This summer, Zendo Project volunteers and staff supported guests at 5 events across four different states.
A particular highlight is our ongoing collaboration with Stadium Medical at music venues in the Denver area. Expanding on our spring work at Subtronics and Shpongle shows, we provided services at Phish in July. We worked with emergency response teams to support guests in need, preventing unnecessary escalation while reducing strain on medical and security resources.
In addition to returning to Burning Man and Psychedelic Science, our team also provided care at two new events: Desert Hearts (Playa Ponderosa, Flagstaff, AZ) and Deep Tropics (Nashville, TN).
Our next event is Tipper at Red Rocks on September 20 & 21. While we are not in need of volunteers for this event, you can support Zendo Project by spreading the word, letting friends know where to find us if they need care, or applying to volunteer at a future event.
We are continually amazed by our volunteers, who showed up this summer through rain, dust storms, and non-ordinary circumstances to provide critical harm reduction services. We look forward to continuing to expand our volunteer community and work in the world!
Burning Man
Black Rock City, NV
August 24–September 1
As Rick mentioned in his opening note, this year was especially unique.
For the first time, the Zendo was located directly beside Ranger Sanctuary, creating opportunities for more seamless collaboration in caring for the citizens of Black Rock City.
It was also another stormy year. High winds and heavy rains rippled through the playa, disrupting camps, parties, and services in the early part of the week. The storms delayed many openings, including the Zendo, which was able to officially open its doors on Wednesday. Our space was destroyed multiple times, yet our resilient team rebuilt and cleaned again and again. Volunteers who had their own camps to tend to still showed up in service, ready to hold space for their peers in need.
It is always humbling to witness the quality of care that our volunteers bring, but the storms shone an even brighter light on their spirit of service, care, and compassion.
We extend heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed time and energy to create a 24/7 supportive environment for guests navigating challenging experiences, psychedelic-related or otherwise. Your efforts embody the community and care that define our mission.
Deep Tropics
Nashville, TN
August 15 & 16
Zendo Project provided peer support at Deep Tropics. We feel grateful for the opportunity to work alongside aligned harm reduction organizations, Event Medics, State Park Rangers, and Battle Tested security to create a safe, compassionate environment for the community. Zendo Project was deeply touched by the production team’s excitement and commitment to improving harm reduction efforts event-wide.
Phish
Boulder, CO
July 3–5
Over three nights, Zendo Project provided psychedelic peer support at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.
Leaders from medical and security shared how much they appreciated our presence, saying it made challenging situations smoother. Attendees also showed love, with many stopping by to learn more or calling out “Thank you Zendo!” as they passed.
Karen Carr of Stadium Medical wrote to our team:
“I wanted to make sure everyone was aware of how helpful it was to have Zendo on site. Stadium Medical transferred 17 guests to Zendo over the course of three days. These are patrons who may otherwise have been transported to local hospitals. This is a much better use of resources, and an even better experience for the patrons themselves.”
She also shared this moment:
“Towards the end of Day 3, law enforcement was escorting a patron who was agitated and escalating quickly. We had several staff and officers involved, but once Zendo Project was called in, everything shifted. Your team showed up immediately. Law enforcement and medical backed off, and the Zendo team connected with the guest. He was calmly wheelchaired to your space and supported with care.
Two of the officers followed the wheelchair in and stayed to ask questions. I overheard them saying how impressed they were with how seamless it all felt, and how this was a much better solution than the potential alternative. Without Zendo, that patron most likely would’ve been sedated and hospitalized. It was heartwarming to see everyone working together to offer the best outcome for the guest. Thank you all for making this happen.”
Desert Hearts
Flagstaff, AZ
July 3–7
We teamed up with our longtime harm reduction colleagues at RGX Medical to bring Zendo Project to Desert Hearts. This festival served as a training opportunity for many new volunteers, and a community development opportunity in a new region.
Our sanctuary remained open continuously, from 4pm Thursday until noon Monday, and held space for 27 guests navigating challenging / complex experiences with care and compassion.
Deep gratitude to our incredible volunteer team for showing up with presence and heart, and to RGX Medical for the continued partnership in service.
Psychedelic Science 2025
Denver, CO
June 16–20
We returned to Psychedelic Science to provide services, connect with our community, and support our team on speaking panels at the event. Zendo SIT trainers Simone Weit and Timothy Crespi also hosted a half-day workshop on the fundamentals of psychedelic peer support.