Camp Wavus, Jefferson, ME | April 28-30, 2023 | Grades 8 – 12
Registration Closed 3/1/’23
Registration has closed.
Please email Tara Barker at tara@outmaine.org if you need to check the status of your registration (including anyone on the waitlist).
About Rainbow Ball Weekend
Looking for a reason to dust off your instrument, get dressed up and play some games, all while connecting with your peers?
Rainbow Ball is a weekend long experience for LGBTQ+ youth to safely express themselves.
Get outside with us and enjoy the views of Damariscotta lake while making new friends through RPGs, art, and outdoor exploration.
Strut your stuff on stage and show us what you got in our annual talent show. Pick a ‘fit’ from our glam boutique and join us for a LGBTQ+ safe prom.
FMI please see our newly updated FAQs below. If you still have a question, email program@outmaine.org or call 800-530-6997.
School/Youth Groups
Schools or Youth Groups will arrange transportation for students to and from the event and will also provide chaperones who will stay the weekend with the students. We recommend 1 chaperone for every 12 students. Chaperones do not pay a fee to attend because they are volunteering, but donations towards expenses or your students’ registration fees are welcomed!
Individuals
Weekend Schedule
Friday
Afternoon and Evening – Arrive with whatever talent (music, poetry, dance, ventriloquy, fire breathing, you name it!) you registered to perform OR your best audience attitude to cheer on your peers at the Talent Show created BY and FOR attending students.
Saturday
Morning and Afternoon – You’ll be moving between small group team building activities and various workshops (1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices will be available on the registration form). Past workshops have included anything from Queer Sex Ed to Creative Writing.
Evening – The excuse you have been waiting for to attend an LGBTQ+ friendly prom, with formal wear donated by friends and allies, free of charge! If you aren’t in the mood to dance the night away, leave at any time in preference of our quiet hangout room, providing quiet games and coloring to students. There is also a large DnD game which you can sign up for in advance.
Sunday
Morning – Fill up with a good breakfast before checking out and heading home from the weekend!
Frequently Asked Questions
COVID-19
What are the COVID-19 policies for the event? All participants must be fully vaccinated per the current CDC guidelines, boosted and adhere to strict mask-wearing indoors, and in high-traffic areas outdoors. Masking and social distancing protocols may change as Kieve Wavus (the venue) and OUT Maine update safety measures based on current best practices. Kieve Wavus’ most current COVID-19 protocols are available to read on its website: https://www.kwe.org/. There are no exceptions.
What if Rainbow Ball Weekend is canceled by COVID? Unfortunately, we can’t promise the weekend will not be canceled, but we can promise we are planning on holding the event as long as it is safe. We will watch the transmission rates and current CDC guidelines. We will notify you two weeks before the event if we are canceling it. All fees will be refunded if the event is canceled and we will plan on another event the following year.
School/Youth Groups
How many people are needed for a school/youth group? 2 or more students from a school must come as a group with a chaperone. Chaperones attend for free. We ask for 1 chaperone for every 12 students.
Parents / Teachers
If a scholarship is needed how could you get one? There is a space on the registration form to request a scholarship.
Do you have options for people with dietary restrictions? Yes, there is a section in the registration paperwork to list dietary restrictions so Kieve Wavus can make meals for you.
Can a parent chaperone their child? No. We have limited beds available. Allowing parents to also attend would reduce how many students could attend.
Can you accommodate special-needs students? Please call or email us to discuss the youth’s needs. Due to limited housing, we cannot accommodate a youth who requires a private cabin. Program@outmaine.org or 800-530-6997.
Youth Participants
Can I drive myself to the event? Parking is limited so you must either travel with your school group or have a parent or friend drop you off and pick you up.
I’m 18, does that mean I can leave the campus during the weekend? No. We have a full schedule for the weekend which would not allow enough time to leave campus. If you are not interested in participating in the workshops you should not attend the weekend.
Will I have a quiet place to go if things get to be too much? Yes! We have quiet spaces available during the weekend as well as helpful adults you can speak to if you are feeling stressed.
Do you have social workers on site? Yes.
2023 Workshops
Recycled with a purpose
Mia Bogyo
Center for Maine Contemporary Art
Join the Center for Maine Contemporary Art for a workshop inspired by artist Pamela Moulton work featured in 2023 Biennial. Moulton’s woven environments will influence our exploration and play with recycled materials to build a collective image.
“Pamela Moulton’s installations are playful, large-scale, hands-on, and exploratory. Moulton is a multi-disciplinary environmental artist rooted in world-building and collaboration. She has collaborated with over 5,000 community partners and rescued more than 10 tons of derelict fishing gear from the oceans…”
Keeping it real with Kendra
Kendra
SASSM
Want to be your best for yourself and your community? Join Kendra in conversation about consent, peer support and how to take good care of yourself when times are tough.
Queerness in Media
Louie Koll
Do you regularly have strong feelings about fictional characters lives? Is there representation you’ve found in media, whether it be books, tv, movies, podcasts, music, or anything else, that sets your heart ablaze. Or are you frustrated with how they handled your favorite show or book? Join us to talk about our favorite queer media, what some does right and how some fall short or are harmful. Discussion may include the Hayes Code, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, The Strange Case of the Starship Iris, Killing Eve, Sense8, and The Owl House.
Ropes Course
Camp Wavus
An opportunity to climb up tress and across various high-ropes elements at the ropes course, located out on the peninsula.
Queering Astrology
Amy Green
Astrology is so much more than sun sign stereotypes. Learn with Professional Astrologer Amy Green how “Queer Astrology” (yes, this is a real thing!) is turning the astrology world on its head. Get ready to have your mind blown and your heart opened while learning a thing or two about your own birth chart.
Zine Party
Emerson Whitney
A workshop for zine makers, poets, writers and artists of all kinds! We will practice writing techniques, make poems together, explore book binding techniques, and share our work together! Participants will leave with a handmade book!
Queer Sex Ed
Maddy Magenson
Have questions about sex? This workshop will give participants a chance to anonymously ask anything and everything they want to know about sexual health for LGBTQ+ folks. Bring all the questions you feel weird asking your health teacher–this is a judgment-free zone.
Come explore verbal and physical skills for preventing and responding to situations ranging from microaggressions to harassment and assault. While the topics are serious, this workshop is super fun with movement, role plays, and the chance to hit bags with all the force you’ve got. Everyone is welcome to participate at the level and in the way that works best for them. Physical techniques do not require a certain level of fitness to be effective and all are adaptable.
Empowerment Self Defense
Alex Stash
Come explore verbal and physical skills for preventing and responding to situations ranging from microaggressions to harassment and assault. While the topics are serious, this workshop is super fun with movement, role plays, and the chance to hit bags with all the force you’ve got. Everyone is welcome to participate at the level and in the way that works best for them. Physical techniques do not require a certain level of fitness to be effective and all are adaptable.
Queer History
Kat Zachary
“From the ancient Egyptians to our modern-day history makers, LGBTQ+ people have always had a place in the world’s story. Come learn about stories of love that have been buried, the brave folks who fought and demanded recognition and respect for themselves and others, and how to encourage educators and leaders in your own life to make queer history more visible and valued.”
Surviving and (often) Thriving
Angela, Bo Jude, Mea Sam, Devon
A panel of queer adults answering your questions about identity, art, meaning, and navigating this whacky world”
FREE Boutique
Every year we have a free boutique at the Rainbow Ball Weekend where the youth can pick out clothes and makeup for the safe prom.
Donation Drop-Off Locations:
Bring your donations to one of the locations below. Special thanks to these businesses and organizations for collecting donations on behalf of OUT Maine!
Augusta:
- Maine Family Planning Center (Mon.–Wed. 9 to 4:30; Fri. 9 to 3:30)
Gardiner:
- Gardiner Public Library (during library hours).
Rockland:
- Curator Consignment (during business hours).
- OUT Maine's office (by appointment. Email rachel@outmaine.org to schedule a drop-off).
Clothing Drive / Donation of Inventory
If you would like to make a large donation, be it a clothing drive or a donation of inventory from your business, please fill out the donation form below to help us coordinate a drop-off/pick-ups near you.
Contributing Partners
Donate $10,000 or more to have your name or logo appear here!
Major Sponsors
Donate $5,000 or more to have your name or logo appear here!
Event Sponsors
Donate $500 or more to have your name or logo appear here!
Business Donors
Belfast Community Co-op * Chains of Cranes Project * Jennifer Wiessner Healthy Sexuality * Public Health Partners, LLC
Business/Organization Clothing Drive Donors
Curator Consignment * Gardiner Public Library * Maine Family Planning