you:

  • Are a BIPOC person that wants to build community with other BIPOC folks.
  • Are a white person that respects, supports, and want to build community with BIPOC.
  • Have an interest in the outdoors but don’t know where to start.
  • Love the outdoors and are looking for a community to share it with.

LOCATION

Ancestral lands of the Snoqualmie. Prior to white settlement of the Snoqualmie Valley in the late 1850s, this area was home to several large permanent winter villages occupied by the ancestors of members of the Snoqualmie Tribe. The  575-acre Tolt-MacDonald Park and Campground is located in Carnation at the confluence of the Snoqualmie and Tolt Rivers in the beautiful Snoqualmie Valley. Because this is high-quality salmon habit, during the fall, visitors can observe chinook salmon spawning in the river below while eagles and osprey soaring above. 

King County’s Tolt- MacDonald Park & Campground

Carnation, WA

TICKET INFORMATION 

Step 1: Select your festival pass (Options: Adult, Kid, Youth)

Step 2: Select your lodging (Options: Field Camping, Private Car Camping, RV or Campervan, REI Pre-set 2-person Camping, Yurt)

Step 3: Select payment (Options: PayPal, Venmo*, Cash, Check) *visit www.refugeoutdoorfestival.com/tickets

  *Tickets are non-refundable but are transferable.

  * This is a drug-free event.

  * Rain or Shine

  * People-Friendly SERVICE Dogs on leash are allowed.

PAST SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

Friday

3:00pm- 10:00pm Check-in

5:00pm- 7:30pm Camper Social

7:30pm- 10:00pm Welcome Experience w/ outdoor movies, curated mediation, & star gazing

Saturday

7:00am- 4:30pm Outdoor Recreation & Workshops

4:30pm- 7:00pm Partner Market

8:00pm- 10:00pm  Concert

10:30pm- 12:30am Silent Disco

Sunday

9:00am- 11:00am Service Project

11:00am- 11:45am Closing Circle

No pre-registration for activities is required. Sign-up onsite first come, first serve.

PAST SPONSORS & PARTNERS

In-kind: Bobo’s, Osprey, Patagonia, Zipcar, Klean Kanteen, Kavu, Field Notes, MSR, Therm-a-rest

Community partners: Y-WE, Urban Wilderness Project, EPOC, Rainier Valley Corps, Outdoor Asian, Brown Girls Climb, Girl Trek, Brown Girls Write, Co3 Consulting, Climbers of Color

Sponsors: Washington Trails Association, The Wilderness Society, The Mountaineers, US Forest Service, Bike Works, WA State Fish & Wildlife, Seattle Audubon, National Wildlife Federation, Mountain to Sound Greenway Trust, Evo, Conservation NW, WA State Parks Foundation, REI, WA State Parks

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Who can come?

A: All are welcome, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and allies. This event is meant to be a safer space for People of Color outdoor enthusiasts and novices to celebrate and explore in one amazing weekend.

Q: Can children come?

A: Yes. Kids under 8 are free. We are building an intergenerational event and community. Bring your kids and grandparents- all are welcome.

Q: Are children free?

A: As of 2021, we have changed our child policy for our in-person event. A ticket purchase is required for children six years of age and older. Children age five or younger are free with a ticketed adult.

Q: Can I bring my dog?

A: Only service dogs are allowed at Tolt-MacDonald Park during the festival.

Q: Is this event ADA accessible?

A: We strive to create an inclusive and accessible event for all to engage and enjoy; building safer outdoor experiences for our community is our mission. Accessibility encompasses many diverse needs. We are committed to continuing to make Refuge as accessible as possible including questions in the registration. If other accommodations are needed, please email [email protected].

Q: I would love to camp but I don’t have gear?

A: No problem. With the support of our partners and sponsors we have gear that attendees can access for the weekend; including tents, sleeping bags, and more. Gear requests can be submitted until August 8, 2021.

Q: Will the event be canceled if it rains?

A: No, the festival will happen rain or shine.  

Q: Are there bathrooms? Showers?

A: There will be a number of portable restrooms and pit toilets open at the event. Unfortunately, there will not be showers open during the event.  

Q: Can I leave the festival grounds and re-enter?

A: Yes, re-entry is allowed. 

Q: How are you addressing COVID risks during the campout?

A: We are continuing to monitor CDC and local guidelines. Closer to the event we will publish our COVID-19 Safety Plan here. Our plans will comply with the latest guidelines released by the Washington State Governor’s Office and Public Health, the City of Carnation & King County.

Q: Do we have to be vaccinated to attended the festival?

A: No. While we highly encourage people to get vaccinated, we understand and respect each individuals right to make this decision.

Q: What will we be doing?

A: We are curating a list of activities and workshops during the festival but we encourage you to participate as much or as little as you would like.

Q: Will the gear be provided for activities?

A: Most activities do not require gear. We are encouraging you to bring your own gear onsite such as bikes and water activity items.

Q: What should I bring?

A: There are a number of lodging and activity options to choose from for your festival experience. Things to consider. You will need to bring your own camping supplies based on your lodging selection and food needs. Field camping is in a open field, which means you need to bring your own tent, sleeping bag, and so on. Dress and plan according to the activities you would like to participate in and the weather.

Q: How do I get there?

A: We recommend carpooling with other festivalgoers, there is free parking onsite. Additional transportation options will be posted in early July. 

Q: Can I cook onsite?

A: Yes, you will need to provide your own food and specialized equipment. We will have a camp kitchen where you can sign up to use a stove, knives, cutting boards, and so on. There will be food for purchase onsite.

Q: Are you still accepting sponsors?

A: Yes, we actively seek opportunities to collaborate with organizations and individuals whose missions, values, and work align with our own. Reach out to us at [email protected].

Q: I can’t attend. How can I donate?

A: Thank you so much for donating to Refuge Outdoor Festival. Planning this event isn’t cheap, but together as a community, we will make this event happen! Funds raised go toward supporting community access. Donations can be made via Paypal.

Q: I have another question/concern. Who can I reach out to?

A: Feel free to reach out to [email protected] for further concerns.

By purchasing a ticket you agree with the following:

* Golden Bricks reserves the right to refuse admission or to eject a pass holder for behavior likely to cause damage, injury, or nuisance. This is a hate-free safe space if a pass holder behavior is unbecoming of policies that Golden Bricks has set forth ejection will be immediate. Intoxication or aggressive behavior is unacceptable and will result in ejection from the park. Those ejected from the venue will not be readmitted to the event and tickets will not be refunded. 

Don’t miss out on the fun. 

Event Photos
Event Photos


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Where is it happening?

Tolt River-John MacDonald Park, 31020 Northeast 40th Street, Carnation, United States

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

USD 0.00 to USD 400.00

Golden Bricks Events

Host or Publisher Golden Bricks Events

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'Nature Keeps Me Grounded' - The Trail Posse

‘Nature Keeps Me Grounded’ – The Trail Posse

November 1, 2023

It’s hard to say how or why Chevon Powell was granted a rebirth so close to the beginning of her life. She was only 5 months old when her family’s Houston apartment burned down. She was rescued after suffering first- and second-degree burns on about 75% of her body.

At one point the Powell family was summoned to bid their baby girl farewell.

More than 35 years later, Powell has gone to plenty of places, just not the destination the medical staff at Hermann Hospital had feared.

Powell was released from Hermann on May 12, a date she counts as her “second birthday.” Her friends call it her “Phoenix birthday,” because she rose from the ashes like the mythical bird.

“I’ve been gifted a lot of life I wasn’t supposed to have,” Powell said. She had 14 surgeries by the time she was 15 years old. The last one unsuccessfully attempted to lower three toes in her right foot to the ground. Rather than try again, she decided to keep on moving.

Powell’s many travels landed her in Seattle, where last year she launched the Refuge Outdoor Festival, a three-day camping experience geared toward people of color and their allies. The event centers on community building and includes workshops and arts and other outdoor activities. The second edition will be held Sept. 27-29 at the Tolt-McDonald Park and Campground, near Carnation.

This year’s festival will be capped at 300 participants. People, including Powell’s parents, are flying in from other parts of the country, prompting her to contemplate holding similar events in other regions of the country in 2020.

The festival was inspired by Powell’s experiences at Camp Janus, which she calls “Burn Camp,” a therapeutic and recreational camp in Texas for burn victims. “Burn Camp” revealed to her not only the healing power of nature, but of sharing space with people who either looked like her or shared her circumstances, whether they be racial or gender identities or surviving fire.

Powell is Black, with a cleanly shaven head and a friendly face framed by smoothed-over scars. She comes from an event-planning background. This particular event, the Refuge Festival, happens to be mission-driven, though not in a way that others might assume.

One of the dominant false narratives of the outdoors is that people of color are missing from it. Purveyors cite statistics showing whites accounting for nearly 80 percent of visitors to national parks or 93 percent of bird watchers. On the other hand, 70 percent of respondents to a survey of nonwhite voters said they participated in outdoor activities on public lands.

“We need to change the conversation because people of color do [outdoor] things,” Powell said. “We just talk about it differently. We don’t talk about being outdoors. We just go fishing. We just go do the activity.”

Nature was why Powell relocated to Seattle nine years ago, but she already was immersed in it. One of her childhood preoccupations — in addition to a fascination with fire (“I was a little pyro,” she says) — was wanderlust. In grade school, she studied maps of her native Texas, the United States and the world. She became determined: “Oh, I’m going everywhere.”

On a quest to visit all 50 states (she is up to 44), Powell checked off Oregon, then Washington, during an Amtrak trip to Chicago. In Seattle, she spied mountains, trees and water, and vowed to return. She eventually did, taking a job with AmeriCorps, a domestic community service program.

After founding her consulting business, Golden Bricks Events, Powell landed at REI as an event planner. There, she used an employee grant to take a solo backpacking trip in New England, not long after her first-ever backpacking trek, which she did with a group of women of color that summer.

Powell had driven to Stowe, Vermont, where she planned to spend the first night of her two-week journey in a hotel. While checking directions, she noticed she was being followed by a police car. She’d had her share of driving-while-Black incidents, but this one was different.

The white male officer followed her into the hotel parking lot. When Powell exited her car, he blasted his siren and ordered her back in. “What are you doing here?” he asked. She explained her trip, pointed out her pack in the trunk and pair of hiking shoes on the back seat.

“That’s unbelievable,” the officer told Powell, making a not infrequent assumption. He radioed for backup. When it arrived, Powell overheard the first officer uttering the word “unbelievable” several more times, then the second one saying, “Let her go.”

The trip was not derailed. Powell later hung out with a white family in Acadia National Park in Maine, after they helped recover the keys she’d locked in her car. She even encountered one other Black person, a man also from Texas; he too was trying to visit all 50 states. She didn’t mention her first-night incident with the police to anyone, not even him.

Already a seed in her mind, the idea of a Refuge Outdoor Festival began to germinate, she says. “I started thinking, what can I do so things like this don’t happen to people?” Powell added. “I do events.” She went back to REI, then left to start her business.

Death, her lifelong shadow, provided a final push. Powell lost 11 family members during a nearly yearlong sequence. The eighth was a cousin everyone called “Plump.” Powell had just returned from the funeral of another cousin when she received the call about Plump’s passing.

It was a sign to get serious about staging the Refuge Festival.

“Nature keeps me grounded,” Powell said. “It shows that there’s more than just the things I’m dealing with. There’s a grand expanse. … I’m a piece of the puzzle and not everything in the puzzle. It goes back to the community and engaging that community in trying to make this a better place to live for future generations.”

It’s apt that Chevon Powell does what she does to help preserve the future. After all, she wasn’t even supposed to have one.

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Celebrating Juneteenth and the Outdoors – Ventures

Celebrating Juneteenth and the Outdoors – Ventures

November 1, 2023

Juneteenth, also known as “Emancipation Day” or “Freedom Day,” is an African-American holiday that commemorates the day when enslaved Black Americans were emancipated on June 19th, 1865, in the former Confederate States of America. Although Juneteenth is not a federally recognized holiday, Ventures wants to celebrate this critical moment in American history and honor the liberation of people whose rights were stolen. A unique way that our community can acknowledge this holiday is by embracing the outdoors at the upcoming events that are hosted by Chevon Powell’s Golden Bricks Events.

Born and raised in Texas, Chevon has always loved the outdoors ever since she was a child and would fish with her grandmother and go to summer camp. “The outdoors has always been a part of my life,” said Chevon. Chevon joined Ventures’ community of entrepreneurs two years ago, with over twenty years of experience in the event industry. She has been a trusted consultant for organizations and was recognized by the South Seattle Emerald as a source of fostering a healing community for people of color.

This year, she won the fan-favorite prize at InnoVentures, Ventures’ pitch competition and fundraiser. Chevon created the first Refuge Outdoor Festival in 2018 to elevate people of color and their experiences outdoors. Chevon stated, “When people are interacting with the outdoors, they are healthier as an individual and as a community.”

Chevon’s appreciation for the outdoors had never faltered, even when she was pulled over by the police in Vermont on a solo backpacking trip along the Appalachian Trail. “It was a terrifying experience. They looked at me and didn’t perceive me to be a part of the outdoors.” Chevon’s story is intertwined with many others who have experienced similar encounters. This prompted her to launch her business, Golden Bricks Events, to change the narrative around how others view people of color interacting with the outdoors. “It’s not nature that’s discriminatory.” Through her consulting and event business model, she challenges other organizations and businesses to think through a community-centered inclusive lens.

Representation matters. That is a statement that Chevon lives by when showcasing her work through the Refuge Outdoor Festival. The mission of her business is to create experiences that meet the needs of people of color who want to enjoy the outdoors in a safe environment. The Refuge Outdoor Festival is usually a two-day camping event geared toward people of color that is centered on outdoor recreation, community conversations, art, and music.

This year, it is set to be an online event on September 18th – 20th. Although the opportunity for a large public gathering is limited, it will not stop the event from being held virtually. It will still feature local artists and community members who support creating a safe space for people of color.

Chevon’s dream is to work herself out of business so that everybody can feel included in outdoor activities and hobbies. However, as a Black business owner, there are a different set of challenges that come with managing a small business⁠—as is still evident by racial discrimination in financial institutions. Chevon mentioned “being a solo entrepreneur has always been challenging, so it’s good to have support and guidance from organizations like Ventures” that are aware of the widespread economic inequalities in this country.

Growing up, Chevon knew the importance of celebrating Juneteenth as a holiday in her community. “We should all be aware of this very important day,” Chevon stated. As a child in Texas, Juneteenth was not a holiday that she and her family could take off from school and work. However, it was a day that her family encouraged her to commemorate to remember what Black Americans and allies strived to achieve after years of being devalued as humans by the transatlantic slave trade. It is an opportunity to remind Americans of the past, and to amplify equitable access to opportunities and success for African Americans.

You can follow Chevon’s work on Instagram and Facebook to receive notifications about upcoming events and opportunities. 

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Refuge Outdoor Festival returns for a second year | Snoqualmie Valley Record

Refuge Outdoor Festival returns for a second year | Snoqualmie Valley Record

November 1, 2023

The Refuge Outdoor Festival is returning for a second year to Tolt-MacDonald Park in Carnation, Sept. 27-29. The festival is a three-day camping experience geared toward people of color, outdoor recreation and community building.

Refuge was launched by Chevon Powell, a Texas native who moved to Seattle nine years ago. Powell said she created the festival after she had an incident with a police officer in Vermont. After being followed, stopped and questioned by the police officer, Powell said she saw that as an opportunity to create an experience where people could come together and build community.

“As an event planner by trade, I thought I could use my skills to change what people see around people of color being outside,” she said. “I wanted to bring community together so that we can all be in a safe space outside and enjoy a weekend together… it’s like a family reunion.”

The festival is planned to be a safe place that brings together people of all ages and recreation levels to explore and celebrate diversity, nature and life. The festival includes daily outdoor recreation activities including hiking and fishing, community conversations, nightly conversations, workshops, yoga, meditation, music, dancing and art. Workshops and an ice cream social will kick off the event on Friday. A Snoqualmie Tribe recognition will also be read. Saturday is packed with workshops, outdoor activities, music and silent disco to end the night. Sunday will include a service project and conversation.

“There’s a notion that people of color don’t do the [outdoors],” Powell said. “There’s a lot of negative stereotypes and perspectives in people of color… I wanted to create a space where we could have those conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion in the outdoors specifically.”

This year, the festival is expecting about 200 people. Powell said community members are welcomed to drop by for a full day or stay the full weekend. Refuge is an intergenerational event and all are welcome — people of color and allies.

Full access passes are $110, youth passes are $45, children under 8 are free. Ticket information is available online at bit.ly/ROFest2019. Detailed festival lodging information can be found on the festival website, www.refugeoutdoorfestival.com.

“There is a low number of [people of color] in the outdoor industry. We don’t necessarily get the opportunity as people of color and this is the opportunity to learn from people that look like us, and I think that is important,” Powell said. “Refuge is creating that space where you can find those things and learn from people that might look like you.”

Refuge was created by Golden Bricks Events — Powell’s consulting business — which has a record of developing events and festivals that encompass outdoor recreation, community and diversity.

Golden Brick Events builds experiences showcasing the voices and faces of people of color and marginalized communities, bringing people together in the outdoors and serving the needs of a diverse and inclusive community.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article stated that the Snoqualmie Tribe would perform a land recognition on Friday night. The Snoqualmie Tribe will not perform a land recognition. Refuge Outdoor Festival will read a land recognition provided by the Snoqualmie Tribe.

The Refuge Outdoor Festival is creating a space to explore and celebrate diversity, nature and life. Photo courtesy of Tennishia Williams

The Refuge Outdoor Festival is creating a space to explore and celebrate diversity, nature and life. Photo courtesy of Tennishia Williams

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Embrace adventure with Refuge Outdoor Festival: Fifth-annual Refuge Outdoor Festival, Aug. 12-14, expands BIPOC community access to outdoor recreation at King County’s Tolt-MacDonald Park – King County, Washington

November 1, 2023

Story

A camping experience geared toward Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) returns to King County’s Tolt-MacDonald Park this summer. The annual Refuge Outdoor Festival, a unique outdoor recreation and community-building experience, takes place Aug. 12-14.

Now in its fifth season, the festival is expected to attract more than 500 attendees for a weekend filled with adventure and community building in the great outdoors.

The festival is a safe space for participants with varying levels of outdoor experience. More than 20 outdoor-focused workshops and activities are planned and will be led by experts and community partners who make the information and experiences accessible for all. Participants can also enjoy community conversations, nightly concerts, art exhibits, an outdoor vendor market, silent disco, and a variety of other entertainment options.

For those staying overnight, an assortment of onsite camping options will be available ranging from primitive sites to glamping accommodations.

“We are excited to have Refuge Fest back at Tolt-MacDonald Campground and to bring the community together again,” said Chevon Powell, festival organizer and founder and managing director of Golden Bricks Events (GBE). “Refuge is not your typical festival or camping experience. We encourage our community to do as much or as little as they’d like, as long as they take a moment of refuge from all the things going on in the world.”

Tickets and detailed festival information are available at refugeoutdoorfestival.com. Full-access festival passes are priced on a sliding scale and limited scholarship tickets are available.

Acknowledging that many participants may not have all the necessary equipment, access to a gear bank and camp kitchen reservations will be provided in partnership with REI and the Washington Trails Association. As with every GBE event, participants can be assured that inclusivity for all remains the focus of the weekend’s adventures.

Chris Liu, a volunteer with GBE community partner Outdoor Asian, said participating in the 2021 Refuge Outdoor Festival was life changing.

“Oshun Swim School’s workshop at Refuge inspired me to continue on my journey of reconnecting with water and I’ve been taking lessons with Seattle Parks and Rec these past few months,” Liu said.

Refuge Day is a slightly smaller event where participants can prepare for the upcoming Refuge Outdoor Festival by learning the ins and outs of outdoor gear while creating space for comradery and meaningful connections with other festivalgoers. That event is set for Aug. 5 at the REI Seattle flagship store.

Relevant links

About Golden Bricks Events

Golden Bricks is an event production company addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion by creating special events and festivals that showcase the voices and faces of Black, Indigenous, and People of color in the outdoors. Its mission is to create experiences that meet the needs of a diverse and inclusive audience. Our communications kit and more information are available at goldenbricksevents.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Jeanette Clement
Community Manager, Communications & Brand Partners | Golden Bricks Events
jeanette@goldenbricksevents.com

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Calling All People of Color: Let's Get Outdoors

Calling All People of Color: Let’s Get Outdoors

November 1, 2023

Calling all families of color! It’s time to get out and explore the outdoors. The Pacific Northwest is full of amazing natural wonders. Families in our area are lucky to be able to experience three national parks in Washington state, as well as over 140 terrific state parks.

Yet people of color are often underrepresented in the outdoors. Although the U.S. Census estimates that people of color make up roughly 41 percent of the U.S., a 2018 Outdoor Recreation Participation survey, conducted by the Outdoor Foundation, shows that just 25 percent of participants in outdoor recreation activities are people of color.

Similarly, only 28 percent of campers in the United States are people of color, according to a 2019 North American Camping Report, sponsored by Kampgrounds of America.

Refuge Outdoor Festival 

Local families of color can look forward to the upcoming Refuge Outdoor Festival, taking place Friday–Sunday, Sept. 27–29, at King County’s Tolt-Macdonald Park.

Designed for people of color, this all-ages festival brings together participants to enjoy music, activities and discussions about representation in the outdoors. All people of color and allies are welcome.

“The festival is really centered around creating an inclusive space for groups that have traditionally been marginalized in the outdoor community,” said festival organizer Chevon Powell.

Tickets are still available for the 2019 Refuge Outdoor Festival. A weekend pass costs $110 per adult or $45 per youth (under age 8 are free). For an additional $20 per tent, grab some field space for camping. Bring your own gear. Upgraded camping options are also available: car-camping spots, camper-van spots or RV spots for $125–$150, or you can rent out a yurt for $300.

More outdoor opportunities for families of color

For families of color looking for more outdoor options, groups such as Outdoor Afro, Outdoor Asian and Latino Outdoors actively work to encourage people of color to experience the outdoors. Various groups organize hikes, campouts and outdoor training throughout the year. Check out these programs and how to get involved.

Wild Youth Program
WILD Youth Program excursion to Diablo Lake. Photo courtesy of WILD Youth Program

WILD Youth Program

Created in 1997, the WILD Youth Program partners with Asian-Pacific Islander youth through cooking classes, outdoor leadership development training, gardening classes and intergenerational activities within the Asian-Pacific Islander community.

“A lot of youth may not have the opportunities to really embrace the outdoors,” says WILD program manager Vincent Kwan. “With our program, we try our best to diversify the community within the outdoors.”

Cascade Bicycle Club’s Major Taylor Project

An initiative of the Cascade Bicycle Club, the Major Taylor Project encourages youth from underrepresented communities in 18 middle schools and high schools across south Seattle to explore the Pacific Northwest. 

“The great part about the project is that we get to take the kids to places they haven’t been to by bike or even [been] in general,” says Major Taylor project manager, Richard Brown. 

The Major Taylor Project reaches youth through bicycles clubs, organized bike rides and their Build-a-Bike program.

Bikeworks youth ride families of color in the outdoors
Youth ride with Bike Works. Photo courtesy Bike Works

Bike Works youth programs

Another organization that encourages bicycling among youth of color is Seattle-based Bike Works. The program director for Bike Works’ youth programs Tina Bechler understands the importance of exposing youth of color to the outdoors. 

“There are a lot of really amazing places to get to by bicycle,” Bechler says. “I think it’s a huge opportunity for young people to see that in half-an-hour, they can go somewhere really beautiful that’s surrounded by nature.”

Bike Works trains youth to repair bikes. They also organize bike clubs for girls, endurance riding clubs and mountain biking clubs throughout the year, as well as bike touring camps in the summer.

Climbers of Color

In thinking about ways to diversify the outdoors, it’s important to also look at the leadership within the outdoor community. Climbers of Color organizes mountaineering leadership workshops throughout the year that are aimed at people of color.  

Team members Max Lam and Nicco Minutoli emphasize that the group’s main aim is to train leaders in the outdoors through their workshops. 

“We’re focused on giving people the tools to run their own outdoor camps and activities,” Minutoli explains.

For older youth with a deep interest in mountaineering and the skills necessary to take on a leadership role, Climbers of Color workshops can pave the way to that path.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2018 and udpated for 2019.

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Q&A with Refuge Outdoor Festival Founder Chevon Powell – Mountains To Sound Greenway Trust

November 1, 2023
September 10, 2021
Eliza Foster, Communications Coordinator & Caroline Villanova, Community Projects Manager

In August 2021, despite a heatwave and wildfire smoke, around 100 BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) campers of all ages came out to spend a long weekend at Refuge Outdoor Festival at Squire Creek Park near Darrington. Participants  took workshops, participated in a silent disco, attended a partners market, and most importantly, had the opportunity to build community and connect in person.

Refuge Outdoor Festival is a three-day camping experience that is geared for BIPOC and centered around “building community through outdoor recreation, conversations, music, and art.” Chevon Powell, the founder of Golden Bricks Events, the company behind Refuge Outdoor Festival, started Refuge four years ago out of a desire to see more people of color outside recreating and creating community.

In the last year and a half, Chevon has pivoted and redesigned her programming from a very in-person focused event to a virtual one, calling it a “camp-in.” With some COVID restrictions changing in Washington, the most recent Refuge Festival was held in-person for the first time since 2019.

We recently had a chance to connect with Chevon after a whirlwind of a year. Read our conversation below to learn more about the upcoming virtual event for Refuge, what the future looks like for the festival, and more!

What was your favorite part about the most recent Refuge Fest?

We had someone named Pablo just show up at our table and they came over and said, “hey, can I help y’all?” and we said sure! Pablo took over, they became the raffle MC and were truly the best raffle caller. At our closing circle their word was “happy.” To have a young kid in the woods just out their doing their thing, it brought a lot of joy. Pablo was doing the most out there.

What can people expect at the upcoming virtual Refuge event September 17-19? Highlights?

This one is going to be really cool. I think you know just the way the world is working now, that advocacy has become a hot topic in the community. And making sure that when we talk about outdoor recreation we are also talking about advocacy. We have workshops on how to build a digital toolkit around advocacy, another workshop around social justice resourcing. And we also have a workshop with someone talking about low tides that we went out and filmed at Alki a few weeks ago. We have an artist out of Philly who will be performing on Saturday and they’re dropping the videos for their EPs via Refuge. So that’s really cool.

And the DJ battle is so much fun! It’s fun to bounce between rooms and hang out with different folks. That’ll be a lot of fun.

I assume that you’re not leading all of these, right?

Oh no, definitely not! The beautiful thing is that we did a call to the community and between our sponsors and partners I think we have about 15 [really cool] workshops plus over the weekend. We’ll be behind the scenes making sure that the community is safe—safety is a big thing. I’ll get to watch the recordings afterwards, everything we recorded I went back last year and watched again.

And you’re expecting people from across the country, right?

Yes! Last year we had folks from across about 20 states which was just the most bizarre and random thing—everywhere from Wyoming to Kentucky. Last year I crashed the Black affinity space and there were three Black women from North Carolina talking about linking up afterward. They were saying, “you go hiking? I want to go hiking with you! We’re only two hours away from each other, let’s make it happen.” So I’ll probably crash things like that.

You have a goal of getting 10,000 people of color outside. How has that been going?

We kind of paused it with COVID, and we’re trying to reassess and figure out how to get a better count especially since we aren’t always there with people. With people engaging with us last year and the previous years we are at over 3,000 POC. We’re excited that our outreach continues to grow and that’s also the struggle [as a small organization].

Just the presence of Refuge has inspired people to get outside. Last year, right before we were heading into lockdown, I was in a pitch competition for a local organization called InnoVentures. After I gave my pitch, the MC who was also in the room, she said, “Chevon you don’t know me but I know you.” She went into saying how for the last few years she’s followed Refuge and she started crying and said it’s inspired her to get outside with her kids, she said hasn’t been able to make it to our events, but just seeing that we’re around and the way that we speak about the outdoors is for everyone has been super inspiring and had touched her pretty deeply.

How can other organizations assist Refuge?

We are always looking for partner organizations. We are starting to consider what it looks like to partner with organizations to do smaller one-offs for communities and a really targeted experience. We’re looking at that for next year and continuing to build our relationships and partnerships so that our reach does get to all people so that we can get them outside.

Not everyone is afforded the luxury to get outside, but are we creating opportunities for them to be able to connect with nature? That’s going to be our thing moving forward and that’s why this year alone we had thirty video projects. Even though we couldn’t get outside together or get outside with the folks we’ve touched across the country, we can create content and we can have you experience the outdoors from your living room.

Do you need volunteers? If people can’t volunteer their time, can they volunteer their money?

Yes, our donation link is always live! And we do have an open call for volunteers ongoing. Because yes, we have the virtual programming that we need support for, but then we are also growing as an organization. Like sometimes I don’t have the monetary resources to for example, redo the website, but if someone wants to volunteer to support that happening, that’s great.

For virtual, we are looking for about ten more volunteers and that’s just helping with chat. Having folks moderate the chat is a way to make our community feel safe.

Is there a future of Refuge outside of Washington?

Yeah that’s something that’s really exciting! Last year we were thinking we were going to expand in 2020, but 2020 told us all different things. We are looking to stay with our current program into 2022. In 2023 we’re hoping to expand Refuge to places like California and the east coast. I always looked at it as a more in your backyard event, because Refuge’s biggest thing is making the community and building the connections and yes you can do that by flying to another place and meeting folks, but how much more impactful if it was like people who live 15 minutes or two hours from each other. It’ll be a much broader impact when it’s like that.

We have had people run into each other. In fact, one woman from Seattle ran into someone she met at Refuge in a coffee shop in Oakland! That’s dope.

How do you approach creating partnerships and relationships?

It takes a lot of work. One of the things that we’re considering when we’re looking at [Refuge] is how are we better in community? And how are we connected in those communities? Refuge in Seattle is the flagship and has a community advisory board, from people all over the country.

In other cities I have started having conversations with folks about building community advisory boards there because we want to be connected to the community and I can’t do that because I am not there. And I don’t have the capacity to build the level of community that I think Refuge needs in each community and I don’t want to, it’s important that each city has that. I can’t lead in a community that isn’t mine. I’ve found that as you’re in community you’re always learning and growing and moving in different ways because if you’re staying still you’re not doing it in community, you’re just doing a thing.

As you’ve wrapped the fourth Refuge Festival what are some lessons you’ve learned?

One of the lessons is being present. Being present in the community and they’ll tell you what they want and how they want it. I also think active listening is a big one and then learning publicly. We’ve had to learn publicly and had to apologize publicly for things that we’ve done wrong—that’s a huge lesson for me. This is a big shocker, but I am very much an introvert and when I started Refuge I wouldn’t even tell people why I was starting it, like my own individual story. I wouldn’t talk to people in public, that terrified me. I would be in the corner, even if I was with a bunch of people.

I’ve had to step into my own power more than I ever thought. When I was first called on stage at an event at REI I was in tears because I was having a panic attack. To go from that to where I am today like, “yeah, I’ll keynote, let’s do this!” is big.

It’s the big life lessons to take those steps to do it and knowing why you’re doing it. I do it for the community and I do it for the change that I want to see. It’s not all just about outdoor recreation and conservation, we’re all on this planet together so let’s come together and get it together. That’s why I do the work that I do.

Interested in learning more about Refuge or attending the upcoming virtual event? You can learn more on their site. 

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Gathering community at Refuge Outdoor Festival — Outside Voices Podcast

Gathering community at Refuge Outdoor Festival — Outside Voices Podcast

November 1, 2023

This episode of Outside Voices is brought to you by REI, your local outdoor co-op working to help you experience the power of nature. REI brings top-quality gear and apparel, expert advice, rental equipment, inspiring stories of life outside and outdoor experiences to enjoy alone or share with your friends and family. Stay tuned for a conversation with Yanira Castro and Ladan Yalzadeh, as they talk about REI’s newest initiative: Race and Place.

Music:

“Cooling” by Audiobinger from http://freemusicarchive.org
License: CC BY-NC 4.0

“Pumkin Spice” by Audiobinger from http://freemusicarchive.org
License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Photos:

From top left to top right:
[Photo of Chevon and her parents at the 2019 Refuge Festival, taken by Sarah Shimazaki after recording a conversation for Outside Voices]

[Group photo of smiling Refuge participants dressed in cold-weather gear on a grassy lawn, photo provided by Chevon and Refuge]

[Candid photo of Refuge participants during a workshop, photo provided by Chevon and Refuge]

[Candid photo of Refuge participants gathering for a workshop on storytelling and place and belonging, particularly centered on stories from Mauna Kea in Hawai’i. A Hawaiian flag hangs in the background. Photo provided by Chevon and Refuge]

From bottom left to bottom right:
[Photo of Refuge participants walking across a bridge, photo provided by Chevon and Refuge]

[Photo of Chevon wearing a yellow beanie, Refuge t-shirt and smiling for a selfie on a bridge, photo provided by Chevon and Refuge]

[Photo of smiling Refuge participants, from left to right: Esmeralda, our intern, Bam and Karen, two friends and Sarah Shimazaki in an orange beanie.]

[Photo of Chevon’s parents and their friends walking around the campsite together, photo provided by Chevon and Refuge]

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Reclaiming Joy in Unprecedented Times

November 1, 2023

By producing events that truly welcome everyone, Chevon Powell combines her love of nature and event planning to bring people together and create a powerful community.

by Crystal Gartner

On her way to her first solo backpacking trip in Vermont, Chevon Powell was confronted by a white police officer who questioned why she was in the area. He said her story of going backpacking was unbelievable and then called for backup. Chevon was finally released and she did take her backpacking trip. But that harrowing incident stuck with her and it was part of her motivation to shift the mission of her company, Golden Bricks Events, toward making the outdoors safer for people of color. By producing events that truly welcome everyone, Chevon combines her love of nature and event planning to bring people together and create a powerful community.

44315020904_82e1220964_c courtesy of GBE.jpg
Chevon (left) wearing a Refuge shirt. Photo courtesy Golden Bricks Events.

Washington State Parks took notice of Chevon’s almost two decades of event planning experience and asked her to create a concert last year and again for this summer. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and a nationwide reckoning over systemic racism and police violence followed. Chevon pivoted once again and turned the concert idea, Sundae Sermon: A Celebration of Black Folks, into an online event with six installments. Each “sermon” features a different state park as the backdrop for musical performances and outdoor tips, and showcases local art, businesses and community leaders. 

Chevon has already presented four successful Sundae Sermons, and folks still have a chance to catch the next two which celebrate themes of activism and food. On Sept. 20, join in to hear emcee Mikayla Weary, who helped organize the Black Lives Matter march and rally in Shoreline. There will be a roundtable of youth talking about activism, singer/songwriter Elisha who will be doing a musical performance, and a conversation with mental health professional Jennifer Elve.

The final Sundae Sermon on Oct. 4, emceed by Marlon Brown, will have poet Kamari Bright demonstrating how to cook hot water cornbread, a dish from the South with a history around enslaved people in this country. 

“We’ll also have an artist doing a live piece while the show is going on. There’s such a wide breadth of Black experiences here in the Northwest and Black folks doing amazing, different things,” Chevon said. 

Highlights from past Sundae Sermons include a virtual walk through Federation Forest with GirlTrek offering trail tips, and a live streamed performance from pianist Joe Williams, who shared about the history of Black women in classical music. 

Anhayla 2018 courtesy of GBE.jpeg
A live performance at one of Chevon’s past events. Photo courtesy Golden Bricks Events.

“Nature is the center of everything that I do,” Chevon said. “Success is when Black folks feel comfortable getting outside, you know that people that look like you have been outside, have been doing really cool stuff right here in Washington state, and that we can have fun and recreate responsibly, because we’re still in a pandemic. You get to come [to Sundae Sermon] and learn about new things and the people doing them, regardless of who you are.”

Another Golden Bricks event, Refuge Outdoor Festival, an annual multi-day camping experience geared toward people of color, has converted its usual outdoor setting to the virtual realm as well. This year, everyone is invited to gather online with this amazing community, Sept. 18-20, for a weekend full of entertainment, activities and workshops including herbs for self-care, exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, backpacking basics, a DJ battle and other fun activities. 

“The outdoors hasn’t always been that welcoming for people of color, for Black folks,” Chevon said. “We know the national parks used to be segregated. We know that there are trees that hung people that are still in prominent American parks. I’m trying to make events that are a safe space for us so if you don’t have any other opportunity to be safe outdoors you can be safer in this moment.”   

 “For me there was this urgency to make sure that this still happened. There are folks that just need a weekend reprieve from the stuff that happens in everyday regular society, which is what I always hope Refuge is.”

As an event sponsor, WTA hopes you’ll join us in attending or supporting Sundae Sermon and Refuge. Here’s how you can help:

  • Share the word that Sundae Sermon and Refuge are happening.
  • Donate to Golden Bricks Events and the payment speakers will receive for their emotional labor. 
  • Donate directly to any of the nonprofits brought forward by the event’s emcees, including

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Refuge Outdoor Festival – Wildlife Recreation and Coalition

November 1, 2023

September 10, 2020

Refuge Outdoor Festival is returning on September 18-20th, and you won’t want to miss it! Golden Bricks Events launched their 3-day outdoor camping, recreation and music experience geared toward Black, Indigenous, people of color, and white allies in 2018 in Carnation, WA. Due to the pandemic, the 2020, Refuge Outdoor Festival will be going virtual, with workshops, group discussions, live music and performances, and thoughtful programming throughout to make this end of summer festival dope as ever!  

I (Caitie K.) chatted with founder of Golden Bricks Events and visionary of Refuge Outdoor Festival, Chevon Powell, about why this festival is so important to the community this year, the benefits of going online, and what she’s stoked about for this 2020 Festival. 

Early in the pandemic, the Refuge Outdoor Festival team was hopeful that an in-person event would be possible, but by May it became obvious in-person events wouldn’t be happening and the team was debating a virtual event. Then, during the second week of protests following George Floyd’s murder, a friend told Chevon they wished they had a refuge. And with that, the debate about whether or not to go virtual was over. Chevon reflected: “Refuge Outdoor Festival is all about community, being connected, and having a different type of experience in a safer way for a weekend. We just felt with the pandemic and multiple uprisings it was important to us to still have this space available for people to be in community with like-minded folx.” 

Another deciding factor was the need to continue to hold space for and provide representation of people of color in the outdoors. Chevon explains, “A lot of newer folx are getting engaged in the outdoors and there is still this conversation that people of color aren’t a part of the outdoors, and that is just not true. So, to put on something like Refuge and say, we’re here, we’re still here, we’re going to keep being here, and we’re going to keep creating our spaces, so that no one feels like they are alone in this.” 

I am ecstatic that Chevon and the Golden Bricks Events team decided on moving forward with the virtual event, which has been curated with a lot of thought, intentionality, and joy, and I can’t wait to attend!  Attendees are also able to design their own schedule by selecting workshops and discussions. 

 
Here is a look at my Friday schedule: 

2:30 pm: Birding 101 + Interview with Girl Trek   

4:30 pm: How Disability Justice Will Build Caring Communities  

6:30 pm: Community Gathering: Welcome + Interactive cooking demonstration + Dinner breakout groups 

8:30 pm: Black Reel-ness: 2 films created by Black filmmakers: Pedal Through and Royaltee 

 
My Saturday and Sunday schedules are also packed with rad workshops on bikepacking, a non-Black POC affinity group, Building a Healing Toolkit for BIPOC, live music from Gretchen Yanover and a performance by Dakota Camacho, and so much more.  

View the full Friday-Sunday schedule offerings here. 

With the festival going virtual, Chevon is hoping to reach more folx geographically and bring this people of color-centered outdoor community to others who might not have this nearby. “That’s the beauty of technology, that we do have the ability for someone in Florida who wants to participate, because there aren’t many options close to them for people of color in the outdoors to gather in these sorts of ways.”  

One of the things Chevon is most excited about for Refuge Outdoors Fest is the opportunity to include more workshop leaders from different parts of the country. “We can tap people’s knowledge from outside of Seattle which is super exciting and adding to the diversity of what Refuge is.”  One of the leaders is Danielle Stickman, of Dena’ina and Koyukon Athabascan descent who currently lives in Alaska. Danielle recently traveled to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on the Hulahula River. She will discuss the history of the Arctic Refuge and the need to protect the Coastal Plain from future oil and gas drilling. She will also discuss Indigenous Inupiat and Gwich’in Peoples who live in and around the Arctic Refuge and have been stewards of the land since time immemorial.  

“Refuge is anything to which one has recourse for aid, relief, or escape” and right now, during a pandemic and a national reckoning for racial justice, we are all in need of refuge. It doesn’t matter if you’re new to the outdoors, an expert, or just want to be in community with others, all are welcome to this 2-night camp-in event geared toward Black, Indigenous, people of color, white allies welcome. “Imagine a family reunion, summer camp, and rejuvenating retreat rolled into one. This festival is a safer space for all participants [with] community conversations and nightly concerts” from the comfort of your home. Tickets are on a sliding scale with full scholarships available for communities of color. And, even if you can’t attend, you can still donate to support this community celebration via the registration link below. 

SAVE THE DATES Sept 18-20, checkout the Festival and register (and/or donate) here  today! 

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