How can a candidate participate in the Colorado River Fall Festival?

A candidate participates by having a sponsoring Mason submit a courtesy-work request through crff.org, then registering for the festival and attending the weekend, where the standard York Rite degrees and orders are conferred. Sojourning candidates are explicitly welcome. The next festival is October 18–20, 2026, at the Riverside Hotel in Laughlin, Nevada, and registration is already open.

Who can take part

The festival is run by York Rite Masons from Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, who confer the Degrees and Orders as a courtesy to a candidate's home Bodies. That "courtesy work" structure is the key condition: the candidate belongs to a home Body elsewhere, and the festival does the conferral on its behalf.

Two groups are named on the site:

• Candidates — anyone for whom the standard York Rite degrees and orders are being conferred over the festival weekend.
• Sojourning candidates — candidates who are away from their home jurisdiction. The site states they are welcome, so distance from the Southwest is not a barrier.

If you are unsure whether your situation fits, the committee takes questions by email at [email protected].

How to start the process

1. The sponsoring Mason files a courtesy-work request

This is the entry point, and it is handled by the sponsor, not the candidate. On the festival site, a Mason sponsoring a candidate for the York Rite uses the "I Have a Candidate" option to start the courtesy-work request. The request tells the festival that a candidate needs the degrees and orders conferred.

2. The candidate reviews the candidate information

The site has a dedicated Candidate information page under "For candidates." Read it before registering so you know what the weekend involves and what is expected of you.

3. Register for the festival

Registration for 2026 is open. The site offers a Register for the 2026 Festival option, alongside separate paths for volunteers and for the courtesy-work request. Registering is what confirms your place; the courtesy-work request and the registration are separate actions.

4. Plan to arrive for Sunday evening

Conferrals happen Monday and Tuesday, but there is a Candidate Orientation on Sunday evening. Build your travel around arriving in time for it rather than showing up Monday morning.

What the weekend looks like

The conferral of the degrees is described on the site as the "Masonic Motivation," but the festival is also framed around camaraderie, fraternalism, education, and cooperation — the ritual work is the reason to come, not the whole of the event.

Practical points

• Venue: Don Laughlin's Riverside Casino in Laughlin, Nevada. The site notes it as a chance to stay a few extra days and turn the trip into a vacation.
• Bring your partner: There is a separate Ladies' program running alongside the festival, including a hospitality room, the luncheon, and the Royal Arch Widow's Degree. Register her for the Tuesday luncheon.
• Guest activities nearby: Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon West, and the London Bridge in Lake Havasu are listed for guests.
• Future dates: 2027 is scheduled for October 24–26, if you are planning further ahead.

Common sticking points

• Starting with registration instead of the courtesy-work request. The request comes first and is filed by your sponsor; registration alone does not set up the conferral.
• Missing Sunday orientation. It is the evening before the first conferral day, so a Monday arrival means missing it.
• Assuming you must be local. Sojourning candidates are welcome, and the festival has conferred on candidates from twelve jurisdictions across North and South America.

For anything not covered on the site, contact the committee at [email protected].