Every gathering is, in effect, a temporary village built by volunteers and taken down again within weeks. This section looks at how that village works in practice. It covers the volunteer kitchens that feed thousands for free, the herbal first-aid station known as CALM, and the Trade Circle, where goods change hands by barter rather than money. It also shows the gathering's shared rituals, including the Morning of Silence, the great Om at noon on the Fourth of July, and the prayer for world peace. The same spirit of mutual aid appears beyond the gathering, as when Rainbow volunteers ran relief kitchens after Hurricane Katrina. Together, these videos show the practical and spiritual structures that let a leaderless community care for itself.
Herbal First Aid at the Rainbow Gathering with 7Song - A tour of CALM, the herbal first-aid station at the 2011 Washington gathering.
Welcome to the Rainbow Gathering First Aid Station - 7Song, longtime director of the gathering's first aid, teaches from his hands-on 'lab.'
Vermont 2016: Shining Light Kitchen - LucidLorax shows a gathering kitchen as both an aid operation and a social hub.
Sweet Om Alabama Kitchen at the 2013 Montana Gathering - The Alabama Rainbow Family's Sweet Om kitchen at work near Dillon, Montana.
Trade Circle, Utah 2014 - The barter-only Trade Circle where fossils and everything else change hands.
Rainbow Trade Circle, Pennsylvania - A celebration of the Trade Circle at a Pennsylvania gathering.
Om Circle Celebration, July 4, 2008, Wyoming - The great silent Om that opens July 4th at the 2008 gathering.
'The Om': Noon, July 4, 2014, Utah - The collective Om at noon on July 4th at the 2014 gathering.
4th of July Prayer for World Peace, Utah - The July 4th prayer for world peace at a National Gathering in Utah.
Morning of Silence, Rainbow Gathering 2012 - The silent morning of meditation before the July 4th peace circle.
Passing Through Ritual, Utah 2014 - A ritual procession filmed at the 2014 gathering.
EFT Circle with Sonya Sophia at the 2008 Gathering - A healing-tapping workshop circle with music at the 2008 Wyoming gathering.
Made With Love Café: Hurricane Katrina Relief - Volunteers from Rainbow circles and Burning Man run relief kitchens after Katrina.
Rainbow Gathering Food Circle - A 15-minute meditation on the shared Food Circle.
CoreyPine Shane on Osha Root (Colorado 2022) - An herbalist teaches about osha root at the 2022 gathering.
The Philosophy of Food Poisoning at the Gathering - A gatherer discusses the dynamics of food safety and disease at the gathering.
DreemKitchen, Part 1 (2011) - The first half of a film about running the DreemKitchen at the 2011 National Gathering.
DreemKitchen, Part 2 (2011) - The second half of the DreemKitchen film from 2011.
Utah 2014: Shining Light Kitchen - LucidLorax shows what goes on in a gathering kitchen at the 2014 Utah gathering.
Instant Soup Camp Aims to Feed All (Wisconsin 2019) - A 24-hour free soup kitchen at the 2019 gathering.
Barter Circle, Oregon 2017 - A quick look at the barter circle at the 2017 gathering.
Altar Space, Ontario 2016 - Crystals and sacred objects on the altar at the 2016 Ontario gathering.
Singing and Dancing Ceremony, Ontario 2016 - A ceremonial circle of song and dance at the 2016 Ontario gathering.
Singing and Chanting, Ontario 2016 - Chanting in circle at the 2016 Ontario gathering.
2011 July 4th Prayer for Peace, Skookum Meadow - The July 4th prayer for peace at the 2011 Washington gathering.
4th of July at the National Gathering's Main Meadow - A rainbow around the sun over Main Meadow on July 4th, with singing by the late Raccoon.
July 4 Quiet Time, 2013 - The silent morning on the trail from Bus Village to the meadow.
Before the Om: Utah 2014 - The quiet moments before the noon Om on July 4, 2014.
4th of July Peace Om, Utah 2014 - The parade from Kid Village to Main Meadow for the 2014 Om.
Living Family of Light and Love: July 4th, 2014 - The July 4th celebration after the children's parade at the 2014 Utah gathering.
Peace Om, 4th of July, Vermont 2016 - Marching from Kiddie Village to Main Meadow for the 2016 Om.
Practicing Silence for Peace (2016) - Gatherers practice silence to generate inner and world peace.
Vermont 2016 Prayer for World Peace - A brief clip of the July 4 World Peace Prayer in Vermont.
The Dating Game at Granola Funk (Colorado 2022) - The Granola Funk Theater's comic game show at the 2022 gathering.
Granola Funk Mock Dating Game, Oregon 2017 - A mock dating game at the Granola Funk Theater in 2017.
Home Shalom Camp, Colorado 2022 - A gatherer finds his 'tribe within the tribe' at Home Shalom camp.