"Beat Retreat" text logo with sound wave design on black background.

Aug 29 - Sept 1 | Labor Day Weekend

Playa Ponderosa, Arizona

What’s your Quest?

Find out at our first ever Beat Retreat!

Beat Retreat is a community celebration rooted in connection, creativity, and play.

Over three days and nights, we come together to make music, create art, share workshops, and collaborate to craft an experience that blurs the line between artist and audience.

Everyone participates.

Everyone contributes.

Everyone belongs.

  • Music: A mix of live performances and DJ sets across genres — by our community, for our community. Expect deep bass, forest beats, jam sessions, and spontaneous collaborations.

  • Workshops & Activities: Skillshares, movement sessions, art projects, and creative surprises led by fellow attendees.

  • Camping: Rustic camping under the pines — bring your own gear and help create the village vibe.

  • Participation: Whether you DJ, dance, teach, build, clean, paint, cook, or vibe — your participation is the magic.

What to Expect

Sunset over a forested campsite with RVs, people, and a dirt road, surrounded by trees and a vibrant orange sky.

How it Works

What is Beat Retreat?

Beat Retreat is a 3-night private camping experience filled with music, art, and creativity — built by the community, for the community.

Everyone who attends plays a role in shaping the weekend.

This year’s theme is Camp Quest: an invitation to adventure, play, explore new skills, and connect through creative quests of all kinds. What is your Quest?

How Does Camp Registration Work?

  1. Purchase Your Camp Registration

    Secure your spot by purchasing a Camp Registration ticket. Space is limited to keep the gathering intimate.

  2. Complete Your Registration Form

    After your purchase, you’ll receive a link to a Registration Form by email.

    This is where you’ll share a little about yourself and how you’d like to contribute to the weekend — whether that’s DJing, hosting a workshop, helping with setup, or simply bringing your best vibe.

  3. Get Ready to Gather

    Once you’re registered, you’ll receive event details, packing tips, and ways to get involved as we approach the event dates.

What Does the Camp Registration Fee Cover?

Your Camp Registration Fee covers all 3 nights of Beat Retreat, including:

  • Access to the private 75-acre Playa Ponderosa camping grounds

  • Restrooms, utilities, and basic safety measures

  • Shared infrastructure to support a smooth and magical weekend

Note: Beat Retreat is community-driven and revenue goes to costs, not profit. Your fee helps cover essential costs to make this experience possible.

Where is Beat Retreat?

Beat Retreat takes place at Playa Ponderosa, a beautiful 75-acre private forest venue near Flagstaff, Arizona.

Additional Details

  • Beat Retreat is an off-grid event held on 75 acres of curated private property in Flagstaff, Arizona. Despite the remote location, we offer several to participants including (but not limited to!):

    • Potable Water

    • Showers

    • Fresh Portos

    • Bikeable roads

    • Car Camping

    • Medical Team

    • Interactive Art

    • Music

    • Educational and creative workshops

  • We will have a dedicated team throughout Beat Retreat to help anyone with medical needs at any time. Please come to the medical area for help or reach out to the safety team.

    Due to the desert climate and altitude, we recommend you drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. This is the best way to keep going and enjoy Beat Retreat!

  • Respect the land. Pack it in, pack it out.

  • Beat Retreat has a strict no pet rule that will be enforced.

    Service animals, who are trained to handle loud environments and are required for disability are allowed with prior registration. If you have a service animal, please email courtney@thirdspaceproductions.com to inquire about registering your documented service animal.

    No refunds will be given if this policy is violated and you will be required to leave the property.

  • This is strictly a +21 and up event. ID’s will be checked at the gate.

Other FAQs

Dense forest with tall trees, lush green underbrush, and moss-covered ground.

  • This is a camping trip!

    Bring your tent, weather appropriate clothes and be sure to grab your camping chairs.

    There may be rain, so be ready!

    Admission:

    • Be sure to have your camp registration completed prior to arriving!

    • Bring your ID to be checked at the gate

    Home/Tent

    • Sleeping pad/mattress/bag

    • Warm blankets for the night

    • Shade over your tent

    • Chairs

    • Bags for trash and recycling

    Body

    • Lots of water!

    • Sunscreen & Sun protection

    • Personal toiletries

    • Baby wipes as a subsititute for a shower (pack it in, pack it out!)

    • Earplugs

    • Sunglasses

    • Eye Drops

    • Allergy Medication

    Clothes

    • Cool clothes for the day (highs in the 70’s)

    • Warm clothes for the night (lows in the 40’s)

    • Hats and sunglasses

    • Comfy shoes

    • Costumes and fun outfits!

    MISC

    • Flashlight/headlamp

    • Camera

    • Trash & Recycling

    • Stakes for your structures

    • Extra batteries

  • Please do not bring the following:

    • Guns or any kind of weapons

    • No wood burning fire pits

    • No fireworks

    • No pets or animals

    • No glass

    • No drones

    • No amplified sound at the campground

  • We’re keeping this simple and transparent.

    Your $150 camp registration helps us cover the essentials, things like rental of our private 75-acre venue, potable water, portos (cleaned daily!), power, EMT & security services, and the basic infrastructure that makes the weekend possible.

    We’re still finalizing vendor quotes and dialing in the full budget. As we get closer to the event, we’ll continue to keep the community updated and we’ll share a transparent recap afterward too.

    This isn’t a for-profit event and we’re not trying to make money, just to create something meaningful without anyone taking on personal financial risk.

    If we end up with a surplus, we see that as a gift from the community. A gift we’ll use to elevate the experience for everyone. That might include bigger sound, more art and decor, stocked beverage stations, free merch, offering partial refunds, donating to a shared cause, or reinvesting in a future event. We’re also exploring ways for organizers and attendees to help decide how that surplus gets used.

    For those facing financial barriers, we’ve included a sponsorship option—because this celebration should be accessible, and we believe everyone has something to offer.

    If you have any questions about pricing or how the funds are used, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re happy to chat.

  • The averages for this time of year are highs in the 80s and lows in the 40s. There is a possibility of rain, so be sure to pack for the weather and temperatures.

  • We will have two full days of workshops, activities, and music, Saturday and Sunday (30th & 31st).

  • Of course! This weekend is built by the community for the community.

    However, spaces are limited! All registrations are first come, first served.

What's your quest?

What's your quest?

Pack your imagination — the quest begins in the pines.