We’re very proud to once again offer over camping at the ALL CAPS! Island Festival! This marks the only chance the public has to camp on Toronto Island. If you’re one of the lucky people who purchased a camping pass, we have some points of interest to prepare you for your night on the island after the jump!

GEAR SHUTTLE: We will not have a passenger shuttle this year, but we will have a gear shuttle. On Saturday, we will have a van available for the 2:30pm and 3:00pm Hanlan’s ferry to take your gear from the dock to the festival venue. Take the Hanlan’s ferry at either of those times, and when you get to the island a volunteer will direct you to the Gear Shuttle. This will work like a coat check – a tent check, if you will. Give them your gear, and you will get a ticket. You’ll have a walk to the venue, about a 15-minute walk, and your gear will be waiting when you get there. Sign in, show your ticket, get your gear, and a volunteer will show you where to set up. Although feel free to carry your own gear! And be advised, these will be the only two ferries where we can provide a Gear Shuttle.

ARRIVAL: Arrival time for camping is 3pm on Saturday, August 11th. You’ll need to check in at the camping entrance located on the north side of the centre. There are two entrances, one for campers and one for non-campers. (We’ll have signs, don’t worry.)

SIGNING IN: Once you arrive at the centre you will have to sign in. Here you will have to sign a waiver saying you won’t do anything foolish like get yourself killed or light the island on fire, you will get a wristband to designate that you’re a camper and you’ll be directed by a volunteer where to set up your tent.

SIGNING OUT: We recommend tearing down your site on Sunday before the bands start at 4:20pm. That way all your gear is taken care of and you can enjoy every minute of the music. We will have two tent checks set up, one for those hauling their own gear, and one for the Gear Shuttle. At 10:00pm the shuttle will take the gear to Hanlan’s so you can catch the last ferry to the mainland, at 11:15pm. You’ll get a ticket when you check your tent, and you’ll show that ticket to a volunteer at the Hanlan’s ferry dock to get your gear. Last call to get your tent checked for the Gear Shuttle is 9:30pm.

FERRY SCHEDULE: The ferry schedule can be found here (make sure you click the summer schedule): http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/ferry-schedule.htm. Please note that a camping pass does not include ferry fare.

LOCATION: Artscape Gibraltar Point on Toronto Island, located here: http://bit.ly/pE2r61. It's right across the roadway from the Gibraltar Point lighthouse.

MAP: When you get to the centre, you will be given a festival program guide including a map of relevant points of interest, like where to find the beach and the washrooms.

WASHROOMS: Washrooms are available in the Centre. Women’s washrooms are located on the west side near the camping entrance, and the men’s room is through the south entrance off the picnic area.

SECURITY: There will be security on hand at all times to provide any necessary assistance. If you leave the grounds, you will have to show your camping pass to re-enter.

FIRST AID: There will be first aid professionals available at all times.

COOKING: Cooking is not allowed, but thankfully there's some awesome food available for purchase, and snacks are okay.

FOOD: Food will be available for purchase. We’re hosting a different food vendor each day. On Saturday, caterer/urban agriculturalist extraordinaire Katie Mathieu will be selling a curated menu of tacos and special surprises. On Sunday, SkyBlueSky Sandwiches are selling their hallmark grilled sandwiches for both brunch and dinner. Both of our vendors are providing vegetarian options.

CASH MONEY: This is very important: there is only one cash machine on the island, located a 20 minute walk away at Centreville, and it doesn’t always work. Bring as much cash as you’ll think you’ll need, or more (for food, drinks, band merch) with you when you come to the island. And while we will have security monitoring the camping site at all times, we recommend you keep valuables on you.

BUG SPRAY: The island is notorious for two nuisances: mosquitoes and European red ants, also known as fire ants. Bug repellent is an effective deterrent, and we recommend keeping yourself well covered. Keep the opening to your tent closed as much as possible. Our volunteers will be able to direct you to first aid should you need it.

CAMPING PASSES: Camping is available only if you’ve purchased a camping pass. Camping passes are per person, so whether you each have your own tent or you all pile into one, you will each need a pass. If anyone tries to camp overnight without a camping pass, we will have to call security. Those people will be put on a water taxi back to the mainland at their own expense.

IMPORTANT THINGS TO BRING: Flashlight, tent, sleeping bag, rain gear, insect repellent, snacks, bathing suit, towel, cash money. There will be sunscreen available from our sponsor Show Gopher, and there will be earplugs available for purchase.

A FINAL WORD: We do our best with this festival to create an atmosphere of respect, inclusiveness, and friendliness. Our venue, Artscape Gibraltar Point, is the residence of more than 28 people, and Toronto Island the home of more than 600. It is also home to a number of rare and indigenous flora and fauna. Our ability to host a festival with camping hinges on how we treat the residents of the island, the residents of the AGP, the environment and the other attendees of this festival. We ask for your help in making ALL CAPS! an experience that’s positive and respectful for all those involved so that we can continue presenting it well into the future.

If you’re interested, here’s a bit more information about Toronto Island: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Island.

See you on August 11th!