Here’s just a few of the myriad of reasons you should you make your plans today.

o Pickathon provides one of the best summer festival lineups of 2009 that represents our commitment to soulful, gritty, unpredictable, and traditional Roots music that is shaping the country’s musical horizons.

o Continuous three day weekend music presented on 6 stages (Mt. View Stage [outdoor], Fir Meadows Stage [outdoor], Woods Stage [Solar Powered - outdoor], Pickathon Cabaret [All Ages - Late Night - outdoor], and the Galaxy Barn [indoor], and the Workshop Barn [workshops]. The indoor Galaxy Barn stage becomes a late-night (21+) venue at 9pm until 2AM.

o Support Pickathon’s efforts in becoming a leader in Green music festivals through a host of initiatives that include; an alternative transportation plan (Local Mass Transit on a Bio Diesel Bus, Travel to Portland without Renting a Car, Bike Routes and Parking, and Carpool Matching), renewable energy carbon offset credits, recycling, green beer, and partnering with a variety of green sponsors.

o Pickathon once again will feature a full array of musical and dance workshops taught by the performing artists.

o Kids under 12 are free and a continuous array of planned kid activities and performances will occur throughout the weekend.

o Pendarvis Farm includes classic wooded Oregon hiking trails to take a break and enjoy peace and solitude.

o If you are a beginning to advanced musician plan on bringing your instrument as picking will be everywhere.

o Pickathon traces it genesis to Portland’s diverse Roots music scene, partnering with KBOO each year to help re-enforce the bond between music and community radio.

Hope to see you there!

2009 Pickathon Staff

Going green is a red-hot issue for music festivals. Everyone from Bonnaroo and Rothbury to small regional gatherings is working on minimizing their impact on the environment.

We’re no different in that regard – but we are doing some innovative and exciting things that make Pickathon a leader in the field of festival sustainability.

Though we’ve done the simple things like recycling since our inception ten years ago, we’ve made a concerted effort – and huge strides – in making Pickathon as green as can be.

We offer several free alternative transportation options, which make it possible for festival attendees to get to Pickathon without driving – even if they’re flying in from out of town. Participants can take the MAX to the Gateway Station, where EcoShuttle will be operating biodiesel-fueled transport to the festival grounds. Other alternative transportation options include free transportation from our hotel partner (Clackamas Best Western), extensive bicycle route maps, free onsite bicycle parking, and carpool planning through Carpool Match NW.

We had one of the first solar-powered music stages at a large scale NW music festival, and this year are expecting to deliver twice as much solar power with the combined help from Oregon State University’s revolutionary solar trailer, a custom system sponsored by Mr. Sun Solar, two solar vans from the city of Portland's Office of Transportation, and the expertise (and solar power station) of Tom Ullman, the lead mechanic for the Portland Office of Transportation and a self-taught expert in renewable energy. We are also doubling the amount of solar-powered, low-wattage LED lighting used throughout Pendarvis to light pathways in the woods and various art-based projects throughout the farm.

Our partnership with GuildWorks has revolutionized festival décor and audience environmental design. GuildWorks’ lightweight fabric tension structures are designed to be artistic air sculptures that functionally provide a combination of shade and, in some cases, shielding from rain. Every year the materials are reconfigured and added upon create something new. The benefits haven’t gone unnoticed by other national festivals – as Guildworks has designed major décor installations for Portland’s Waterfront Blues Festival as well as the national Rothbury festival.

This year, we’re partnering with the City of Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development and Bureau of Environmental Services to showcase and educate the audience on a range of practices that we hope to inspire people to consider using in their everyday lives. Some of the direct actions will include creating displays at points where various sustainability initiatives are being demonstrated such as solar, recycling, alternative transportation.

As Pickathon evolved, we were given the unique opportunity to literally build a green festival from the ground up. When we relocated to Pendarvis
Farm, we started with a clean slate and decided to keep it as untouched as possible. We worked with the land owners, David Aulwess (a local landscape designer who helped us design the layout), and host of other specialized individuals to maximize audience enjoyment while minimizing the impact on the environment.

Each year, we re-examine every element involved in putting on Pickathon to insure we're doing the right thing - whether that's choosing to enable an expanding range alternative transportation options patrons, working with local, sustainable food vendors, expanding our use of solar energy, or improving our land use planning to recognize and understand how people will relate to the farm from a human point of view.

We're very excited that as Pickathon has grown as a musical destination, we have continued to evolve as a leader in the field of green festivals - and we can't wait to see (and embrace) what the future has to offer.

PDX International Airport
Amtrak Railway
Greyhound Bus

All of these options are conveniently located close to our partner Hotels.

No matter where you stay you can easily get to Pendarvis Farm by referencing the transportation section.

If you are interested in other adventures you could have while you visit the area we recommend you check out the Oregon Mount Hood Territory website.

For all the folks that want to camp.

Gates open at Noon on Friday and you can remain on site until Mid-Day Monday.

For those coming for the day.

Gates open at..
Friday - Noon to 11PM.
Saturday - 9AM to 11PM
Sunday - 9AM to 10PM

Before you decide on driving to Pickathon please consider one of the many alternative transportation options.

Click on the picture below to calculate specific driving instructions to the festival and various other points of interest (i.e. Partner Hotels, Airports, Train Stations, Bus Station, Gateway Transit Center, etc.).

Gates open at noon on Friday, and we encourage everyone to come early and setup camp before the festivities start!

Pendarvis Farm is a great mix of Doug Fir forests and meadows that we're excited for folks to experience firsthand.

Here's a summary of what one can expect.

We have greatly expanded the available Old and second growth forested camping within 150 to 3000 feet of the parking lot. We will have some wheelbarrows available for hauling, but we recommend you come prepared to carry all of your own gear from the parking lot to the woods.
Note: The meadow camping that existed in 2006 will no longer be availble as it is being converted to car camping, and this means the average distance to camping has gone up by around 500 feet.

Bring shoes in addition to flip flops as you will be some of the first campers every staying at Pendarvis and some brush and blackberries remain scattered throughout the farm.

Car camping is very limited and we recommend you buy your pass immediately if this is of interest for you.
Note: Car camping includes vehicles as large as VW vans but does not include trailers of any sort.
Note: Much of the car camping options are not on level ground and there is very little shade so be prepared.

RV Parking is located along the wooded edge (North side) of the camping parking lot (very limited).
Note: There are no water, sanitary, or electric hookups available on site.

Family Camping will be designated in both the car camping and the woods this year. In general any spot should be suitable for families. However, there are several large groups that attend Pickathon each year, several of which are known for being fairly lively until the early hours. All great folks, but just not the types that you would want to camp next to with the kiddos....

Car camping for any special needs is available (must be approved when buying a car pass).

To keep from overcrowding the venue we are requiring:

Every person bringing a car to purchase the appropriate car pass [click here]..

We are happy to report that there will be plenty of shady spots for camping and relaxing but remember to bring anything to limit sun exposure as it will likely be hot, and most of the actual music venue will have some daytime exposure.

We also ask everyone to come prepared so as to minimize the number of entries and exits made by all the cars since we want to be respectful to the locals from a traffic perspective.

OTHER CAMPING INFO
A variety of independent hand picked vendors will be selling food, drinks, beer and wine, and crafts for the duration of the event. Ice and bottled water will also be available for purchase.

Drinking water will be provided free of charge from on-site water trucks.

There will be ATM's on-site, located adjacent to the Galaxy Barn.

Portable toilets, Recycling, and Hand Washing stations are located throughout the venue and campground.

No telephones are available to the public for local calls but cell phones should work fine.

Please be mindful of your impact on the land and keep up diligently with your trash. Deposit all trash in the main waste dumpster by the camping parking lot when possible.

Best Western Sunnyside Inn
12855 SE 97th Avenue, Clackamas, OR 97015
Rate: $74 + 7% tax
Phone: 503-652-1500

Days Inn Portland South
9717 SE Sunnyside Road, Clackamas, OR 97015
Rate: $89 + 7% tax
Phone: 503-654-1699

We are also currently working on other options, and as those details are clear we will be sure to post 'em. Make reservations early, as these hotels will fill up fast.

And if these folks do not fit your fancy, please take a look at the Mt. Hood Territory Website, as they have an expansive list of all Lodging Options in Clackamas County, and would love to host you for the weekend!

Listed below is a summary of the many possible options.

FREE BIO-FUELED SHUTTLES FROM ECOSHUTTLE

Ecoshuttle will continuously shuttle people between the Gateway MAX station and Pendarvis Farm.

Note: If you are staying at the Sunnyside Best Western then you will use the Hotel shuttle as our shuttle does not go to any of the Hotels.

The schedule for the Ecoshuttle bus will pickup people on the hour from the Gateway MAX Station and on the half hour from Pendarvis Farm during the times the gates are open (last Pendarvis Farm pickup is at 11:30PM). Ecoshuttle will also provide a pickup service on Monday at 10AM for any campers who need to get back to the Gateway MAX.

To ensure the best possible shuttle service we request you give us a bit of quick feedback below on your plans to use Ecoshuttle's bio-shuttle.

TRAVEL TO PORTLAND WITHOUT RENTING A CAR

Option #1 - Travel to Portland by airplane, train, or bus and stay at one of our Lodging Partners who will provide free of charge shuttle service between the Hotel and Pickathon.

Option #2 - Travel to Portland by airplane, train, or bus and finish your journey to Pickathon by taxi or our Mass Transit Shuttle (see above) and camp onsite.

CARPOOL TO PICKATHON

One of the simplest ways to make a difference is to carpool with friends.

If you don't know someone carpooling and you live in Oregon, California, and Washington we encourage you to go to the website CarpoolMatchNW and follow the instructions below.

If you are already registered with CarpoolMatchNW, log in as a returning user. When you get to Going To (Destination) click the drop down arrow and select Pickathon, Pendarvis Farm and enter you preferred traveling times.

If you are not already registered on CarpoolMatchNW, then go ahead and register. When you get to Going To (Destination) click the drop down arrow and select Pickathon, Pendarvis Farm, and enter you preferred traveling times.

Note: Remember that being more flexible about your departure and return times and the distance you will travel to meet your carpool will increase the chances of finding a match.

Once your carpool match is created you should automatically get updates when a possible match is found.

TRAVEL BY BICYCLE

We suggest 3 possible bike routes below. We also encourage folks to research their own bike routes because there are tradeoffs (less traffic, less hills, best lighted, etc...) in picking which bike route is best.

Bike Route 1 (Easiest) - From I-205 Bikepath -- Easy riding on good bike lanes, well lit, and mostly flat.

From the I-205 Bikepath, take Sunnyside Rd all the way to 162nd. Bike lanes and good lighting exist the entire way up Sunnyside until you reach 162nd, but consider yourself warned that the intense suburban scenery is less than stunning.

Take a left onto 162nd and continue (.8 miles) until it bends right into Hagen Road. You will see Pendarvis Farm within 300 feet. 162nd and Hagen is the only portion of this journey without designated bike lanes.

Bike Route 2 - Springwater Corridor (Medium because of traffic on 172nd and Foster) - Mostly flat with road traffic and small road shoulders on both Foster (300 feet) and 172nd (~1.5miles)

Take 158th off of the Springwater Corridor trail and take a left on Foster.

Go 300 feet and take right onto 162nd.

Continue down 162nd until you come to the tee of SE Sager and SE Vrandenburg Rd. (Take a left onto Sager)

Sager Intersects 172 where you take a right and continue down 172nd until Hagen Rd.

Take a right down Hagen Rd and you will see Pendarvis Farm within .3 miles

Bike Route 3 - Springwater Corridor (Hard because of the big hills) - The most scenic route through Happy Valley with the least amount of traffic and a lot of big hill climbing.

Take 158th off of the Springwater Corridor trail and take a left on Foster.

Go 300 feet and take right onto 162nd.

Continue down 162nd until you come to the SE Clatsop Rd where you will take a right.

Continue ~4000ft uphill and take a right on 145th.

Continue straight on 145th about 1.5 miles (past King Street) until it merges with 147th and continue straight again for ~.2 miles until you see Monner Rd.

Take a left on Monner Rd. and be careful as this is a steep decent down to 162nd Ave.

Take a left on 162nd and follow it as it bends and turns into Hagen Rd (~.2 miles) and you will see Pendarvis Farm within 300 feet.

Here are two resources for finding your own bike route

Option 1 - Use the Bicycle Trip Planner at to look at routes from any starting address.

Option 2 - Follow the four easy steps to use Google Earth with Metro's Bike There! plug in to show recommended bike routes over a 3D topology.

Step 1 - Download the free Google Earth beta application and install the application on your PC or Mac by clicking here.

Step 2 - Then download Metro's bike routes file "bike_there.kmz" by clicking here.

Step 3 -- Open Google Earth on your computer, and then from within Google Earth, go to file > open and open the Metro "Bike There" file.

Step 4 -- Use the dashboard in Google Earth to fly over the region and have a bird's eye view of the bike routes.

Here are three suggested bike routes you should consider.

You must follow some basic neighborly rules otherwise you could be turned away or be asked to leave at anytime.

Absolutely no pets are allowed. (Sorry!...We really do love dogs...Farm Rules!)

No fires of any sorts (including candles), fireworks, or firearms allowed. You can use campstoves under controlled supervised circumstances.

Respect your fellow festival goers, campers, and Pendarvis Farm neighbors.

No glass our outside alchohol will be allowed in the venue.

Parking Lot Picking is heavily encouraged, but be mindful of places you choose to pick.

Interested in applying to be a Vendor at the 2009 Pickathon?
See Vendor info below....

The Pickathon strongly encourages families to attend, and a specific portion of the campground will be set aside for those that choose to use it.

All kids under 12 get in for free.

This year we will be adding a variety of activities to keep the young ones entertained. We post a full list of workshops, kids shows, and fun activiteis by the end of May or signup on the email list for direct notification through our monthly newsletter.

Other Kids Info

One of the coolest things for parents is that Pickathon will have Pickathon Radio broadcasting all the music so you can listen in anywhere in the campground. So when you're putting the kids to bed or just hanging out back at the campsite you can stay connected the whole time.

Our onsite radio team (Peacock Radio !!) allows you to relax at camp (day or night) as we broadcast live performances right to your radio.

Tuning to Pickathon Radio is a great way to keep up to the minute with all festival happenings as well as a place to hear some fine archival performances from festivals past.

Don't forget those portable radios!

And...
Thanks for your interest in volunteering for Pickathon. We depend on our responsible enthusiastic volunteers and look forward to your help for the 11th annual Pickathon.

Most of our volunteers work 2 4-hour shifts during the festival as general volunteers helping at the front gate, parking, monitoring camping areas, staffing pedestrian and backstage entrances, monitoring showers, merchandise sales, and any other jobs that may be defined later. We also need limited volunteers for special crews such as recycling, setup/teardown, hospitality, beer garden, and massage. The shift requirements for each of these special crews are noted on the application page, which can be found here - 2009 Volunteer Application

In return for volunteering you will receive 1 free weekend pass to Pickathon. Camping is also free but parking is not free. All those who drive must purchase a parking pass, which you can do here - 2009 Tickets and Parking

Thanks again!
Pickathon Staff

We will prioritize Food/Beverage vendors that:
*Operate with little help from outside energy (electricity), and use primarily propane or solar to meet their needs.
*Can handle large crowds with no problem at all.
*Are localized.
*Are of the highest quality, come with a smile, and want to be involved throughout the year in helping promote Pickathon.

Interested in applying? Contact: vending [at] pickathon {dot} com to receive info and an application. Please briefly describe you product in some detail within your email request.

Realize the [at] and [dot] are spelled out to avoid spam and will need to be replaced with the real symbols.

Do you still have a question for us that we didn't answer above?

Contact us at info[at]pickathon.com

BANDS!! Send to bands[at]pickathon.com