{"id":3756,"date":"2023-11-01T08:31:19","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T08:31:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goldenbricksevents.com\/main\/2023\/11\/01\/refuge-outdoor-festival-wildlife-recreation-and-coalition\/"},"modified":"2025-07-04T21:09:06","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T21:09:06","slug":"refuge-outdoor-festival-wildlife-recreation-and-coalition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goldenbricksevents.com\/main\/2023\/11\/01\/refuge-outdoor-festival-wildlife-recreation-and-coalition\/","title":{"rendered":"Refuge Outdoor Festival &#8211; Wildlife Recreation and Coalition"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" src=\"https:\/\/wildliferecreation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/IGrefuge_1x1_v1.jpg\" \/><\/div>\n<p><strong>(This article is reposted from https:\/\/wildliferecreation.org\/refuge-outdoor-festival\/ .)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>September 10, 2020<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.refugeoutdoorfestival.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Refuge Outdoor Festival<\/a>\u00a0is returning on September 18-20th, and you won\u2019t want to miss it!\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/goldenbricksevents.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Golden Bricks Events<\/a>\u00a0launched their 3-day outdoor camping, recreation and music experience geared toward Black, Indigenous,\u00a0people of\u00a0color, 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!<\/p>\n<p>I (Caitie K.)\u00a0chatted 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\u2019s stoked about for this 2020 Festival.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019t be happening\u00a0and the team was debating a virtual event. Then, during the second week of protests following George Floyd\u2019s murder,\u00a0a friend told Chevon\u00a0they wished they had a refuge.\u00a0And with that, the debate about whether or not to go virtual was over.\u00a0Chevon reflected: \u201cRefuge Outdoor Festival is all about community, being connected, and having a different type of experience in a safer\u00a0way 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\u00a0folx.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another\u00a0deciding factor was the need to continue to hold space for and provide representation of people of color in the outdoors. Chevon explains, \u201cA lot of newer\u00a0folx\u00a0are getting engaged in the outdoors and there is still this conversation that people of color aren\u2019t a part of the outdoors, and that is just not true. So,\u00a0to put on something like Refuge and say, we\u2019re here, we\u2019re still here, we\u2019re going to keep being here, and we\u2019re going to keep creating our spaces,\u00a0so that no one feels like they are alone in this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I am\u00a0ecstatic 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\u00a0I\u00a0can\u2019t wait to attend!\u00a0 Attendees are also able to design their own schedule by selecting workshops and discussions.<\/p>\n<p>Here is a look at my Friday schedule:<\/p>\n<p>2:30 pm: Birding 101 + Interview with Girl Trek<\/p>\n<p>4:30 pm: How Disability Justice\u00a0Will Build Caring Communities<\/p>\n<p>6:30 pm: Community Gathering: Welcome + Interactive cooking demonstration + Dinner breakout groups<\/p>\n<p>8:30 pm: Black Reel-ness: 2 films created by Black filmmakers:\u00a0<em>Pedal Through<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>Royaltee<\/em><\/p>\n<p>My Saturday and Sunday schedules are also packed with rad workshops on\u00a0bikepacking, a non-Black POC affinity group, Building a Healing Toolkit for BIPOC, live music from Gretchen Yanover\u00a0and a performance by Dakota Camacho, and so much more.<\/p>\n<p>View the full Friday-Sunday schedule offerings\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.refugeoutdoorfestival.com\/schedule\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>With the festival going virtual, Chevon is hoping to reach more\u00a0folx\u00a0geographically and bring this people of color-centered outdoor community to others who might not have this nearby. \u201cThat\u2019s the beauty of technology, that we do have the ability for someone in Florida who wants to participate,\u00a0because there aren\u2019t many options close to them for people of color in the outdoors to gather in these sorts of ways.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>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. \u201cWe can tap people\u2019s knowledge from outside of Seattle which is super exciting and adding to the diversity of what Refuge is.\u201d\u00a0 One of the leaders is Danielle Stickman, of\u00a0Dena\u2019ina\u00a0and Koyukon Athabascan descent who currently lives in Alaska. Danielle recently traveled to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on the\u00a0Hulahula\u00a0River. She will discuss the history of the\u00a0Arctic\u00a0Refuge and the need to protect the Coastal Plain from future oil and gas drilling. She will also discuss Indigenous Inupiat and\u00a0Gwich\u2019in\u00a0Peoples who live in and around the\u00a0Arctic\u00a0Refuge and have been stewards of the land since time\u00a0immemorial.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRefuge is anything to which one has recourse for aid, relief, or escape\u201d and right now,\u00a0during a pandemic and a national reckoning for racial justice, we are all in need of refuge. It doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re 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,\u00a0Indigenous, people of color, white allies welcome.\u00a0\u201cImagine a family reunion, summer camp, and rejuvenating retreat rolled into one. This festival is a safer\u00a0space\u00a0for all participants [with] community conversations and nightly concerts\u201d from the comfort of your home.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.refugeoutdoorfestival.com\/tickets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tickets<\/a>\u00a0are on a sliding scale with full scholarships available for communities of color. And, even if you can\u2019t attend, you can still donate to support this community celebration via the registration link below.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SAVE THE DATES Sept 18-20<\/strong>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.refugeoutdoorfestival.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">checkout<\/a>\u00a0the Festival and\u00a0<strong>register\u00a0(and\/or donate)\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/2020-refuge-outdoor-festival-tickets-114447904764\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0today!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wildliferecreation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/IGrefuge_1x1_v1.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\"><\/div>\n<p>September 10, 2020<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.refugeoutdoorfestival.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Refuge Outdoor Festival<\/a>&nbsp;is returning on September 18-20th, and you won\u2019t want to miss it!&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/goldenbricksevents.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Golden Bricks Events<\/a>&nbsp;launched their 3-day outdoor camping, recreation and music experience geared toward Black, Indigenous,&nbsp;people of&nbsp;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!&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I (Caitie K.)&nbsp;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\u2019s stoked about for this 2020 Festival.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019t be happening&nbsp;and the team was debating a virtual event. Then, during the second week of protests following George Floyd\u2019s murder,&nbsp;a friend told Chevon&nbsp;they wished they had a refuge.&nbsp;And with that, the debate about whether or not to go virtual was over.&nbsp;Chevon reflected: \u201cRefuge Outdoor Festival is all about community, being connected, and having a different type of experience in a safer&nbsp;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&nbsp;folx.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Another&nbsp;deciding factor was the need to continue to hold space for and provide representation of people of color in the outdoors. Chevon explains, \u201cA lot of newer&nbsp;folx&nbsp;are getting engaged in the outdoors and there is still this conversation that people of color aren\u2019t a part of the outdoors, and that is just not true. So,&nbsp;to put on something like Refuge and say, we\u2019re here, we\u2019re still here, we\u2019re going to keep being here, and we\u2019re going to keep creating our spaces,&nbsp;so that no one feels like they are alone in this.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I am&nbsp;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&nbsp;I&nbsp;can\u2019t wait to attend!&nbsp; Attendees are also able to design their own schedule by selecting workshops and discussions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>Here is a look at my Friday schedule:&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>2:30 pm: Birding 101 + Interview with Girl Trek&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>4:30 pm: How Disability Justice&nbsp;Will Build Caring Communities&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>6:30 pm: Community Gathering: Welcome + Interactive cooking demonstration + Dinner breakout groups&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>8:30 pm: Black Reel-ness: 2 films created by Black filmmakers:&nbsp;<em>Pedal Through<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>Royaltee<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>My Saturday and Sunday schedules are also packed with rad workshops on&nbsp;bikepacking, a non-Black POC affinity group, Building a Healing Toolkit for BIPOC, live music from Gretchen Yanover&nbsp;and a performance by Dakota Camacho, and so much more.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>View the full Friday-Sunday schedule offerings&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.refugeoutdoorfestival.com\/schedule\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>With the festival going virtual, Chevon is hoping to reach more&nbsp;folx&nbsp;geographically and bring this people of color-centered outdoor community to others who might not have this nearby. \u201cThat\u2019s the beauty of technology, that we do have the ability for someone in Florida who wants to participate,&nbsp;because there aren\u2019t many options close to them for people of color in the outdoors to gather in these sorts of ways.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>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. \u201cWe can tap people\u2019s knowledge from outside of Seattle which is super exciting and adding to the diversity of what Refuge is.\u201d&nbsp; One of the leaders is Danielle Stickman, of&nbsp;Dena\u2019ina&nbsp;and Koyukon Athabascan descent who currently lives in Alaska. Danielle recently traveled to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on the&nbsp;Hulahula&nbsp;River. She will discuss the history of the&nbsp;Arctic&nbsp;Refuge and the need to protect the Coastal Plain from future oil and gas drilling. She will also discuss Indigenous Inupiat and&nbsp;Gwich\u2019in&nbsp;Peoples who live in and around the&nbsp;Arctic&nbsp;Refuge and have been stewards of the land since time&nbsp;immemorial.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRefuge is anything to which one has recourse for aid, relief, or escape\u201d and right now,&nbsp;during a pandemic and a national reckoning for racial justice, we are all in need of refuge. It doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re 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,&nbsp;Indigenous, people of color, white allies welcome.&nbsp;\u201cImagine a family reunion, summer camp, and rejuvenating retreat rolled into one. This festival is a safer&nbsp;space&nbsp;for all participants [with] community conversations and nightly concerts\u201d from the comfort of your home.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.refugeoutdoorfestival.com\/tickets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tickets<\/a>&nbsp;are on a sliding scale with full scholarships available for communities of color. And, even if you can\u2019t attend, you can still donate to support this community celebration via the registration link below.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>SAVE THE DATES Sept 18-20<\/strong>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.refugeoutdoorfestival.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">checkout<\/a>&nbsp;the Festival and&nbsp;<strong>register&nbsp;(and\/or donate)&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/2020-refuge-outdoor-festival-tickets-114447904764\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here&nbsp;<\/a>&nbsp;today!&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[86],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-refuge-fest"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goldenbricksevents.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/goldenbricksevents.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/goldenbricksevents.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goldenbricksevents.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goldenbricksevents.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3756"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/goldenbricksevents.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3756\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goldenbricksevents.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goldenbricksevents.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goldenbricksevents.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}