Camping has always been an awesome part of the Firefly experience, but it sounds like we are in for some awesome changes/additions to the experience in 2019. Firefly Festival is promoting the camping experience as “The Great Atlantic Campout at Firefly.”
My intention is basically to do a series of posts covering various aspects of the Festival and camping experience leading up to Fest in June. The focus of this post is going to be a general look at the camping experience and at what is or may be new about the immersive experience Firefly is promoting this year. Shout out to all the people who sent me pictures to use! Firefly Fam is the best!
Firefly offers a whole range of camping options, starting from basic bring your own tent all the way up to high end super glamping.
Tent Camping – There are three basic options this year: North Camping, South Camping and Group Camping
North Camping: is what used to be known as premier camping – the one where you got to arrive early and be closer to the entrance (and have basically an extra day’s headstart on the fun). In the past, premier camping meant early arrival on Wednesday, but with the fest starting a day later – North Camping has early entry on Thursday.
South Camping: is what used to be known as general camping and is on the racetrack side of the festival. Based on the website, it looks like South Camping and North Camping have the same info as far as when entry will be permitted. So the differences will likely be in amenities and distance from the entrance.
Group Camping: This is a special option within the South Camping area and the official way to create a large campsite and avoid the hassle of trying to get spots next to each other by chance or plan. Looks like you will need to have at least 25 people – and a leader to start the process off online.
Of course – there is also always the annually organized Supercamp – organized by members of the Firefly Fan Page (above). They plan out a group caravan in and setup. This is an awesome way to meet very chill amazing people and know that you will be surrounded by good people. Join the group and be on the lookout for posts when they start planning it this year.
This SuperCamp is also the place to be for some of the biggest unofficial official events that take place in the camping area every year. They host an annual beer pong tournament, and other huge party games always seem to pop up, they are closely linked with the Fan Page and meetup events inside the festival every year.
The North and South Camping options are the heart of things at Firefly. I’ve had the opportunity to visit friends in all areas and spend some amazing days hanging in the sun playing games and competing in the beer pong tournament.
This experience is one that is, in many ways, just as important and memorable as the time you will spend inside the actual Festival itself. It is one of the things that sets Firefly apart from non-camping, big city festivals, because there is this whole other part to the experience where everyone hangs out at the end of the night and starts the party again in the morning.
The other category of camping at Firefly is Pre-Set Camping. These options range from adorable Firefly branded campsites with a tent and gear you get to keep all the way up to super glamping.
Care Free Camping: As in years past, looks like care free camping involves the Firefly branded tent and accessories that are set up for you and that you can take with you when you leave.
Elevated Camping: I think last year was the first time elevated camping made an appearance at Firefly. It offers tents that are “elevated” in the actual physical sense that they are on little stilts up off the ground. This option provides the same “just show up” experience as Care Free Camping, but you don’t get to keep these tents.
Glamping: There are several categories of glamping with a variety of amenities. Two of the special ones are: Infield Glamping and Peak Glamping.
Infield Glamping: Is a glamping experience that puts you on the infield of the Monster Mile – the big NASCAR racetrack near the Festival. The other difference is access to air conditioning and power in your tent (and a different check in location).
Peak Glamping: I did this last year and it was awesome. It was super close to the fest entrance, but also like a little quiet(ier) village. Most of the people here were families or 30+ so it just tended to have a more mellow vibe than other parts of the grounds. And it is super cute!!!! I have included some of my personal pictures below, but the big benefits here are: air conditioning, food vouchers, free snacks, and upgraded interiors.
I am happy to answer any questions about anything camping (or more generally Firefly related) or to point you in the direction of someone who can – if it is something I don’t know.
Ok – now onto what’s new with the Hubs and Ranger Stations
Hubs:For those who haven’t attended Firefly before, there is a Hub in both the South and North Camping areas. What’s a Hub? Well, basically just a place to get anything you want to eat, drink, or buy. There is also usually live music, bathrooms, a bar, and more. This year, it looks like they are making some major improvements the list on their website now includes amenities such as: waterslides (what!?!?), sand volleyball, farmers markets, yoga, intermural sports, Firefly CHATS and more. Just make sure to check out the difference between the North and South Hubs on the website, if there is something in particular you are looking for.
Ranger Stations: I think these are totally new, as pretty much the only place I ever remember getting anything in the camping area was at the hub or from people who rode around selling ice. Based on their description, it looks like these are going to be outposts where campers can get some basic resources, information, and bathrooms without having to travel to the Hub. This is definitely an awesome addition, because that walk can be long, especially after you have been at the Fest for awhile. Perhaps one of the biggest things is that it looks like they are going to have some official Firefly people staffing these locations (yep, you guessed it they are calling them Rangers) who can may be able to provide some much needed information and supervision inside the camp grounds.
I strongly recommend Firefly and the camping experience. There is nothing like it!! At least not that I have found. The people are amazing and as I said, the experience is almost as good as the music part. And again!! Major shoutout to the many people who shared photos for this post. There were too many good ones to choose from, and they give such a good perspective on what an awesome experience camping at Firefly can be. 
Stay tuned for more Firefly Festival posts !!!