A jar of plum jam buys you a pair of hand-knit wool socks before breakfast.
That's how the morning goes in the trade circle. Blankets unroll on the grass as the sun climbs the hillside: braided garlic, hand-carved spoons, split cedar, beeswax candles, a fiddle case left open for whoever wants a tune. Woodsmoke drifts over from camp, a kettle starts to sing, and every table comes with the hands that made it.
You carry a basket of your own work, and the day stretches ahead like a market from another century. That's the magick of a barter faire. Money still exists here, but it isn't the main character. Stories are. Every jar comes with one.
We're Magus and Lylyth Fawn, the Los Angeles artists behind Magus Fawn. Here's what to bring to a barter faire, how the trading works, what to wear on nights that skate near freezing, and the etiquette that keeps the circle generous.
How does a barter faire work?
A barter faire is a camping market where people trade goods and skills directly: jam for socks, firewood for a hand-knit hat, a song for a cup of chai. Magus Fawn's summary: you bring what you have plenty of, look for what you need, and agree on a swap that feels fair to both sides. Many vendors take cash too.
The best-known example is the Okanogan Family Barter Faire near Tonasket, in north-central Washington. According to the faire's own history, Michael "Skeeter" Pilarski of Friends of the Trees Society started it in 1974 so people could trade surplus harvest for winter supplies. It began near Lake Chelan, moved north into the Okanogan Highlands, and has gathered on its own land on Cayuse Mountain Road since 1993.
The trades have always been gloriously specific: a 2003 Seattle Times feature logged honey traded for snowshoes and filberts for an apple peeler. Here's how a trade usually goes:
- Browse first. Walk the whole circle once. You'll see what's plentiful and what's rare.
- Open with a question. "Would you trade for this?" lands better than a price.
- Ask what feels fair. In a 2025 NPR guide to bartering, Alannah Hurley suggests asking the other person what a fair exchange looks like to them. The same piece notes that Cyndi Benitez, who runs the Okanogan faire, trades her homemade soap.
- Shake on it, or smile and move on. "Maybe tomorrow" is a complete answer. The circle runs all weekend.
What should you bring to a barter faire?
Bring three kits: goods to trade, a camp that runs without hookups, and layers for a frosty night. Magus Fawn's list starts with trade goods, small bills, all your drinking water, a tent, a headlamp, a cart or pack for hauling, and warm clothes for the coldest hour before sunrise. Solar power and a fiddle are welcome too.
The Okanogan site is primitive camping, and its official camping page says to bring your own drinking water. It gives the weather report in five words: "Nights get frosty up here." Columbiana's barter faire history page adds musical instruments and "the spirit of sharing" to the list.
| Kit | Pack | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Trade goods | Preserves, baked goods, crafts, firewood, tools, seeds, warm clothes | Bring more small items than big ones |
| Money | Small bills | No cell service on site |
| Water and food | Drinking water, easy meals, a camp stove | Spigots sit in the Vending circle |
| Shelter | Tent, rainfly, sleeping bag rated below freezing, insulated pad | Pitch it once at home |
| Fire | Steel fire container, shovel, 5 gallons of water | Firewood vendors work the faire |
| Power and light | Headlamp, lantern, power bank or solar station | Gas generators stay home |
| Hauling | A pack or a garden cart | Day parking is a long walk |
| Night layers | Base layer, fleece joggers, hoodie, hooded outer layer, hat, gloves, wool socks | Pack for 25°F |
House rules shape the list. The faire's entry rules admit service animals only and welcome solar stations and power banks in place of gas generators. There's no re-entry, so shop in Tonasket, Republic or Curlew on the way in. Our cold-weather festival packing list has the full camping checklist.
What are good things to trade at a barter faire?
The best trade goods are useful, handmade or homegrown, and easy to carry: preserves, honey, bread, dried herbs, garlic, seeds, soap, candles, firewood, carved tools, jewelry, warm socks and hats. Magus Fawn's tip for an October faire: anything that keeps people warm or fed through winter moves fast, because that's what the faire was born to trade.
Firewood vendors work the Okanogan faire all weekend, and warm clothes trade well as the nights cool. More ideas, sorted by talent:
- Growers and cooks: jams, pickles, dried apples, hot sauce, sourdough starter, braided garlic.
- Makers: salves, beeswax candles, mittens, carved spoons, leatherwork.
- Skills: a massage, knife sharpening, a tarot reading, an hour of music by someone's fire.
- Practical gold: split kindling, hand warmers, spare batteries, a thermos of chai at dawn.
Presentation counts. Label anything edible with its ingredients, and keep a few small "sweeteners," a lavender sachet or a seed packet, to round out a trade that's almost even.
Do you need cash at a barter faire?
Yes, bring some. A barter faire runs on a mixed economy: plenty of vendors trade, many also sell, and food booths usually expect money. Magus Fawn's advice is to carry small bills for food, firewood and anything you fall for without a matching trade. Okanogan has no cell service on site, so tap-to-pay can't be counted on.
The mix is part of the faire's character. The Seattle Times profile met a longtime regular who trades and also takes cash, because her booth income carries her through the winter. Treat money as one more trade good: offer goods when the vendor's blanket invites it, and pay cash gladly when it doesn't.
Okanogan Barter Faire outfits: dress for the trading day and the fire circle
An October faire runs on two clocks. By day you walk the trade circle in highland sun with your hands full of goods; after dark the fire circle settles toward freezing, around 25–35°F in mid-October. Magus Fawn dresses for both with pieces that open at noon, carry your trades in their pockets and zip up at dusk.
One note before you plan: Magus Fawn doesn't vend at barter faires, so you buy your layers before you go. Every piece is made to order, with 7–11 business days of production and then 6–14 business days of delivery, so order about five weeks ahead: early September for a mid-October faire. US shipping is free at $70 and up, and all sales are final.
The fire-circle layer. When the reel starts, you want a hood. The Cosmic Cross Green women's festival cloak ($250) wraps you in emerald and lime filigree, wrought like cathedral ironwork and studded with sapphire-blue crystal facets. It has a micro-mink outer, a faux-fur fleece lining in black or white, a double front zipper and four pockets, two of them interior stash pockets for your trade list and cash. Unisex fit, XS–5XL; size up for layers, "sometimes even 2 sizes up." Our festival cloak guide covers fit in depth.
The frosty-morning layer. The first hour after sunrise belongs to coffee and a camp chair. The Amethyst Unicorn hooded blanket with ears ($150) is 300 g/m² poly fleece with a cat-ear hood, a front quarter zip and an oversized front pocket, in one oversize size (4XL). A white-violet unicorn rears among amethyst crystals and stars, the kind of storybook creature the faire's youngest traders will want to borrow. The same design shelters two strangers in a lightning storm in Under One Hood; our hooded blanket guide has more.
The all-weekend legs. The Forest Wizard Gold joggers ($100; $105 in 2XL, $108 in 3XL) pair olive-gold sacred geometry with silver leaves and small coral flowers, a harvest field drawn as a spell. Inside is brushed vegan fleece, listed fabric weight 308 g/m², with cuffed legs and side pockets. They run slim, so order one or two sizes up for a base layer underneath. Forest Wizard also dresses the trader in The Trader in the Wizard Cloak, our barter faire story.
The trading-hours layer. Midday in the circle calls for something warm that breathes. The Golden Phoenix cotton pullover hoodie ($100) is 100% cotton at 310 g/m², dye-sublimated, with a kangaroo pocket and a drawstring, relaxed regular fit, XS–6XL; expect 3–5% shrinkage after the first wash. Its phoenix, the old symbol of renewal, suits a faire built on trading one season's harvest for the next season's warmth (story: The Fourth Feather).
For the littlest traders. It's a family faire, with youth play areas and workshops listed on the day-visit page. The Sacred Geo kid's cotton sweatpants ($75) spread white Flower of Life line art and a six-pointed star across violet, sacred geometry sized for running between camps. They're 100% cotton at 310 g/m², with an elastic drawstring waist and cuffed ankles, in kids' sizes S–3XL.
Faire etiquette: photos, fair trades and the fire circle
A barter faire is a village for a weekend, and village manners make it hum:
- Ask before you photograph. People, kids, booths and handmade goods all get a quick "may I?" first. A craft display is someone's design work and sometimes their winter income. A "go ahead" is the green light; anything else means the moment is yours to keep in memory.
- Haggle like a neighbor. Offer, listen, adjust. If the numbers don't meet, thank them and wander on. Our rave etiquette guide covers the consent basics that apply everywhere.
- Honor the fire rules. The campfire page calls for a free permit from the Info Booth on Main Street, a steel or ceramic container, a tender at all times, and a shovel and 5 gallons of water close by.
- Know the house rules. The faire's home page lists no alcohol sales and solar power only, so the fire circle runs on music, stories and chai.
- Mind the neighbors. The camping page asks you not to idle your vehicle for heat. A warm layer does the same job in silence, and our guide to staying warm at a festival at night has the full playbook.
- Pack it out. Take every scrap of trash home and leave your site cleaner than you found it.
Shop the layers: women's cloaks · men's cloaks · joggers · kids' festival clothing
Frequently asked questions
When is the Okanogan Barter Faire?
The Okanogan Family Barter Faire traditionally happens in mid-October near Tonasket, Washington; the 2026 Fall Faire ran October 16–18, with gates opening at 8 a.m. Friday and closing at 5 p.m. Sunday. The official site also lists a Spring Faire for May 21–23, 2027, while fall 2027 dates are still TBA.
Can you bring a dog to the Okanogan Barter Faire?
Only service animals are allowed, and service dogs check in at the gate. The faire's entry rules say emotional support and companion animals stay home, and kennels are available nearby. Plan for a pet sitter or boarding before the drive, then bring the stories home to your dog instead.
Is the Okanogan Barter Faire family friendly?
Yes. The Okanogan Family Faire welcomes children, with youth play areas and workshops. Anyone under 18 attends with a parent or guardian, and children 15 and under enter free with one. Pack each child a full warm-layer set, since mid-October nights in the highlands settle near freezing.
Is there cell service at the Okanogan Barter Faire?
No. The faire's camping page lists "No Cell Service" and names Tonasket to the west and Republic and Curlew to the east as your last signal spots. Download maps, settle meeting spots with friends, buy supplies before the gate, and bring small bills for trades and food.
Written by Magus & Lylyth Fawn, the Los Angeles artists behind Magus Fawn. Magus makes VR and digital visionary art and produces Psy EDM. Lylyth makes fractal digital art and runs design and customer care. We've been selling wearable art since 2020 on Etsy (4.7★ from 144 reviews as of October 2026) and here at magusfawn.com. Come say hi on Instagram @magusfawn.
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