Our Camp

San Francisco Bay Queer Contra Dance's second annual Northwest Queer Contra Camp welcomes dancers of all identities and experience. We use the calling terms larks and robins, prioritize consent, and have gender-free facilities so that everyone can be included. New dancers will find that contra is an exuberant, social, and easy-to-learn American barn dance with roots in English folk dance. For experienced dancers, dancing as part of a community that prioritizes inclusion and everyone's enjoyment is one of the most magical opportunities contra provides. Take a weekend away with us to dance, relax, make friends, and enjoy the beautiful Vashon Island in Washington's Puget Sound.

See what campers said about NW Queer Contra Camp 2025!

This year's camp falls on Halloween and we encourage those who enjoy dressing up to bring Halloween costumes for our Saturday night dance.

Staff

Our staff provides a full weekend of contra dance, with a second track of dance and singing workshops led by the community during the day. Specifics will be announced as camp approaches, but workshop topics in the past have included waltz, consent, flourishes, English country dance, traditional folk songs, complex contras, and much more. Sessions targeted to beginning and intermediate dancers are also included.

Sitting on the southwest coast of Vashon Island in Puget Sound, Camp Sealth offers wooded hiking trails and over a mile of beach and coastline. The cost of camp includes heated rustic dormitory cabins to stay in, six meals, and a spread of snacks throughout the weekend. Meals, from dinner Friday through lunch Sunday, are served buffet-style with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Refrigerator space is available for those on special diets. Accommodations are shared rooms ranging from 4–10 people or camping space for those who would prefer to bring a tent to sleep in. Rooms are pre-assigned, and campers have the chance to express housing preferences and needs as part of registration. Campers need to bring their own towels, pillows, and sleeping bags or sheets and blankets. Local dancers are asked to bring extras to help campers flying in from out of state.

Registration

The cost of running camp is about $300 per person, but we have a sliding scale ranging from $125 to $475 to make the weekend accessible to as many people as possible. Reach out to nwcamp@queercontradance.org if the $125 minimum is a barrier for you. Transparency about our costs and our sliding scale recommendations are on the second page of our registration form. If you need to cancel your registration, we will fully refund cancellations through July 31 or in the case of communicable illness. After August 1, other refunds (minus a $30 fee) are not guaranteed but may be available if your vacant spot is filled. If you're not able to pay upfront, you may pay a $30 deposit to hold your spot. Additional payments for camp can be made via PayPal donation.

All campers must also fill out Camp Sealth's waiver to complete registration.

Health and Safety Precautions

We know that everyone is in different places as to their own needs around COVID-19 and health safety. We will require everyone to show a negative COVID-19 rapid test taken on Friday before arriving at camp, and will refund admission for anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 or has another communicable illness. We encourage vaccination and getting the latest COVID booster, but do not require it. While we support and welcome dancers to continue to mask, masks will be optional.

Transportation

Camp Sealth is only accessible by private vehicle and drive-on ferry. It is a 1 hour and 20 minute drive and ferry ride from either Seattle or Olympia, plus waiting time for the ferry. Driving directions are available here. On-site parking is limited and if you can offer a ride or need a ride to/from camp, please let us know on the registration form. We will do our best to coordinate as many rides as possible. Campers for whom we are arranging rides may need to take public transit to meet their carpool. If you are flying in, we recommend arriving at SeaTac Airport by 3:00 pm on Friday. We don't expect to have rides available for campers flying in during the evening. For campers carpooling from camp and flying out, we suggest planning to arrive at SeaTac Airport after 6:00 pm Sunday.

Code of Conduct

We want all people to feel safe and comfortable at Queer Contra Dance. We value and expect consent and communication, community mindedness, and physical safety. Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated. If someone's behavior is offensive or harassing during the dance, we encourage you to speak with one of the camp organizers.

Please read our Values and Expectations if you would like to know more about our community norms and how we handle unwelcome behavior.