Oakwood Retreat Center is located on the southeast corner of Muncie, IN near the town of Selma. The 320 acres are surrounded by woods, fields, farms, a river, a reservoir, and hiking trails that are well maintained. Incredible gardens and glades provide a contemplative setting in which to play or relax. Oakwood was established as a place where people could come find peace, refresh themselves, and grow in meaningful ways. It is one of the most stress-free places on earth! The staff is very hospitable, and the food is incredible! Some is even grown on-site. Your registration fee includes all meals from Friday supper through lunch on Sunday; please include on your registration form if you need vegetarian, vegan, or kosher meals. Many people who have enjoyed the Oakwood experience go back just for the food — it really is that good, and it's even healthy!
Your registration also includes two nights in a comfortable room (all guest rooms are air conditioned) with a shared bath; think about staying in a nice guest room in a friend's or relative's house, and you've got the picture. Guest rooms are located in several houses on the property, including the original farmhouse, and in the basement of the Community Center, which is the main building. Most of the houses do have stairs, so let Oakwood know if you have mobility problems. Most of the rooms are shared, so also indicate who you want to share a room with. (You may request a private room for a small additional fee.) Camping is also an option; BYO tent. Campers are assigned an indoor bathroom. Bedding and towels are included in the guest rooms, and towels for bathing and swimming are included for campers. If you want to stay in a hotel or B&B, Oakwood can make suggestions, but you'll need to make reservations sooner rather than later because Ball State University is just miles away and FilkCamp falls on freshmen move-in weekend.
Since Oakwood is in the country, the stargazing is incredible. There are no lights on the roads on the property after dark, so bring a flashlight, and bug spray and sun screen are always good ideas in Indiana in August. Some of the activity and break-out spaces are not air-conditioned (but there are fans), so dress accordingly — after all, this IS camp and not a con! Even though it is typically a dry and pleasnat time of year, do keep an eye on the weather and bring rain gear if it looks like wet weather is in the forecast. You may also want to bring hiking shoes or boots, a swimming suit, and a yoga mat and unrestrictive clothing if you want to take advantage of morning and evening yoga. (Massages, including hand, arm, and shoulder mini-massages, are available for a reasonable price.) Because Oakwood was a working farm not too long ago, it is gradually finding ways to make its buildings more accessible, but right now the only ADA ramp goes to the Community Building, and all roads are gravel. If you have accessibility questions, please contact the Oakwood office.
Oakwood Retreat Center is near the town of Selma, IN; this will get you very close for purposes of planning drive time, etc.
Selma is about an hour and fifteen minutes north from Indianapolis; three hours from Columbus, OH; 4 ½ hours or less from Ann Arbor; 3 hours and 15 minutes from Louisville; 4 ½ hours or less from Chicago (depending on where you start!), etc. If you want to fly in, we can arrange transportation from the Indianapolis Airport to Oakwood for you (in other words, local people will pick you up and take you there; we'll do our best to consolidate the pick-up times to save some gas). Or you can always rent a car and drive. If this is preferable, we are also willing to help coordinate people who want to share rides.
Oakwood will send you driving directions two weeks before the event, so not to worry! Yes, it's out in the country, but it's fairly simple to get there, and the good news is that it's a maximum of 5 miles off of any double-lane highway.
All original content © 2009 by FilkCamp
Website designed and maintained by Brenda Sutton
