Sapphic Circle August 10th, 2025: Meeting Lesbians In The Woods

For a list of Sapphic Circle meeting dates in July & August, please click here.

Sapphic Circle is a space for lesbians to come together for thoughtful discussions on a variety of topics. We seek to build lesbian community through engaging in lesbian ideas, politics, media, and more!

Herstory

While almost all womyn festivals were welcoming of all sexual orientations, and were the manifestation of many feminist ideals at their conception, lesbians were central to their creation. In the 1970s, women all over the world started hosting summer camping retreats. One of their primary concerns was privacy, so they were often held at summer camps or private campgrounds. Because these events were women-only and private, lesbians flocked to them in droves and recreated them locally. Given the political climate for lesbians, there were very few places they could vacation without fear of being found out as homosexuals.

At their peak, around 1985-1990, there were so many womyn's festivals that musicians and comedians needed to decide which of them they could reasonably attend. Most lesbians in the US could pick from a long list that included their home state or somewhere nearby, and for a relatively affordable ticket, they could spend time in a lesbian majority environment while brushing shoulders with celesbians and lesbian activists.

Were festivals designed to be lesbian erotic vacation spaces? Or were they reflective, goddess-centered spirituality breaks from rampant sexism and homophobia in society? Or training camps for lesbian political nationhood? They might offer all or none of these conditions. Against this backdrop of recovery meetings and nude partying, hopeful diversity and angry processing, the nation's best all-female stages evolved over time, a music and comedy performance history that should be central to any reconstructive narrative. (Morris, 2016)

Where Are They Now?

While most big name womyn's festivals no longer exist or have evolved in some way, they are still around. In the past, you could learn about them from lesbian newsletters, feminist periodicals, or pamphlets in your local women's bookshop. Now, you can learn more about them in private Facebook or Discord groups, in cryptic tumblr or Instagram posts, or by word of mouth.

Here is a short list of some festivals that are ongoing:

Ontario Womyn's Drum Camp
Haliburton, Ontario - June 14-17, 2026

The Femø Women’s Camp (Kvindelejr)
Femø, Denmark - International Week is usually mid July

Fern Fest
Trufant, Michigan - Usually the last week of July

OreGaia - at We'Moon
Outside Portland, Oregon - Usually in June

National Women's Music Festival
Madison, Wisonsin - Usually early July

Texas Spring Goddess Festival
Outside Austin, Texas - Always April

SisterSpace Weekend
Aberdeen, Maryland - usually early September

In one moment that I’ll remember fondly, we were eating in a group of about 5 or 6 women. One of them said, “Maybe I should’ve gotten utensils, I’m just eating with my hands.” Another said “Well, that’s what fingers are for, right?” and every single person at that table synched into a gay hivemind and simultaneously went “Well…”

It was like my childhood dream of going to a lesbian summer camp had come true. I was finally somewhere where I didn’t sense that unspoken distance between myself and the heterosexual people around me.
(Gabby, 2023)

Questions To Consider

Have you ever been to a women-centered or lesbian-centered festival/camping retreat?
If you were to go to a womyn's fest, what would be the main draw for you?
What might make it harder for lesbians to attend womyn's fests?
What is the current impact of womyn's fests, and how is that similar or different than their historical impact?