NESI ATTENDEE GUIDE - 2025
Downloadable Attendee Guide
PROPERTY MAP FLOOR PLANS
You’re registered and ready to go . . .
Here’s some information to maximize your fun and minimize horrible surprises.
Arrival
Arrival check-in opens at 3 pm on Friday. Please don’t come sooner. Park your car as tightly as possible, and respect the “no parking” signs. In fact, try for tighter than possible. Look for signs that will direct you to the registration room. You’ll get a name button and an information packet which includes:
- your room assignment
- the processional tune
- a general schedule for the weekend
- 4 tickets for the Sunday lunchtime raffle
You’ll be asked to complete an emergency contact form on arrival. Please make sure to bring the information we would need in order to reach someone for you if required (name, phone, relationship), even if that person is also at NESI.
Remember to wear your name button throughout the weekend. We don’t all know each other, and we always have first-timers. Ideally, everyone will be signed in by 5:00 pm. There will be an orientation meeting in the auditorium at 5:30. Please plan to attend. It’s important. We’ll be announcing any changes or additions to the information you were previously given, making introductions, welcoming first-timers, and taking questions. Dinner will be served at 6:00.
Accommodations
- All of the rooms are heated and well-ventilated.
- Pillows, bed linens, washcloths, and towels are provided by Wisdom House.
- If you chose a 2-person or 3-person shared room and did not specify a roommate, one or two will have been assigned.
- Please don't make any room changes without speaking with Lynn Hughes, the person who probably signed you in.
- If your housing includes using the shared bathrooms on your floor, we suggest that you locate them soon after you arrive.
- There are NO men's rooms on the 2nd floor, although there are many workshop/jamming spaces there.
There are a few important requirements relating to housing.
(1) There is absolutely no smoking of any kind (including vaping) in any indoor space. If you set off a smoke alarm, we will be charged $200.
(2) You need to turn off lights and any fans, close windows when you leave on Sunday.
(3) Put your towels and washcloth (NOT bedding) into the laundry chute at the end of the hall on your floor when you leave. If you don't do this, we are charged $20 for every transgression.
(4) Leave all bedding in your room.
What to Bring
- Personal items such as soap, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, and your favorite stuffy.
- A robe and slippers are recommended if you are in a room with a shared bath down the hall.
- You may want sunscreen, a hat, and bug repellent -- there are gardens and other areas suitable for walks and outdoor jamming.
- If you are planning to offer a workshop, please bring your own handouts (if any); files can be uploaded to our website by emailing them to Sarah.
- You may want to bring some kind of recording device for any workshops you attend. Be sure to ask for permission from the workshop leader before recording.
- You may want to bring a music stand. If you are planning to perform in the concert and use printed music, a battery-operated light would be a good idea.
- There are NO pets allowed on site.
The Weekend Schedule
A schedule will be included in your arrival envelope. It's an overview of how the time is blocked out throughout the weekend. It tells you when meals are, when the workshops take place every day, and other things that are linked to a specific time. It does not tell you what the workshops and focused jams are, as they are not scheduled in advance. You’ll find them listed on the Big Board as leaders post them throughout the weekend.
Food and Drink
- Wisdom House is committed to serving sustainable food. That means they do not serve shellfish, beef, or pork.
- They accommodate vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free diets in the general meal service.
- We know that their coffee is terrible, but there is nothing we can do about that.
- There are 2 kitchenettes with refrigerators and microwaves that we are welcome to use.
- Responsible consumption of alcohol by those over 21 is permitted. Please make sure you clean up after yourself and use good judgment.
- If you are planning to bring wine or beer into the dining room, it must be in an unbreakable cup or glass.
- Snacks (mostly provided by NESI) will be available throughout the weekend in the registration room. Participants are invited to bring something to share. Throughout the weekend, we always appreciate help with cleaning up the snack area.
Workshops, Jams, and the Big Board
Workshops are as varied as our participants, and most are unannounced until the weekend starts. Some are created on the spot in response to requests. Try something new. You might get involved in a tango workshop, learn Klezmer or Breton tunes and techniques, or find out how to fix your concertina or accordion from people that make and repair them.
The “Big Board” will be located in the auditorium. This is where people can post offers of workshops and focused jams as well as requests. Remember that this is a DIY event – it's only as good as we all make it, and it evolves throughout the weekend. Consider offering a workshop if there's something you could teach. Please bring your own handouts, if any. We have a copier, in case you run short. You can also use our website's workshop files section to share your handouts in advance.
Jams are sometimes open-ended and sometimes intentionally limited in theme. You could post a focused jam on the Big Board on such topics as Scandinavian tunes, old-time waltzes, or television theme songs. It's a good idea to check the Big Board frequently so you don't miss something that would have interested you. Things get added throughout the weekend. Suggestion: Use your phone to take a picture of the day’s workshops on the Big Board so you can easily find a different one if your choice doesn’t work out.
First timers: Workshops are open to everyone who wants to attend. You don't need to sign up. Just go to the designated room. If you decide for any reason that a workshop is not for you, just leave quietly. No one will mind.
Here is a Jamming Etiquette Guide that will help all of us be welcomed into the seemingly-endless assortment of jams and sessions.
Saturday Night
This for many people, the high point of the event. It includes the concert and the dance, followed by jamming and singing until quite late. After dinner, we will have a processional march to our evening concert in the auditorium, with everyone playing a tune together. Please join in, even if you haven’t learned the tune. All instruments are welcome. The processional tune/march is a Scandinavian walking tune, the Äppelbo Gånglåt. Gånglåts were traditionally played in Scandinavia by people walking a distance to a barn dance.
Äppelbo Gånglåt: In PDF format In ABC format MP3 sound file, to learn by ear
On Saturday morning, in the registration room, there will be sign-up sheets for the concert. We encourage folks of all skill levels to sign up. You don’t need to be an expert or a professional. You just need to be willing to share what you do with the friendliest and most supportive audience you’re likely ever to find. Because of the large number of people who usually participate, performers are limited to one appearance, doing ONE song or one SHORT set of tunes. You don’t need to play a free-reed instrument to perform – we’ve had fiddles, clogging, a hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, and unaccompanied singers, among others. All performances should be no more than 4 minutes long, including any introductory remarks. Please time it before you go onstage.
Important: When the sign-up sheets run out, there is no more room for performers. The concert will end at 9:30 pm whether everyone who signed up has performed or not. We put first-time Squeeze-In performers onstage ahead of others to make sure they get a chance to share their party piece.
You are invited to submit limericks and/or haiku for our annual poetry contest. Winning submissions will be read during the concert, and prizes of questionable value will be awarded. For more about how to enter, visit the Poetry Page.
Private Sales and the Shop
- We will set up some tables for private sales in the room across the hall from registration. There will also be tables in the back of the auditorium where you can offer things and find for free.
- You are welcome to sell instruments as well as music books, CDs, accessories, and the like.
- Most people set up an honor-system payment box for small things.
- If you're selling an instrument, be sure to post your name, contact information, etc. so that interested people can find you.
- Professional dealers and instrument makers can bring items for sale; plan on having a space that is no larger that half of a 4 x 8 table.
- Liberty Bellows (Philadelphia) will have a small shop in the Main Building with instruments for sale. If you see something on their website that interests you, you could find out if they will bring it. They may be able to do small repairs during the weekend and can take bigger jobs back to their store.
- Please be VERY careful with food and drink around the sales tables. We’ve had some spills that could have been quite serious.
The Sunday Raffle
You will find 4 red raffle tickets in your registration envelope. The major prize is a 50% discount for basic accommodation for one person at the 2026 Squeeze-In. (You could pay to upgrade that accommodation.) There is another prize as well – Liberty Bellows has generously donated a new Carbon Hohner Airboard 32 Key Melodica. Everyone has been automatically entered for both prizes. The drawing will be held in the auditorium at 11:45 am on Sunday morning, just before lunch starts at 12. You and your tickets must be present in order to win. The prizes are fully transferable. They could also be donated back for the drawing to be done again if you don’t want or can’t accept what you have won.
Departure
People need to be packed and out of their rooms by 11:00 AM on Sunday. Please close any open windows, turn off lights and any fans, and put towels and washcloths (but NOT bed linens) in the laundry chute on your floor. Remember that we are charged if you don't do this. Lunch is served at 12:00. And yes, you can hang around until 3 pm – just not in your room.
Ride Sharing
Looking for a ride? Do you have room for a passenger who could share the cost of gas? Please use Si-Talk to let other attendees know. If you are not already a member, you can find information about that here. By the way, even if you don't need Si-Talk for this reason, consider joining anyway. The more members we have, the better it works for all kinds of squeeze-related purposes.
Dealing with Problems and Questions
Members of the Squeeze-In board will be wearing red and white name buttons that identify them. If they can’t address your issue, they’ll find someone who can. If you have questions or requests before the weekend, please contact Lynn, not the staff at Wisdom House (lynnh1947@gmail.com).
2025 Covid Policy
- Please take time to do a test for Covid before arriving at the event site, even if you have no symptoms.
- We recommend (but do not require) that all attendees be vaccinated and have all of the boosters for which they are eligible.
- We ask that you respect and support other participants’ choices when it comes to masking and vaccinations.
- If you test positive for Covid after returning home, please notify us so we can alert the rest of the participants.
- Most important -- we want you to stay home or leave the event if you are sick or showing symptoms of Covid. We want to see you and everyone else at the Squeeze-In again next year.
Note: Our Covid policy is subject to change, in which case you will be notified by email. If a change in our requirements makes you ineligible to participate in the event, we will issue a full refund if it is requested no more than 5 days after we publish those changes.
A Final Word
Nothing is required of you, but there are lots of choices. You might jam in a crowd, play with a few others, or seek some quiet time in the inviting outdoor setting. You might join sessions, attend and/or lead workshops, and enjoy the Saturday night concert as audience or performer. You can lift your feet in the contra dance that follows the concert and lift your voice in the pub sing until the wee hours. It's all here in a laid-back, free-spirited weekend. We make it up as we go along, so it’s different every year. Thanks for joining in!