CatScat 2026
Oct 15-18, 2026 Central Coast, CA
Gathering will be held on private land on ancestral homelands of the Salinan People.
This is an approximate location for planning purposes and exact directions will be sent to participants upon sign-up.
Confirmed Classes & Teachers:
Handcrafts:
Willow Weaving with Nick LaHaise
Spoon carving with James Horvath and Tristan Cole-Falek
Gourd Bowls with and Paul Maschka
Buckskin Leathercraft and beading with Natalie Bartlett
Textiles:
Indigo Dying with Feliz Gutierez
Oaxacan Weaving with Samuel Bautista Lazo
Processing wool and Wool felted hats with Elita Chaffin
Hunting:
Bowmaking with Steve Baker
Open Archery Range with Velton and Sarah Beth
Flint/stone knapping with Ralph Lawless
Animal Processing
Rabbit Processing and cooking with James Horvath
Sheep Processing with Nic Moss and Tristan Cole-Falek
Food and Herbal Craft:
Corn Nixtamalization and Seed Saving/swap with Paul Maschka
Distillation, Elixers and herbal medicine with Wren Lizabeth
Foraging wild edibles and medicinals with Katie Rose Rice
Earthskills:
Bow and Hand Drill with Dave Wilson
Tracking and botany with Marley Peifer
CatScat 2026 is sold out!
Join our Waitlist to access any transfer tickets that might come available!
Join our Email List to hear about the 2027 gathering
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Our intentions of creating Cat Scat is to generate more togetherness, beauty and aliveness in the world through sharing earth-based, ancestral and practical skills in an accessible setting.
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CatScat is organized by three families who are natural community creators on the Central Coast.
Nic Moss, Founder of Bunchgrass Grazing & Sadie Moss, Founder of SLOcally Made
Audrey Taub, Eric, Hazel and Strider Finlayson, Founders of SLO Beaver Brigade
Jess Jelinski, Creator of Spiral Sister Designs & Sam McRee, Founder of Living Kindred (website coming soon!)
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CatScat began one year ago, through a series of jovial and playful conversations at a backyard, summer taco and margarita party. What began as a bantering, whimsical “what if we actually did this,” quickly turned into a full-fledged vision for a backyard skills gathering, which Hazel lovingly named “CatScat” (you have to come to the gathering to hear the story of the name - it’s so good!). Within four weeks, we had 80+ beautiful people in our backyard for a weekend of connection, classes, feasting, play, creativity, and celebration. It was epic.
The joyful heartbeat of CatScat remains the same for this year’s gathering with a longer-range vision in our hearts. How do we do more crafts and fun with our friends and create the exciting ritual of coming together more often? This essence of simple aliveness, coming back to the earth, coming back to oneself and to each other is profound in it’s simplicity and healing for us all. And, as is typical of all creative endeavors, aspects of CatScat wanted to evolve for this year’s gathering.
This year’s CatScat will be three full days to allow for more time to learn and connect. We will have a plethora of classes, more teachers, more participants, and a more refined flow and schedule. We will have two catered, open fire dinners, as well as a more food focused, harvesting theme in celebration of the Fall season.
In addition, putting on a gathering like this requires much time, energy, and preparation. Last year’s gathering was very much a spontaneous giveaway for the organizers and teachers that made CatScat possible. This year, it felt important to make CatScat more sustainable and supportive for the humans holding and teaching, so we can continue to put on this central coast gathering, year after year.
We share these evolutionary pieces with you, to give some context as to why the tickets will be higher this year than last year. We appreciate your understanding and encourage you to reach out to us if you have any further questions.
We also have a Work Trade option this year, which may be a good option if price is a barrier to access and you want to be more involved with putting on this gathering with us. The opportunity to teach is also available and the application is here.
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Thursday 10/15: Arrive anytime after noon to set-up camp. 5PM Opening circle then potluck dinner
Friday 10/16: Breakfast, classes all day, catered dinner, night game &/or passion show
Saturday 10/17: Breakfast, classes all day, and catered open fire cookout feast by Chef Cass and of course, Nic on the asado. Fire and song into the night
Sunday 10/18: Breakfast, morning classes, 1PM barter faire and closing circle around 3PM
Theme: Forage and Feast, a Fall Skills Gathering
We are planning a three-day skills gathering on the Central Coast centered around deep nourishment of the body and soul. Through crafting, foraging, feasting and fun we will remember the reason we are here - to enjoy the simple pleasures of life and connect with each other, in an intimate, natural setting!
Ticket Includes
Three Full Days of classes
Three Organic Breakfasts
Two Catered Foraged/Local/Organic Open-fire Dinners
Opening and closing Ceremonies
Organized Games
Live Music
Barter Faire
Kids Zone & Programming
Wellness Activities
Car or tent camping
Ticket Tiers
(SOLD OUT) $251 Adult/teen Early Bird
I want to lock-in my spot a.s.a.p.!
I am a low-income earner and/or at poverty level and eligible for public assistance
I am a single parent
I am a renter and not of the property-owning class
I have medical expenses causing inability to meet basic needs
I am unemployed or under-employed and struggling to meet basic needs
I have debt and it sometimes prohibits me from meeting basic needs
Teens and elders over 60
(SOLD OUT) $321 Adult/teen Sustainable (after Sept. 16).: For those who can pay the actual break-even cost of running CatScat
I am employed and meeting my basic needs
I have access to healthcare
I have access to financial savings
I have some expendable income
I am able to buy new items
I can take a vacation annually or every few years without financial burden
(SOLD OUT) $400 Adult/teen Abundance (after Sept. 16).: For those who can help support the future growth of CatScat.
I own a home, land, and/or am of the property-owning class
I may have some debt but it does not prohibit attainment of basic needs
I have investments, retirement accounts, and/or inherited money
I own or lease a car
I have access to family money and resources in times of need
I have expendable income to travel recreationally
I am employed or do not need to work to meet needs
I am unemployed or work part time by choice
I have a relatively high degree of social capital and/or earning power due to racial privilege, class privilege, gender privilege, level of education, my able body, etc.
(SOLD OUT) $100 Early Bird Kiddo: For kids age 7-13 (Aug. 15-Sept. 16).
(SOLD OUT) $150 Sustainable Kiddo: For kids age 7-13 (after Sept. 16).
We will have a dedicated kids zone with coordinated activities for parents to attend with their kids.
Kids under 7 are free. Kids over 13 should purchase the adult ticket.
No dogs/pets allowed
Refund Policy
Tickets are non-refundable. We are happy to transfer tickets if you do the coordinating and then email us at catscatgathering@gmail.com so we can make the switch.