# [Jul 15, 2011] North American Hitchgathering 2011 (Portland, OR)



## Matt Derrick (Jul 6, 2011)

*What*

*The Idea*
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A Hitch Gathering is a non-commercial, volunteer based, self-organized project that supports the promotion of Hitchhiking. The idea is simple: Once a year a place is chosen and everyone (hitchhikers or non-hitchhikers) gather together to celebrate, to share, to learn and to discover! It's a time to get together and be happy, to help one another, to talk and meet, and to develop our ideas and then pursue them further.

The 2010 North America Hitch Gathering took place August 21st, 2010 in Boulder, Colorado, with a preliminary gathering in Denver, CO on August 20th.

Hitch Gatherings have happened several times in Europe, as well as other gatherings in North America. Sometimes hundreds of hitchhikers gather to promote hitchhiking in Europe, North America and around the world. The first European gathering met in Paris in 2008, participants camped for three days in front of the Eiffel Tower. Then in Odesa in 2009 at Shevchenko Park, they camped at a beach. The third European gathering was in Portugal in 2010.

*How it started*

A small group of enthusiastic travelers had decided early 2008 to organize the first European Hitch-hiking Week. It started as an art-project but moved quickly into something bigger, something wider as more people joined in.

The aim was now to give one location and time for a rally, and broadcast it to all the hitch-hikers of the world. The place was decided to be the "Champs de Mars" in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France; and the time 8pm on the 08/08/08, hence the name of "Project 888". See "Paris 888 hitch hiking trailer" on YouTube.

150 people showed up from all around Europe and stayed for the 3 days week-end. It was a very intense time of exchange, smiles, and french wine. We held playshops on urban camping, safety issues, sustainable travel and many other things travel related.

*Odesa 2009*

It was so good that we decided to do it again. The community had grown and more people wanted to join. This time though we wanted to meet up somewhere more east, where we could also meet up with hitchhikers from Russia (less visa-issues for everyone). The place chosen was Odesa on the Black Sea in the Ukraine. The challenge was much harder this time. Paris was an easy go for most of us, but the Ukraine was a lot further. Many people embarked on a multiple day hitchhiking trip, traveled non-stop or met up at the pre-meetings that were organized along the way.

In the end we gathered with a bit over a hundred hitchhikers from all over Europe, mostly experienced hitchhikers. A few didn't even make it though, it was too far for them. We spent three days together talking, partying and sharing our skills.

*2010*
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2010... was! But no one has written about it here, yet. Click "EU" above for more info on Portugal, and tell George and Beau, especially, to get off their lazy bums and post about 2010 in Boulder.

*Participate*

Everyone is invited to contribute to the event with stories, pictures and videos. The event lives from it's participants, and of course everybody is invited to help along, may it be organizing a (pre-) meeting, translating text into other languages or just by telling the world about this project! If you have an idea, you're the one who makes it happen! (Our forum is currently disabled, otherwise, you could "Leave an idea at the forum and find people to join you.")

Instead, to participate or just keep up to date (especially in these early stages, as we grow), you can join our organizational e-mail list here and read and contribute to our free, public planning wiki here.
*Why*



*Our Mission*

To promote the concept of hitchhiking in North American society and build goodwill toward hitchhikers
To stimulate the community of hitchhikers
To have a good time doing the above, while travelling and meeting old and new friends.
To skillshare any knowledge through playshops in relation to travel, foraging, camping and safety
*Where*



We voted from a big list of suggestions, and came up with...

In or near Portland Oregon!

Exact location still to be figured out. Have opinions, want to help? Join the discussion list and check out the 2011 planning wiki.


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## 0ddity (Jul 6, 2011)

Yeah, I'm looking to be in the area around the 11th or 12th. Sounds like a good time, hopefully I can come and check it out.


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