Apogaea facts for kids

Apogaea (say "Ah-po-GAY-uh") is a special yearly outdoor festival in Colorado, USA. Its name means "far from Earth," and it's a bit like a smaller version of the famous Burning Man event. It usually happens in late spring in southern Colorado. Apogaea, often called "Apo," creates a temporary place where everyone is free to express themselves. People are encouraged to be creative, include others, and rely on themselves.

Just like Burning Man, Apogaea features amazing art, live performances, and music from DJs and bands. Many people set up their own unique camps, called "theme camps." Apogaea also has a program called Creative Grants. This program gives money to artists who want to create visual art, performances, workshops, special art vehicles, or theme camps for the festival. A big part of Apogaea's money goes to these grants to help artists bring their ideas to life.

A big part of Apogaea is a central "effigy" (a large art structure) that is usually burned on the Saturday night of the event. However, fire safety is very important. If the weather is dry or dangerous, local rules might ban fires. In some years, the effigy could not be burned because of fire bans. Instead, they used propane flames or other safe fire art. At its newest location in Valdez, the effigy is designed to burn without creating embers, making it safer.

What Happens at Apogaea?

Apogaea is a place for art, music, and community. Many exciting things happen there each year.

Effigies and Temples

Each year, a unique effigy is built and often burned. Here are some of the past effigies:

• 2004: No effigy
• 2005: Buddha
• 2006: Phoenix (not burned due to fire ban)
• 2007: Phoenix
• 2008: Squid
• 2009: Volcano
• 2010: Communigy (made from pieces by many people)
• 2011: Cocoon and Butterfly
• 2012: Blossom (not burned due to fire ban)
• 2013: Blossom
• 2014: Throne of the Emergent Multitude
• 2015: Syzygy: The Library Angel (not burned due to event cancellation)
• 2016: Syzygy: The Library Angel
• 2017: Heart of Gold
• 2018: Big Charles
• 2019: Draco's Nest
• 2020: Canceled due to coronavirus
• 2021: Canceled due to coronavirus
• 2022: Fire Sculpture Garden

Besides the effigy, a special "Temple" is often built. Temples are usually places for quiet reflection or remembrance. Here are some past Temples:

• 2011: Temple of Moon
• 2013: Temple of Transubstantiation
• 2014: Temple of Infinite Life
• 2015: Temple of Resonance (not burned due to event cancellation)
• 2016: Temple of Resonance
• 2017: Hotaru no Hikari: The Firefly Temple
• 2019: Temple of Death
• 2020: Canceled due to coronavirus
• 2021: Canceled due to coronavirus
• 2022: Archways of the Ancients

Yearly Themes

Since 2008, Apogaea has had a different theme each year. These themes inspire the art, costumes, and camps.

• 2008: Smells like Community Spirit
• 2009: Organized Chaos
• 2010: Artropolis (also called "Hailogaea" because of hail)
• 2011: Illuminate
• 2012: The Spiral
• 2013: Alchemy
• 2014: Emergence
• 2015: Synchronicity (event canceled)
• 2016: Moist
• 2017: Propaganda
• 2018: Reflection
• 2019: Analog
• 2020: Portals (canceled, theme used in 2022)
• 2021: Canceled due to coronavirus
• 2022: Portals

How Apogaea is Organized

Apogaea is run by a group of volunteers. There's a Board of Directors who are not paid. Many other volunteers, called "Apogaea Ignition," help with different areas like art, safety, operations, and communications. Everyone who attends is expected to contribute in some way. This could be by volunteering, creating art, setting up a camp, or just being creative. Because everyone contributes, no one gets free tickets.

The festival usually runs from Wednesday through Sunday evening. Ticket prices have changed over the years. In recent years, tickets have sold out very quickly because the event is so popular. The number of people allowed to attend is limited to make sure everyone has a good experience.

Apogaea is an event for all ages! Kids are welcome, but they must come with a parent or legal guardian. People under 21 wear a different color wristband. In the past, some attendees have even organized special camping areas just for families, with fun activities for children.

The event is usually held in early June. This time is chosen to avoid freezing nights in the mountains. It also tries to avoid very dry periods when fire bans are common. Organizers also try to avoid Father's Day weekend and other nearby festivals.

Safety is a top priority at Apogaea. All state and local fire rules are strictly followed. Volunteers work with county officials to make sure everyone is safe, especially during fire bans. If you want to use fire in your art or camp, you must follow strict safety rules. A team of trained volunteers helps and watches over any fire use. For example, in 2012, the main effigy couldn't be burned due to a fire ban. Instead, they had a fire parade, and propane flame effects were allowed with safety precautions.

History of Apogaea

Apogaea has an interesting history, growing from a smaller event to the festival it is today.

Early Beginnings

Before Apogaea, there was a festival called Geodesika from 2001 to 2003. It followed similar ideas to Burning Man. However, some organizers wanted to start a new, official festival. This led to the creation of Apogaea.

The first big challenge was finding a good location. They needed a place that was far from towns but still easy to reach from Colorado's Front Range. It also had to be suitable for hundreds of campers, with good terrain and comfortable temperatures at night.

In 2004, Apogaea teamed up with another festival called Dreamtime. They held a joint event called "Apogaea in Dreamtime." It was successful, but the two groups decided to go their separate ways.

Finding a Home

Apogaea then found a new home at a place called Happy Ass Ranch near Lake George, Colorado. This forested area hosted Apogaea for six years, from 2005 to 2010. As more and more people came each year, the Happy Ass Ranch became a bit too small. Parking and camping became tricky for the organizers.

So, in 2011, Apogaea moved to a larger and more beautiful forested area south of Bailey, Colorado. However, in 2015, local officials made it harder for large events to get permits in that area. Because of this, Apogaea couldn't get a permit for 2015. A smaller, unofficial event called Luminiferous was held instead.

Finally, in 2016, Apogaea found its current home in a large area outside of Valdez, Colorado. This new location is much bigger and can handle more art and people. It has a slightly more desert-like feel but also features ponds and pine trees.

Growing and Improving

Like any big event, Apogaea has faced challenges as it grew. But volunteers have worked hard to make things better. For example, in 2012, parking improved a lot. They used a remote parking lot and shuttles, which freed up more space at the main event.

Also, they stopped selling tickets at the gate. This helped reduce the number of people who showed up unprepared. It also made the festival feel more organized and vibrant. The move to the larger site in 2011 also allowed for "neighborhoods" within Apogaea. This meant loud music camps could be in areas where they didn't disturb the whole festival.

In the past, Apogaea had a fun "Miss Apogaea Pageant," which was a talent show for unique performances. While that specific event isn't held anymore, theme camps now put on amazing shows and performances that bring everyone together. For example, in 2012, there was a circus with acrobats and fire performers, and a funny burlesque show. Other groups also host community events like fire performances.