CatScat 2026

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. 

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!)

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.

We will have a limited number of slots open for work trade. The exchange is 12-15 hours of work for 1 person to attend. The positions available are: kitchen crew, grounds crew. Work Trade applications are due by Sept. 1. We will let you know by Sept. 8 if you got a spot so that you can still buy a ticket if not. Apply here

Our Teacher application is now closed. We got an abundance to applications, thank you! We will let all who applied know by Sept. 8 if you got a spot so that you can still buy a ticket at the early-bird price if not.

Thursday 8/15: Arrive anytime after noon to set-up camp. 5PM Opening circle then potluck dinner

Friday 8/16: Breakfast, classes all day, catered dinner, night game &/or passion show

Saturday 8/17: 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 8/18: Breakfast, morning classes, 1PM barter faire  and closing circle around 3PM