About the Gathering
About 1500 Quakers (mostly from the unprogrammed, liberal tradition) spend a week together on a college campus at different sites around the US and occasionally Canada. Attenders range from newborns to elders in their 90s.

What is the Gathering?
In structure, it’s part conference and part family camp. In content, it provides an abundance of opportunities to learn about Quakerism and to foster your spiritual life – and to have fun together. Browse and learn about:

Weeklong, intimate workshops
Fantastic programming for kids and teens
Inspirational evening programs
A supplemental program for young adults
And more …
Explore a typical day at the Gathering.

Typical day at the Gathering
All activities are optional

Early Mornings (7am – 9am) at the Gathering can begin as early as 7am with a Bible half-hour, worship or yoga, and then breakfast. Others choose to sleep-in and grab a snack in their dorm room.
Workshops (9am – 11:45am) are the heart of the Gathering for many Friends, with topics exploring Friends testimonies, deepening our social and political witness, enriching our spiritual life, and spiritual renewal through yoga or bicylcing. Friends attend one workshop which meets daily. Children (through rising 9th graders) are in Junior Gathering.

Learn more
2008 workshop list
Workshops for this year's Gathering
Afternoon (2pm – 6:15pm) can be as leisurely or full as you desire, with unique activities every day. After a leisurely lunch, activities include worship, small group activities, presentations about Quaker organizations, naps, singing, field trips, and visiting the Gathering store.


Evening (7pm - 9pm) is a chance for adult and teens to assemble in a worshipful space to hear a speaker or concert. One evening, interest groups are offered on various topics. In previous years, speakers have included authors like Kevin Bales, and Margaret Hope Bacon, heads of Quaker Organizations like FCNL and AFSC, musicians like Pete Seger and Trout Fishing in America, political and social leaders like James Lawson and, in 1958, Martin Luther King Jr. Children (through rising 9th graders) are in Junior Gathering.

Learn more2008 Evening Programs2009 Evening Programs available after January 1
Late Evening (9pm - 11pm) focuses on fun. Popular choices include dancing and films, and chatting with your neighbor while brushing your teeth.