Lucidity

[Drunk Monk]

Lucidity Festival Postponed and Finds a New Home

Posted on June 7, 2024 by Lucidity Staff

Dear Lucid Family,
(Photo by: Foster Snell / @FosterTheExplorer)
It is with a heavy heart that we inform you of an unexpected development. Despite our successful track record at Live Oak Campground for over a decade, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department and California Highway Patrol have not approved our event scheduled for June 28-30. They have cited high fire season concerns and access issues due to the flowing river, which impairs one of our evacuation routes. For these reasons, they have put greater scrutiny on the venue’s capacity by reducing it to far below our expected 4000-5000 attendees.
We understand this may be difficult news and affect you in different ways. We encourage you to take your time in processing it. It took us a moment too. And then continue reading to learn about the silver lining and amazing news of our new venue.
Know that we’ve been working around the clock to find solutions and we are blessed to be able to land at such an epic venue that holds a great amount of nostalgia among our community.
What Happened?
SB County Fire and CA Highway Patrol (CHP) are now requiring engineer-stamped traffic and fire safety plans to continue at Live Oak—requirements we’ve never faced before and were communicated only a few days ago. Additionally, new directives for safety vehicles and personnel from various agencies have compounded the challenge.
We submitted our 2024 Operating Plan months before our event and well before the required due date. Despite months of deliberation and revisions, the suggestion to hire a Traffic Engineer was only communicated on May 28, just two days before our onsite meeting with safety agencies at Live Oak. During this meeting, the suggestion was escalated to a requirement, and multiple additional mandates were introduced. 
Despite our best efforts, obtaining engineer-stamped Traffic and Fire Safety reports in such a short time frame is impossible. Additionally, these requirements might only end up supporting a reduced capacity.
We are frustrated and shocked by this late-hour decision, especially given our longstanding relationships with County Supervisors, Parks and Recreation, and the Sheriff’s Department. Santa Barbara is an important piece of the Lucidity tapestry, woven in with our vast amount of local partnerships, relationships with regional farms and our Farm-to-Festival ethos, deep roots embedded in the community with our activism, and more.  However, when SB County Fire and the CHP say no, we have no choice but to accept their decision and seek a new venue.
What Does This Mean?
Our Lucid Family has shown remarkable resilience over the past 12 years, and we are determined to continue forward. To address this wrinkle, the team has been working around the clock to find a suitable solution with minimal impact and the best outcome for all, ranging from finding a new location for our June dates, to moving the dates with a new venue, and everything in between. 
After weighing all factors, we are thrilled and relieved to identify an amazing venue that is excited to have us. Our new dates are April 25-27, 2025 and our new home will be Lake San Antonio North Shore in Monterey County. The decision to postpone did not come easy. We made every attempt to pivot venues and maintain the same dates; however, we believe you deserve a well-planned, high-quality event that delivers the Lucidity experience you’ve come to love in a safe container.

All tickets will automatically transfer to the new date, so no action is required on your part. 
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We have faced postponements before, notably during COVID, and emerged stronger. We are confident we can do so again with your support.
Are Refunds Going to be Available?
We encourage you to hold onto your ticket, which will automatically transfer to the new date.
If you wish to request an exception or have further inquiries, please fill out this form.
As per our refund policy:
“In the event of a cancellation or rescheduling of the applicable event, management shall not be required to issue a refund provided that you are given the right, within eighteen months of the date of the original event, to attend a rescheduled performance of the same event or to exchange this ticket for a ticket, comparable in price and location, to another similar event as designated by management except as otherwise provided by law.”

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How can YOU help?

1. Your continued support and understanding are vital. We understand and share the disappointment and frustration, and together our optimism will carry us forward.
   
2. Share the news with your friends by directing them to this announcement for details.
   
3. Mark your calendars. We’ve found a new home and that’s something to be excited about!
   

We are committed to overcoming this obstacle as a community. We are grateful to have found the perfect new home for Aurora’s Light, and of course, to reunite with you all soon. We will continue to update everyone as things progress. 
In Lucid Solidarity,
The Lucidity Directors and Members
Photo by: Foster Snell / @FosterTheExplorer

I am relieved. This was on my overly impacted summer calendar. It was going to be SNWMF (3 hours north) followed the weekend afterwards by Lucidity (4 hours south). Honestly, I don't know how I was going to do that solo but in my delusional mind, I'm still capable of such feats of daring do. I have already asked to swap that Friday for a Sunday. I'm committed to SNWMF and as of last year, Lucidity was a festival not to be missed. I confess, I'm a festival addict but I'm sure you've all noticed that already. 

Moving to Monterey county on the weekend after 4/19 & 4/20? DM approves.