Raise the Rafters 2026

***PLEASE NOTE: RTR is at a new venue this year! Come sing at Camp Magruder on the ocean with us!***

ABOUT 

Raise the Rafters is a song weekend dedicated to fostering the next generation of singers and of people interested in traditional folk songs, singing styles, and their cultural context. This October we will gather for our fourth year running to sing, teach and learn from each other, sing, share songs and ideas, sing, make friends, talk about the tradition and its future, and sing some more! There will be concerts and workshops from staff artists as well as spaces for attendees to teach workshops, facilitate discussions, and share songs. We are an intergenerational event and welcome everyone regardless of age, experience, or background. For more information, including the tentative schedule and staff, visit rtrsong.org.

LOCATION, TRAVEL, AND HOUSING

Camp Magruder is a lovely camp on the Oregon coast due west of Portland, right on the ocean near Tillamook Bay. There are bunks available in various configurations as well as the potential for camping (it’ll be cold though!). If you have particular access needs around accommodation, please be sure to note it on the questionnaire - in particular, please indicate if you are very tall (over 5’10”) or would struggle to walk long distances. Catered meals and snacks will be provided that are able to accommodate most dietary requirements. We will do our best to make the event fragrance free.

Camp Magruder is located about 100 miles west of Portland, and is only accessible by personal vehicle.  Rideshares will be coordinated from Portland and Seattle for anyone who needs help with transport. Please let us know on the registration form below if you will require a ride, or if you can help out and offer a ride! If flying in, we recommend you fly into PDX airport before 5 p.m. on Friday. Campers flying in may need to take public transport in order to meet their rideshare. We do not expect to be able to offer rides later in the evening or on Saturday. 

Travel grants will be available according to financial need and availability - apply at rtrsong.org/travel-grants. 

COVID-19 

To keep our community as safe as possible, all attendees are also required to take a rapid antigen test the day of the event (Friday, 10/16) before arriving. Masks will be optional but happily welcome at the event. We as organizers really do not want to be responsible for running an event that leads to a Covid-19 outbreak, either at the camp itself or upon returning to home communities. If you or a member of your household feel sick or test positive in the week leading up to the event, please reach out to us ASAP to discuss options. 

THE COST

This weekend is committed to being financially accessible to a wide swath of singers. RTR will be a full service camp - that means 2 nights of lodging, 6 meals, a snack table, top quality songleading talent, and a bunch of other costs. The trick here is to strike a balance - what does it take for camp to be accessible and financially feasible? 

The standard ticket price of this event if we weren’t doing a sliding scale, would be $275. The beautiful ocean retreat at Camp Magruder will cost us somewhere between $190 and $225 per person, depending on the number of attendees. Once you include the costs of paying and transporting our songleaders, providing childcare, snacks, insurance, and supplies - everything that makes camp happen beyond our volunteer organizer crew, the true cost of camp lands at about $275 per person. 

THE PRICE: SLIDING SCALE

If you can't afford to pay $275, that's fine. We want the weekend to be available to as many people as possible, including you! Some payment suggestions are below. Please consider where you fairly fall on the scale and be as generous as you can. If everyone paid under $275, we would lose thousands of dollars and would not be able to host Raise the Rafters in future years. 

If you're comfortably employed and can afford to pay the break-even price of $275, please do. Students and young people who can work with family, friends, or community to pay the break-even price should also pay this amount.

If you're on a tight budget and $275 would be untenable, you could choose to contribute $200-$275 to help sustain camp without over-stressing.

If neither of these are accessible prices for you, we ask for a minimum contribution of $140-200 to support the basic costs of running camp. We also recommend this price level for children aged 12 and under.

If life is good and you appreciate the magic of community song weekends, that's wonderful to hear! Consider becoming an angel and sponsoring other singers by paying $375-$550 or more! $550 covers your cost and the cost of two low-income tickets.

CANCELLATION POLICY 

Tickets for camp may be fully refunded up until Sunday, September 6th. After that point, please email us to discuss cancellation options.