A little bit ago we, talked about Xscapers’ New Year’s Eve party in Quartzsite, AZ. Today, I want to tell you about the big party, Xscapers Annual Bash! This party is so much more than it is hyped to be, and when we arrived at our first we were a little underprepared and overwhelmed. Let’s see if I can help you through that hump.
This is a week-long event with very little downtime! All major events start in the afternoon. This gives time for remote workers to get some work done before the day’s activities. There are many events scheduled. They range from crafting circles to full-on dance parties, with everything in between. Let’s break bash down day by day. Or you can skip right to our survival strategies.
2024 Schedule
| Day | Major Events |
| Saturday | Arrivals, Orientation, and 90’s Dance Party |
| Sunday | 1st-timer Coffee and catered burritos, Community Marketplace then block parties |
| Monday | Lot crawl |
| Tuesday | Margarita contests |
| Wednesday | Macaroni and cheese contest, Hypnotist show |
| Thursday | Xcapers Olympics and a rave |
| Friday | Live music |
| Saturday | Potluck breakfast, Catered BBQ, and another BIG dance party |
What are all these things?
Looking at all the events on a table doesn’t look too bad. However, in addition to these major events, there are workshops, networking sessions, and many, many community-made events. Let me break down some of the larger main events to help give you an idea of the scope.
Arrivals
The first day of Bash is probably the least “busy.” For how many people attend Bash every year, arrival was surprisingly smooth. The Sara Rodeo grounds is separated into 5 different parking areas: Families, Solos, General, Party, and Solar. The planners, very wisely, set different arrival windows for each group, so that all 600 rigs didn’t show up all at once. When we pulled in, there wasn’t even a line! Our reservation was confirmed with the gatekeepers and we were escorted to our slip.
Community Marketplace and Meeting the Neighbors
This is one of the highlights for a lot of people. Makers and service providers from across the community were able to reserve a table and sell their wares and services to the community. Mom was able to sell off some of our excess air plants. After the marketplace, the individual parking blocks had a meet and greet where we were able to network and mingle.
The Lot Crawl
If you’ve ever heard of a bar crawl or a pub crawl, then you’re about 50% prepared for the Bash Lot Crawl. Starting from one end of the rodeo ground, the entire community wandered among the rigs, where participants set out various snacks, and more and more often, drinks! The theme of the lot crawl this year was “Zombie,” so many of the offerings were zombie-themed. A different twist was assigned to each area. The instructions were varied. “Something dipped” in Family to “something on a stick” in General. We had prepared hummus, dyed it red, and served it with cauliflower as “Brains and Gore.” We sampled many other sweet and savory treats as well as a lot of twists on sangria (which means bleeding in Spanish). Even without costumes, by the time Mom and Dad were done, we were shambling like zombies!
Margarita Contests
According to lore, Xscapers was founded around a pitcher of margaritas, and that tradition lives on with a community-led contest on who makes the best Margarita and related cocktails. 40 contestants competed with pitchers of their brew. Everyone (of legal age) sampled them all and then voted. It was both delicious and debilitating!
Macaroni and Madness!
Another traditional contest at Bash is Mac and Cheese Madness. Here, participants got to compete in 3 categories: classic mac and cheese, meaty mac and cheese, and specialty. The first two are self-explanatory, but specialty was a broad category that included vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free Macs. While we entered a vegan Mac and “cheese” in the specialty category, we were beaten by a gluten-free mac and cheese that had smoked brisket. (It’s really hard to compete with cheese and brisket when you’re using nutritional yeast as a cheese substitute!)
Olympics and a Rave!
All week, we had been looking at this Batmobile-like vehicle, and this was the night we got to see what it was about! But first, the Xscapers Olympics. Teams were made and participants competed in events as varied as tossing tortillas into a bucket to human foosball. After the winners were chosen, we finally got to see the rave rover roll. It drove through center camp blasting music before parking by the bonfire cauldron for an epic dance party!
The Last Full Day
This day started with a massive potluck brunch followed by everyone chipping in on breaking down center camp. Dinner was provided as a catered BBQ dinner before even more live music, culminating in another rave show!
Community Events
As I hinted at, in addition to the main and official events, there were innumerable community-made and -led events the whole week. Crafting circles, board games and TTRPG groups, breathwork and meditations, and even a whiskey tasting.
Kids’ Camp
During the week, the kids enjoyed hanging out at their own camp. Apparently, Bash used to be pretty free and allowed kids to roam freely. Unfortunately, a few calamitous years caused them to not allow kids to be unaccompanied. For our kids, who are used to ranging freely, this was difficult. However, Kids’ Camp made it easier.
Teens and younger kids had separate camps. Our kids, being younger, enjoyed arts and crafts (most of which were covered by our Bash fees), games, a science experiment, and snacks. However, their favorite part was climbing a giant pile of dirt (which was not actually part of Kids’ Camp).
Preparing for BASH: Supplies
Bash is busy! You really won’t have time to cook, shop, or do laundry while you’re there. You should do all your shopping before you park. Below is an example shopping list.
Food
- Convenience food: ramen, canned soup, mac & cheese
- Snack bars
- Electrolyte drinks
- Sandwich fixings
- Snacks: prep veggies in advance (carrot and celery sticks and the like), jerky and meat sticks, cheese sticks
The way the event is planned, there isn’t enough time to prepare “nice” meals, and lunch is largely “on the hoof.” So something you can return to your rig and whip up quick is best. It’s also possible to do Bash without cooking anything. In addition to the 3 catered meals, there’s a rotating cast of food trucks on-site and active throughout the event.
If you plan on participating in the lot crawls, mac & cheese, margarita contests, or pot lucks, then you’ll want to get that stuff ahead of time, too. There are 400 participants, but don’t plan to feed 400! For the lot crawl, we served a total of 2 heads of cauliflower and a #10 can of chickpeas turned into hummus and still had leftovers. For the mac & cheese contest, I just made the standard amount I make for my family. Remember, the people are eating (or drinking) at multiple stations and won’t make a full meal of your offering. Drinks and mac and cheese were served out of Dixie cups. However, keep in mind, that if you run out and not everyone gets a chance to try your offering, they won’t be able to vote for it.
Supplies (Optional)
- Costumes
- Glow sticks
The amount of costuming ran the gamut from no costumes to some participants returning from their rig in a new costume for every event. Check the Bash webpage to see what the theme is as it seems to change every year.
Glow sticks again aren’t necessary, but with the amount of dances at night, they can be a lot of fun.
Preparing for BASH: Rig Prep
- Fill the water tanks
- Empty the waste tanks
- Fill up your fuels (propane, generator fuel, etc.)
For the week-long event, your rig is going to be parked and only allowed to move if you’re leaving early. That said, you’ll want to be sure you’re good for the duration. Sara Rodeo Grounds has lots of spigots to get drinking water from if your rig doesn’t hold a lot. There is also a pumper truck that comes through every few days to empty waste tanks for a modest fee. However, if you need propane to cook or gasoline for your generator, you don’t want to miss events leaving to fill up.
If you’re coming to the event from the south, Parker has a very convenient RV pit stop. From the north, one can stop at the Lake Havasu State Park for dump and potable water.
Saving your sanity for Xscapers Annual Bash
Since entrance to the event is timed, it’s best practice to boondock outside of the city the day before to minimize travel the day of. There are many boondocking locations on the east side of 95 south of the city, and some popular places to the north of the city as well.
The most important survival tip for bash is Permission. Give yourself permission to not see and do everything. Give yourself permission to rest if you need to. It’s an amazing experience, and there is a lot of it. What you miss one year, you can pick up the next.
One of the best things we did was plan out what days we were going to skip activities. For introverts like Mom and Dad, trying to do all of Bash would have left us completely burnt out. Check out the schedule in advance, plan what events you definitely want to hit, and when you can take a break.
So don’t be afraid, get yourself prepped in advance, and go party!