Elderflower Policies 2026
Page is updated (Feb.)
Registration Fees section contains the info for the Early Bird discount.
Registration Fees and Policies
This section of policies describes more about how to register and some of our long-established policies regarding payment.
COVID Policy
Getting together in person is important, but not at the risk of our long-term wellbeing.
Attendees will not need to provide proof of vaccinations this year. We believe taking a test on site with negative results will be enough precaution.
Each attendee will take a COVID test (provided by EWF) at the Gatehouse before entering the grounds and before greeting or hugging any other Elderflower attendee. If you test positive, sadly you will not be admitted to the festival. Your registration money will be refunded after the festival.
In addition, we suggest that if possible, you take a test at home before you drive for hours to Mendocino. You will still have to take a test at the festival, but it might save you a trip. If you are positive, or feeling sick, please stay home. You can contact us after the festival, and we will refund your registration money.
As was true for the last few years, this year you will be asked acknowledge this policy to proceed with online registration for the festival. For those who send in a printed form, there is a second page with the policy and a place for your signature.
Registration Fees and cut-off dates
This special discount doesn’t show on the printed or online forms, so choose the lowest rate on your registration and pay $400 by the last date!Elderflower has always strived to remain an affordable festival. Due to the basic cost increases – especially food – we have raised the minimum fee for Adults in 2026. (see Adult Fees below)
A special time-limited Early Bird Registration Rate is available at $400. To receive the 2025 minimum rate, you will need to be fully registered and paid in full by the 31st of March at 11:59PM.
NOTE: This special discount doesn’t show on the printed or online forms. Simply choose the lowest rate on your registration and pay $400 in full by the last date to get the discount.
To assist women of all economic backgrounds, we have a tiered fee structure based on the date you register and make your first payment. This way attendees can pay the cost of the festival over time. We also have scholarships available to assist low income women with the fees. (see the Scholarships section header below.)
For those who register later, the base fee rises. If you register last minute and pay at the door, the fee is full price and you must bring cash.
Registrations need to be received by August 1, 2025. We must know you are coming by this date to provide the chef with accurate numbers.
A number of discounts (see below) are available to help those who need to reduce the cost.
If you make a down payment, you will not be billed. We do not have a billing system. It is your sole responsibility to ensure that FULL payment is received by August 5, 2025. The festival accepts checks via US Postal Service or online payment via PayPal’s payment services. A PayPal account is not required.
A deposit of $175 is required to hold your space at the tier listed below.
Children under age 8 are free.
Adults Fees –
- $475 — July 16 – Aug. 1, 2026
- $450 — June 1 – July 15, 2026
- $425 — before May 31, 2026
- Online and check payments need to be received by August 5.
- Payments made after August 5, 2026 must be made at onsite check-in *CASH ONLY* (no checks, no credit cards, no online payments).
- Please contact us directly if you plan to pay your fee at the festival.
- $140 — Any time for Ages 8-12
- Under 8 are free
- A parent or guardian must fill out a separate registration for each child who attends.
Merchants and Bodyworkers
Merchant and Bodyworker Fee
To set up a table and sell crafts and goods in the open air market or to set up a bodyworker tent near the main Dining Hall.
- $35
- If you are a craftswoman, artist, merchant, or bodyworker/healer and are interested in attending the festival and wish to provide services, or sell your crafts or wares, please contact us directly. Provide your telephone number and a bit about your work, and this year’s Merchant/Bodyworker coordinator will contact you.
Bodyworkers
- Will need to register and pay a regular registration.
- Bodyworkers may set their own fees for services.
- We ask that Bodyworkers will consider offering a lower cost option by making a few shorter time appointments so that their services are affordable to more attendees. We also hope that for some bodyworkers a sliding scale fee structure may be an option.
- We have room to accommodate four bodyworker tables at the festival.
Discounts
Discounts from the basic registration are available to help make festival attendance more accessible.
- $100 Ages 13-18 and Students
- Workshop ($30 each | Maximum 2 workshop discounts) || A Workshop form must accompany registration to receive this discount. || NOTE: Deadline for workshop descriptions is June 30, 2026.
- Scholarships are available. See Scholarships below for details.
- Limited worktrades may be discussed on a case-by-case basis. You would need to pay your registration in full and you would be reimbursed at the end for work done at the festival. Send us a message using the Contact Us form to let us know of your interest in this option.
After Registration
What to expect after you register.
If you register on the website, you will receive an automated email. This means we received your registration information. If you registered by mail, we don’t usually send out an email to acknowledge it. You will know your registration is received when we deposit the check.
If you made a mistake or wish to change something on your online submitted form, please use the Contact Us for to notify us as soon as possible.
We will send out a Pre-Festival Packet at the mailing address you registered in mid-July. Usually at the beginning of the 3rd week. If you register after the packets have been mailed out, or if you did not receive a packet, we have a solution! We will post the information on the website as a printable document called 2026 Pre-festival Packet, or we can email it to you, if you prefer.
Be sure to Subscribe to our Newsletter to get information about the upcoming festival. Newsletters are issued no more than once per month.
Cancellation & Refund Policy
A $175 deposit is required with registration to hold your space at the regular time-dependent lower tiers.
If you need to withdraw your registration, and can not attend the festival for any reason, we will refund your paid registration amount minus a $25 processing fee. Use the Contact Us form to let the Treasurer and Registration team know about your situation.
If your cancellation is last minute – just before the festival – the refund will be processed after the festival within 4 weeks of your request. Credit Card and PayPal payment refunds take much less time to process.
Scholarship applicants are also expected to pay an initial $175 deposit. If an applicant is not approved for Scholarship and then can’t attend the festival, they will be reimbursed the entire $175 deposit.
Scholarships
Elderflower Womenspirit is dedicated to making the festival accessible to low-income women, as well as to those experiencing a temporary hardship.
There are a number of partial scholarships available. If your questions about scholarships aren’t answered here you might find them on the Scholarships page.
Please fill in a scholarship form either online or by printing out a form and sending through the mail. If you don’t have easy online access, we have made a form available that can be printed out and mailed to us.
Prior to granting a request for scholarship, a representative of the Core Committee will contact you to discuss possible options for making the festival affordable for you.
A completed festival registration form and minimum deposit of $175 is required for the application to be considered. If you apply for a scholarship and it is not granted and as a result you cannot attend, the full amount of your $175 deposit will be refunded.
Visit the Scholarships Home page to access the forms.
Donations
Thanks to our Treasurer, Elderflower Womenspirit Festival is once again eligible to receive tax-deductible donations.
If you wish to make a tax deductible donation, please visit the Donations page.
“General Festival Camp Policies”
has moved to Camp & Community Policies