Theme Camps
Important Dates:
January 8th: Theme Camp Registration Opens
February 19th at 11:00 pm: Submission deadline to participate in the Theme Camp Directed Ticket Sale
Feb 23rd: Theme Camp Ticket Sale begins
March 24th at 11:00pm: Registration for official Theme Camps ends.
Theme Camps are the interactive core of SideBurn. Groups of Sideburners decide not only to camp together under a particular theme, but to bring something to the experience of Sideburn. Call this your gift!
A gift can be anything from a DJ/dance floor, an art car, workshops, a costume booth (take and/or leave), yoga sessions, a plounge, you name it! Theme Camps often, and are encouraged to, decorate your site to follow your chosen theme.
You’ll be amazed and how all-out some camps go! And you can travel from camp to camp and experience everyone’s unique offerings. It really makes the Sideburn experience what it is!
What’s a theme camp?
A theme camp is a group of participants that use their campsite to enhance the landscape and experience of SideBurn for the entire event community. Playful and participatory, a good theme camp will create an ambiance, a visual presence, and provide a communal space or activity.
Interactivity
They should include activities, events or services within their camps and they must be available to the entire SideBurn community.
Aesthetic
Camps should be visually stimulating and have an inviting design, while maintaining safety and MOOP regulation.
Neighbourly
This includes keeping sound within set limits, controlling where camp generators vent exhaust, and being receptive to solving any disputes that arise.
Registering your Camp
Registration will open on January 8, 2024. Theme Camps must register by March 24th, 2024 to have Reserved Placement and Early Entry. Register by February 19 for directed ticket sales.
Directed Ticket Sales
Register by February 19th, 2024 to guarantee you’ll have directed tickets to help bring your camp’s contribution to the event. These tickets are assigned to camps to help ensure that critical folk who make the theme camp a reality have a ticket to SideBurn. There will be a set number of direct tickets made available to each camp.
Theme camp grants
New for 2024, registered Theme Camps are welcome to apply for the new Theme Camp Grant. Up to $500 grants available to help bring your gifts to the haya. The Grant will be open to applications between Jan 8th and Feb 19th 2024. Apply here!
Register your Sound System
Camps that plan to have amplified sound must register their camp and their sound system.
Register your Flame Effects
All participants planning to bring fire art or flame effects of any kind must register them and get approval from the Fire Art Safety Team. Theme Camps must register their flame effects/fire art while filling out the Theme Camp Application Form. All other participants must send an email to fast@sideburn.ca and inform them of the details of their fire art.
Reserved Placement
Your theme camp will be assigned a location based on your offering as well as the amount of space your camp needs. As a registered theme camp, your camp will also appear on signage, maps, and in the What, Where, When guide.
Early Entry
We understand that you may need some extra time in order to set up your Theme Camp. A select number of members of your team will be permitted to arrive a day early in order to begin building your camp.
Sound Policy
Sound Policy
Early Access
No amplified sound
No Exceptions
Thursday
Before 12pm
No amplified sound
12pm - 11pm
Subs: On
Sound Output @ 10m:
below 100dB
11pm onwards
No amplified sound
Friday & Saturday
Before 9am
No amplified sound
9am - 1am
Subs: On
Sound Output @ 10m:
below 100dB
1am onwards
No amplified sound
Sunday
Before 9am
No amplified sound
9am - 11pm
Subs: On
Sound Output @ 10m:
below 100dB
11pm onwards
No amplified sound
Monday
No amplified sound
No Exceptions
Excessive sound is the most common problem for events such as ours, by attracting the unwanted attention of the property owner, neighbours, and law enforcement. We are strong supporters of Civic Responsibility, and want to be good temporary residents of the community we are visiting. We therefore have clear rules about the level of sound during certain hours of the event.
Sound Policy
Day by Day - 2023 Event
A few more sound rules
These rules are subject to change depending on site conditions.
If anything major changes, we will be sending the updates to registered Theme Camps and through the appropriate channels. Check this page often.
If you have any questions, email: sound@sideburn.ca
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All sound equipment 100 watts or larger must be registered and permitted prior to the event as a Sideburn theme camp.
Sound Permits will be distributed at check-in and must be posted at all times near your camp/projects soundboard. Infractions will be logged against permits by the Sound Squad, and a third infraction will result in a temporary suspension of permit (and system shutdown) for the day. -
Certain volunteer teams and theme camps may have early entry. As we have not taken full possession of the land, please respect our sound policy and limit music to in-camp levels prior to gates opening. Testing equipment during setup is an exception and will be permitted, with the expectation that you be courteous, and comply with the Sound Team/Event Committee’s requests.
Violating the sound policy pre-event may not only jeopardize your sound permit, but your ability to obtain early entry in future years as well. -
In order to be fair to everyone, all camps will need to turn down or possibly cease amplified music until further notice.
Depending on the severity of the complaint and/or how upset the township authorities are, this could last for the evening or the rest of the event. Ideally we do not want to get their attention in the first place.
We really need to avoid this happening, sound complaints are the most likely incident to prevent our event from happening again.
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Measurement will be done by a handheld meter. The Sound Squad highly recommends you use a properly calibrated app to manage your own sound to keep infractions minimized.
The Sound Squad will be monitoring and working with sound camps throughout the event. Failure to comply with their requests will be grounds for removal.
Other events have found the sound monitoring app, SPLnFFT Noise Meter (for iOS) to be extremely accurate. To keep infractions minimized, we highly recommend you use this app or a proper decibel reader to manage your own sound.