Catalyst Collaborative Farm Presents LILAC FESTIVAL 2025 in collaboration with Rock Steady Farm and WILDSEED Community Farm & Healing Village
The lilacs are calling! Join us for a weekend celebration rooted in joy, land, resistance, and the leadership of Queer, Black, and Brown growers and community visionaries. Lilac Fest is our annual gathering where we celebrate our deep-rooted connection to the land and each other.
Together we will honor Spring’s abundance with ceremony, mushroom inoculation, workshops, foraging walks, plant swaps, healing offerings, and more—all in a landscape bursting with lilacs in bloom!
Tickets start at $30 (covering just 25% of true costs). We welcome partners and volunteers to help make this celebration possible. COVID safety protocols include pre-testing and outdoor activities.
Register now to secure your spot!
Want to Join Us as Partners or Volunteers?
It takes a village to bring Lilac Fest to life! Your participation through partnership and volunteering is essential to making this gathering possible. Volunteers can indicate their interest via the Registration Form. For partnership, please visit our Partners form. Partners who commit by April 30th and send their logo by May 5th will be featured on our official Lilac Fest flyer.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
11:00 AM: Opening Circle in the Food Forest
11:30 AM: Flower Essence Making begins on Lilac Lane
1:00 PM: Seasonal Lunch from Seasoned Delicious Foods, coordinated by Cyn's Joint
Afternoon Activities:
Lilac Foot Soaks & Herbal Relaxation
Foraging Walks & Plant ID
Harvesting Lilacs & Seed/Plant Swaps
Planting Fruit & Nut Trees with Catalyst
3:30 PM: Closing Ceremony in the Lilacs
Music, swap tables, healing offerings, and sweet surprises all day long!
If Saturday is rained out, Lilac Fest will take place on Sunday May 18
Collective Care, COVID Safety & Access at Lilac Fest
At WILDSEED, we care for each other like we care for the land—with intention, love, and responsibility.
COVID Protocols: Please take a rapid test within 24 hours of arrival and bring proof of a negative result. Tests and masks will be available on-site. Stay home if you're unwell or recently exposed. Testing is one of many care practices—not a guarantee—so we ask everyone to act with awareness and mutual respect. For folks being with us for multiple days, we will test daily for Covid and have a different colored wristband each day.
Community Care: We honor rest, consent, and interdependence. Please ask before touch, check in with others, and visit our quiet zone if you need a break.
Access & Terrain: The event is mostly outdoors on grassy, uneven ground. Indoor spaces are open-air and ventilated. Restrooms include an accessible porta-potty and compost toilet. The land is not yet fully mobility-aid accessible, but we're committed to improving and welcome your input.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Are pets allowed?
Yes, well-behaved outdoor pets are welcome on leash at all times. Please clean up after your animals and consider whether they’ll be comfortable around large groups, live music, kids, and our non-human kin.
Will there be an indoor bathroom?
Yes. We’ll have access to indoor bathrooms as well as clean porta-potties and handwashing stations throughout the event site. All restrooms are gender-neutral.
Is there water access?
Yes. Drinking water stations will be set up around the site—please bring a refillable water bottle. We prioritize reducing single-use plastic.
What kind of food or refreshments will be provided?
We’ll serve nourishing meals made with love by local chefs and landworkers, using ingredients grown by QTBIPOC-led farms in our network. There will be options for a range of dietary needs—vegan, gluten-free, and others—but please let us know your preferences in the form. Snacks and herbal beverages will also be available throughout the day.
Can I share about this event on listservs or social media?
No—please don’t. Lilac Fest is a community-centered gathering curated through relationship and care. We’re intentionally limiting the guest list to preserve intimacy, safety, and access. If you want to invite someone specific, reach out to us directly.
What if I want to be both a Coordinator and a Vendor?
For this event, we ask that you pick one way to plug in. Coordinators have significant responsibilities that require full presence, and we are not hosting vendor tables this year. Instead, we will have a Share Table for community offerings—books, zines, seeds, handmade goods, herbal remedies, and more. If you’d like to contribute something to the Share Table, let us know!
Will there be vending opportunities?
No formal vending this year. We’re focusing on the spirit of sharing and relationship-building rather than commerce. We’ll revisit vending options at future events.
I want to donate something. Can I?
Yes—and thank you! Please let us know what you’d like to donate (e.g., supplies, tools, food, herbal offerings, art, gear). We’ll confirm if it’s something we can use and coordinate a plan from there.
For questions, please email monti@catalystcollaborativefarm.com
