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Tagfest is an annual get together of Laser Tag Enthusiasts for the U.S. Northwest. However we see participants from as far away as Bermuda. We started off with a small gathering of individuals from the Seattle Lazer Tag Club meeting with the Euguene Lazer Tag Club. Over the years the event has grown and groups from across the U. S. come together in one great family reunion type event. The event is 3 days of playing various games of Laser Tag in the woods, talking about and trading game and gear ideas, catching up on friends that you havn't seen since last year's Tagfest - and generally just having a relaxed good time. Although there is a tad bit of a competative nature to the event on a per game basis, the event itself is not a hardcore competition of any kind. There is no prize accept great memories, new knowledge, and possibly a good swap out on new gear. Its a very relaxed event with no hard schedules or goals, accept to have alot of fun. Although we do set up for the possibility of mulitple games in advance - the actual games played depends on who is there and what the crowd in general feels like doing.
Normally TagFest is held at the Magness Memorial Tree Farm - however to save a bit of money this year (since 1SLT.com/store didn't have that great of a 2008 sales record), we are trying out a new location. We are excited about the new location as it has alot of great possibilities. However, the field is also being used by paintballers so scheduling will be a little more stringent to ensure that the field we are using is safe and out of fire zones from paintball fire. That and the addition of the area being private property that is being genrously allowed for us to use means we are going to play this year a bit more low key then normal. Some of the differences will be:
- No one can stay on site camping / so everyone will need to secure a place to sleep. There is room for 3 - 4 groups of guests at the Roman House, and other Eugene taggers may eventually offer housing as well. Although Dave is working on seeing if he can get a good group rate at a hotel/motel so we can all be together as a group.
- No camp fires
- For safety sake, players will stay in certain boundries
- We will only be serving a quick hamburger/hot dog lunch - players will have to get other meals on their own (we may just order in some pizza or something)
- There will only be two porta potties on the premesis (for tagfest use only)
- There is no running water, although 1SLt will provide 2 large coolers of water on a daily basis
- Everyone will be required to be wearing a compas / safety whistle if playing a nite game.
-Also, there is a chance we may be using an alternate location in the area as well called Hendricks Park if there turns out to be an issue with playing in an area with paintball going on in adjacent playing areas.
Tagfest has always been an family oriented event. Being Laser Tag enthusiasts - we are firm believers in the sport being non-contact. This rule is not only for physical contact, but mental and spiritual as well. Bullying, Swearing, Drinking, Drugs, and Intimidation / Domination to the point of damaging others is not tolerated. Any type of those behaviors will get you a swift boot out of the event. Minors are welcome, but must be Supervised by an Adult at all time. However, please keep the following in mind when deciding on bringing a minor to the event. First and foremost, realize that this year's location will be rugged and in an area that is open, it IS possible to get lost - please consider this when thinking of bringing minors. No more than 2 minors per Adult. If your minor is immature, we ask that you not bring them as the event requires honesty and integrity for the games to be enjoyable. There will always be a certain degree of people trying to take advantage of loop holes in the game rules. A mature and lite hearted attitude as most cheating is done in fun - and if you take things too seriously it can spoil the event for everyone. Our policy is that cheating is allowed as long as you are willing to pay the consequence of sitting out the next 2 games if you are caught. If you are caught 3 times, you will be asked to sit out the rest of the games for the day. So if you want to play - don't cheat! This has been a problem with minors in the past, which is why it is brought up. So, there is not an age limit - just realize we are not a summer camp day care center - if you bring children - you will be responsible for them 100% of the time they are there.
If you want to play, you do so at your own risk. We have checked into insurance and would have to charge everone $200 per person if 50 people showed up to afford it. Everyone will be required to sign a waiver. If you do not have personal medical insurance - then I would advise you not play - unless you are rich enough to afford riddiculouse hospital/doctor bills. Especially this year - the playing area can be a dangerous place. Even the most careful person can have an accident when the adrenaline starts pumping and you are running around in a wooded area. Even worse, although we will make an attempt to ensure things are gone over to be made safe, many of the structures are old wood which give splinters, and may even have exposed rusty nails. Like I said, we will do our best on our work days to remove hazardous items such as nails sticking out - but its a large field. Having insurance in case something does happen is almost a must. Be sure to bring proof of insurance just in case. It never hurts to be prepared - and avoid tempting Murphy!
For more information on this event - contact David Roman @ 541-520-0879
For information on setup and to reserve attendence to ensure there is enough food : http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/TF_NW
