Activities
Rootstalk Events
Wildlands Masquerade Ball
You are cordially invited to the Wildlands Masquerade Ball on Saturday night! Fill your cup with herbal brew as you dance with forest spirits well into the night at this magical music-filled gala under the stars. Dress up in your most festive wilderness inspired attire, costumes, and masks to celebrate the autumnal equinox. Live music and special performances will keep the festivities aflame inside the ballroom, at the Craft Bazaar, Meadow Green Food Court, and Rootstalk Biergarten until midnight!
Storytelling on the Equinox
Find your seat in the amphitheater as Daniel Vitalis ignites the ceremonial fire for us on Friday night! Listen to tales of adventure and lore as naturalist and storyteller Doug Elliott leads us through a night of stories by our friends and teachers. Look forward to world-class harmonica serenades, foot stomping sing-alongs, and riotous belly laughs! Many legends will be woven in the oral-tradition as we honor the autumnal equinox.
Welcome to Rootstalk!
Gather together at the Main Stage on Thursday night to connect and mingle during our spirited welcome and orientation! To begin the festival, Mountain Rose Herbs and Cascadia Wildlands will host this spectacular opening with introductions to our dynamic teachers, entertainment, and gorgeous venue - and of course, to share our deep heartfelt thanks with all of the attendees who make Rootstalk possible!
Rootstalk Community
Free Tea Pavilion
Enjoy free tea flowing day and night as you lounge on pillows, browse the herbal library, and listen to sweet harmonies on the breeze. Our dear friends from the Free Tea Party will join us to promote peace, cultivate community, nurture personal and environmental health, and encourage slow interactions by serving free tea from Mountain Rose Herbs. Come and be inspired by their demonstrations of alternative water heating techniques. The Free Tea Pavilion will surely be the heart of our community!
Crafter’s Bazaar
Wander through this amazing marketplace for incredible handmade and eco-friendly treasures. The Crafter’s Bazaar will feature clothing, jewelry, natural body care, native potted plants, herbal formulas, botanical artwork, books, educational information, herbal formulas, and unique gifts. All craft items for sale will be handmade or fashioned from organic, reclaimed, reused, or recycled materials!
Meadow Green Food Court
Enjoy the tastiest locally produced, organically grown, and naturally healthful meals from Oregon’s favorite food carts during Rootstalk! Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, raw, and humanely raised meat options will be available for our diverse dietary needs. The Food Court will be open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night snacks throughout the weekend!
Rootstalk Micro-Brew Biergarten
Mountain Rose Herbs is partnering with several Oregon breweries to create custom herbal beers using organic herbs and spices! Be sure to enjoy all of these unique brews during the festivities at Rootstalk!
Cheers to Cascadia Wildlands! All profits from beer sales will be donated to this awesome organization.
Rootstalk Education
Enjoy over 70 classes, workshops, and presentations by 35 renowned teachers at Rootstalk! A distinctive mix of experts from diverse backgrounds in the herbal and environmental movements will gather to share their invaluable insights, exciting skills, and rich knowledge about the earth to empower festival goers throughout the weekend. Learn to make herbal medicine, gain new wilderness skills, start a backyard beehive, plant an aromatherapy garden, identify native plants, discover your local watershed, and so much more! For the full lineup, visit: http://www.rootstalkfest.com/page/teachers
Wild Kids World
Join the Whole Earth Nature School and Children’s Premaculture Guild for a weekend of nature awareness games, permaculture fun, and herbalism for young ones! Make tasty herbal candies, rootbeer, seed balls, and learn wilderness survival skills, herbal first aid, and more through these exciting and engaging children’s activities.
Rootstalk Entertainment
Live Music
Live concerts will keep the festivities aflame throughout the day and well into the starry night at Rootstalk! Folk infused music by Oregon’s favorite bluegrass, reggae, soul, dance, and jug bands will bring us to our feet all weekend with spirited and funky rhythms! Be sure to check out the entertainment schedule for full profiles and videos of this amazing line-up!
Special Performances
Watch the spectacle of flames whirling in spiraled patterns as Apocalyptica Fire Factory spins their magic!
Delight in the bizarre beauty of vaudevillian cirque by the magnificently provocative Diatomaceous Love!
Set your heart to the ecstatic rhythm of Samba Ja as they parade their booming beats!
More exciting surprises are in the works, so check back soon!
Rootstalk Recreation
Archery Range
Take a leisurely stroll to the archery range nestled in the glowing green forest to try your hand at target practice with real bows and arrows! The stunning artistry of this time-honored skill will be shared by a certified archer who’ll guide you during shooting hours.
Canoeing on Pagoda Pond
Admire the surrounding trees as you glide on this sunlit pond to the sound of bird songs. This is the perfect way to enjoy the deep tranquility found at the Oregon 4-H Center. Bring a friend or drift alone to relish the gentle beauty of Pagoda Pond. Canoes will be available for your use throughout the weekend.
Swimming in Starker Pool
What is better than floating weightless and watching the clouds melt against blue sky? Take a relaxing dip or swim a few laps in the solar heated pool during your stay at Rootstalk. A truly blissful luxury!
Hiking Trails
Grab your hiking boots, nature guide, and canteen for an adventure through this wildlife and wildflower preserve. Hike the many trails that weave through the 4-H Center’s beautiful 300 acre estate. Gaze at old-growth cedars, firs, and maples towering above and keep close watch for late blooming plants, florescent fungi, glowing mosses, hawks filling the sky, and woodland animals leaping from tree to tree.
http://www.oregon4hcenter.org/images/Hiking_Trails_Map.pdf
Rootstalk Camping
Bring your camping gear and tent under the stars in shaded green meadows or dappled sequoia groves on-site at the Oregon 4-H Center! Settle into your comfy campsite among friends, just a short walk away from the Craft Bazaar, Meadow Green Food Court, and Rootstalk Biergartens.
