Oak Spirit Sanctuary

Samhain 2025: Dancing with the Dead
2025-10-24 15:00 - 2025-10-26 15:00 (America/Chicago)
We celebrate as the wheel of the year turns on. Samhain is the pagan holiday of honoring the ancestors and the end of harvest.

Featured at this event:

Three community rituals

Multiple educational and participatory workshops

Ancestors Altar

A Friday night costume dance party

Pumpkin carving and hayride

A costume and crafts showcase

Scary stories around a bonfire

Art Raffle and Silent Auction

Event Program

Samhain 2025 ProgramDownload

Community Involvement

Art Raffle & Silent Auction Donations

Art and Craft pieces are always welcome donations that help fundraise at the ticketed events for OSS. Your free-will donated item is greatly appreciated and will be used for this or future events.

T-Shirts and mugs will be available for sale at the event as part of Oak Spirit Sanctuary’s fundraising efforts.

Community Volunteering

Many hands make light work! We are asking participants to volunteer to help with the tasks of this event. Time commitment is minimal, with flexible timeframes to do the tasks so you don’t miss any parts of the event. Take Down crew would be the most vigorous and longer shifts of the available tasks at the end of the event. Please sign up for a task onsite when you check in at registration.

Items to bring for this event

Specific for this event’s programming, rituals, and activities:

A Halloween costume or fabulous outfit for the Friday night party or Saturday Showcase: (both adults and children)

Snacks, Appetizers, Adult beverages, Non-alcoholic drinks if you wish to contribute something to the Friday night Samhain party.

A potluck dish for about 10 to 12 people with ingredients labeled. Please keep your food item appropriately cooled for food safety considerations until cooking or presenting. If you need help with keeping your item cold until needed, let an event organizer know.

Drums, percussion and acoustic instruments for Bardic Circle

Crystals, charms, or other personal trinkets for sacred broom crafting.

Offerings and mementos for the Ancestor’s Altar. Photos, funeral cards, flowers, food items, memorabilia from your loved ones. These items are to be returned to you at the end of the event (or when you leave.)

A candle, lantern, or LED flame light is with with to participate in the Deep Forest Trail procession to Main Ritual

A photo or memento of a pet that has passed on if you wish to participate in the pet loss and grieving workshop.

Late October weather is unpredictable. Please bring warm clothing, rain appropriate wear, and warm or waterproof footwear in case of colder or rainy weather.

Gate Hours

Friday: Gate is open from 3:00 pm (when the event begins) to 9:00 pm

Saturday: Gate is open from 9:00 am to 9:00pm. If you are attending with a Saturday Day Pass, you must leave by midnight.

Sunday: Gate is open from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm (when the event ends)

Although the gate is closed at 9:00 pm, this is for entries and anyone can leave the property at any time.

Natural Laws of Oak Spirit Sanctuary

The Oak Spirit Sanctuary Natural Laws is a document that summarizes the main rules and policies we need to know to be good stewards for the land and to the community. Please visit that page to familiarize yourself with the Natural Laws.

The Basics of Camping At Oak Spirit Sanctuary

The grounds of OSS are open and do not have designated camping sites as one might expect at a state park campground. You may camp anywhere that is not a ritual or community space. Tent, pull-behind campers, and drivable camping vehicles are all allowed.

Camping is rustic and primitive: There are no electric or water hook-ups, no flush toilets, no RV waste disposal. Porta-potties are available on site.

There is a shower house for hot showers, with both “open air” and a private stall available. Showers are generally open to “mixed company.”

OSS does not offer trash disposal services. Please plan to remove your own trash and recycling. If you pack it in, plan to pack it out.

Pets may attend but must be leashed and under control at all times. Owners must clean up pet waste.

Fires can only be made in established fire circles. Please do not start new fire circles All fires are sacred and no trash is ever thrown into the fire. Please dispose of your cigarette butts in your own camp trash, not into the fires.

For full information regarding land use, camping, and expectations of conduct, please see the Natural Laws.

Ice will be available to purchase on site: $3.00 cash $3.25 card payment per bag.

Accessibility

If you have accessibility challenges and need more information about the grounds or amenities at OSS or how we can best help you, please contact info@oakspiritsanctuary.org.

Event Pricing and Dates of Pricing Changes

September 25th: Online registration opens with an early discount.

Early registration discount is available through Wednesday October 7th, ending at midnight!

October 8th: Regular event price begins

October 22nd: Online registration ends, At-the-Gate registration will be available

Saturday Day Pass: Arrive as early as 9:00 am when gate opens. Must leave event by Saturday night, midnight.

Early RegistrationSale Price 9/25 to 10/7 (11:55 pm)Regular Price10/8 to 10/22 (11:55 pm)At the GateFull Event$35$45$55Saturday Day Pass$20$20$25

Work vouchers may be used for discounts up to half off the entry price. Work vouchers are transferable to others. Please contact info@oakspiritsanctuary.org to receive a special code to use your vouchers.

OSS can accept cash or card payments.

Children 17 years and younger are free.

Outdoor Camping is included with registration.

For questions about refunds, please email: info@oakspiritsanctuary.org

Purchase Registration through Zeffy.

Use link below. Please note that Zeffy automates its ticketing fees at a certain percentage. You can change this to a different amount (even zero).

REGISTER HERE

Financial Assistance for Event Attendance

OSS wishes to decrease barriers to event attendance. If you are experiencing financial hardship that makes it difficult to attend one of the ticketed weekend festivals, please email: info@oakspiritsanctuary.org

Questions?

Please email info@oakspiritsanctuary.org

November Work Day
2025-11-08 09:30 - 17:00
Work Days and Work Weekends at Oak Spirit Sanctuary not only help with the upkeep of the land and facilities and prepare for events but are also a great way to get to know other people at OSS. Working together is a great way to build community.

There will be jobs and or projects for everyone regardless of capabilities. Please don’t think because you can’t do heavy lifting or swing an ax there is no way to contribute.

A Work “Day” is the Saturday of a weekend and usually starts around 9:30 am and lasts until about 5:00 pm. Arrive when you can and stay as long as you are able.

A Work “Weekend” is two days: Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon. These are scheduled before a few of the bigger events or when we have larger projects to do.

Attendees are asked to check in with the work day lead, immediately upon arrival to the property. Be sure to sign the attendance book. (If you are new, ask anyone who has been to OSS before to show you where!)

A simple meal is provided by OSS for lunch for most work days unless otherwise indicated. If you have food sensitivities, you may wish to bring your own lunch.

Overnight camping is free for the day you participate in a work weekend.

Volunteering at a work day earns a $5.00 digital voucher. Vouchers up to half off the registration price may be used for any OSS ticketed events. (Does not apply to outside events hosted at OSS.) Please remember to sign the attendance book so your attendance is recorded to be sure to get a digital voucher.

​​Please Note: Winter work days generally focus on the Retreat Center, but this will be contingent on winter weather conditions. Cancellations due to inclement weather will be announced here and on OSS’s social media pages.

Work Days are an Opportunity to Visit Oak Spirit Sanctuary

If you are new to OSS and would like to visit and explore the property, these scheduled work days provide a great opportunity to visit as there are folks present on the land, available to answer any questions you may have. You are free to visit without any obligation to participate in the work day. For day visits, please plan to leave at the conclusion of the work day, unless you have registered for camping. (We also encourage first time visitors to come to any of our other events, of course!)

All are welcome!

November New Moon Lunar
2025-11-22 16:30 - 23:00
All are invited to Lunar Gatherings at Oak Spirit Sanctuary. They are family friendly and FREE.

If you are new to OSS, attending a Lunar is a great way to “dip your toe” into events at OSS and visit the land.

Lunars are generally scheduled during the waxing moon phase on a Saturday closest to the upcoming full moon during months OSS is not hosting a larger, ticketed event. Some Lunars may occur on a New Moon, depending on the year.

Lunars are a one-day event with an afternoon class from the OSS educational series: “A Year and A Day,” for training and information in basic Neo-Pagan topics.

Class is followed by a pot-luck dinner. Please bring a pot-luck dish suitable for about 10 to 12 people with an ingredients list.

Ritual follows the Pot-Luck dinner

After the ritual, merriment and camaraderie around the evening bonfire complete the night’s observances. Bring your drums and acoustic instruments, and (adult) beverages of your choice.

If you would like to camp overnight, please visit the Camping Information and Registration page for more information. You may also register and pay for camping the day of the Lunar. Simply let OSS personnel know and they will help you out!

Schedule:

4:30– 5:30: Year and A Day class

6:00: Community Potluck Meal

7:30: Ritual

Post-ritual: Community time around the fire

Note: OSS welcomes guest presenters. If you or your group are interested in presenting a community-oriented ritual at OSS, please contact us at info@oakspiritsanctuary.org

Sometimes, Lunar Gatherings coincide with OSS Work Days. Joining in for the work day is welcome but optional. If you work at the work day, camping is free for the evening.

December Work Day
2025-12-13 09:30 - 17:00

Yule
2025-12-20 14:00 - 23:00
Celebrate the Yuletide back home with Oak Spirit Sanctuary! This free event will open at 1pm with crafting, workshops and cider! Father Yule will be sharing with the kids and a gift exchange game will share with all who bring a gift! Tree decorating and chants will spread the cheer, Potluck dinner will fill the bellies, and the Yule ritual will feed the soul.

Beltane 2026
2026-05-01 15:00 - 2026-05-03 15:00
More information to come
