Rendezvous: A Queer Camping Festival Celebrates 30th Anniversary

This year will mark the 30th anniversary of the first-ever Rendezvous camping festival in Wyoming. The festival was first started in the 90s in a deeply conservative Wyoming where the founders of Rendezvous felt a need to escape in order to express themselves authentically. Since then, the festival has grown into a five-day event with hundreds of attendees and tons of entertainment.

Held in Medicine Bow National Forest between Laramie and Cheyenne Wyoming, the setting creates a gorgeous natural backdrop for a festival. Attendees will enjoy entertainment such as Drag Bingo, live musical performances, as well as group activities. The great outdoors offers a host of hiking, fishing, and swimming opportunities. Back at the camping sites, attendees can join in on group campfires, marshmallow roasting, and the festival’s newly added “throwback event”.

“The first few years of the festival, they didn’t have a large budget or any kind of big entertainment, so something that became sort of a tradition was for everyone to tune their car radios to the same station and have a dance party in the headlights,” Nathan Turner, co-chair of The Rendezvous Planning Committee, tells OFM.  “In honor of the 30th anniversary, that’s something we’re planning on bringing back for this year’s festival.”

Beyond being an incredible event for queers who love camping, Rendezvous ticket purchases help directly fund the festival’s parent company, a nonprofit called Wyoming Equality. Each ticket purchase goes towards helping to create a fairer and more equitable Wyoming. For those who may need financial support in order to attend, the festival offers volunteers a discounted registration fee or email info@wyomingequality.org to ask about being sponsored. Get your tickets here.

Worried about creature comforts? Don’t be. Rendezvous airs more on the side of glamping than traditional camping, with electrical outlets available at camp central, and outdoor showers. Wondering what to pack? The festival has compiled a comprehensive list of things they suggest having on hand that you can find here. Other important information like rules, weather, and pet policies can be found on the festival’s FAQ.

This year’s Rendezvous sponsors include:

• Denver Trade
• Denver Eagle
• Denver Sweet
• Hanks Roadside Bar And Grill
• Denver Bad Habits
• Muscle Mind Massage Therapy and Fitness Coaching
• Strap-up Customs
• Hankey’s Toys
• Denver Needz

Photos courtesy of Rendezvous