Full Moon Jam FAQs

Code of Conduct

All performers and volunteers are required to read and agree to uphold the Code of Conduct before participating in the event:

  • The primary mission of the Chicago Full Moon Jam is to celebrate a love of performance, music, fire, and movement, and to create positive relationships among Chicago communities. The FMJs are meant to foster a culture of mutual care, social responsibility, and creative community engagement. We are dedicated to nurturing a fun, inclusive, and welcoming space at our events. Event participants are expected to adhere to the FMJ rules and our core philosophies.

    Performers and volunteers are expected to be in a clear and sober frame of mind when participating in the FMJs. Smoking is not allowed anywhere within the set-up and fueling area, and no fire is allowed outside of the performance circle. Always ask permission before using someone else’s equipment/tools and respect their right to decline. Safe, respectful, and responsible behavior is how we look out for each other, the event, and the FMJ community.

    Participants are expected to respect each other’s boundaries and personal space. We do not tolerate harassment of event participants or unwelcome behavior in any form, including: offensive verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, or other protected class status, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Unwelcome behavior includes actions that disrupt an event, disturb fellow attendees, or disrespect the venue or staff.

    Participants asked to stop any harassing or unwelcome behavior are expected to comply immediately. Violation of these rules may result in expulsion from the event or other sanctions as deemed appropriate at the discretion of the organizers. Such behaviors bring harm to members of our community and are therefore harmful to all of us.

    If you have any other concerns, please contact a member of FMJ event staff (FMJ volunteer staff can be identified in black or orange Full Moon Jam T-shirts; FMJ leads can be identified in red Full Moon Jam T-shirts) immediately. FMJ event staff will be happy to help participants contact local law enforcement, or otherwise assist so that participants can feel safe for the duration of the event. We value your attendance.

    This policy is based in part on the anti-harassment policy developed by the Ada Initiative, and the CHIditarod Core Philosophies.

Photo by Neale Zingle

Full Moon Jams & Chicago Park District Policies

  • This is a Family-Friendly, sober event

  • Leave No Trace (help us clean up)

  • Be respectful and inclusive

  • No alcohol or illegal substances

  • No glass, weapons, lasers, or drones

  • No flash photography

  • No smoking near crowds

  • No open flames, tiki torches, floating lanterns, or fireworks

  • No bright lights or amplified sound over 90 decibels

  • No vending

Protect the community! Protect the Jams!

Event Logistics

Arrival Time & Parking

The Jams start at sunset, which is usually between 7-8pm. However, we strongly recommend arriving around 6pm to find parking and a spot to sit. The Jams end at 10pm, and the park closes at 11pm.

Events Cleared by 11pm

Attendees MUST leave the park by 11pm. It is extremely important that we maintain a good relationship with the city so that we can continue to host the Jams. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here!

Volunteers Needed!

Please help us clean up the park at 10pm! Our event is entirely volunteer run and much of our crew has been on site for 6 hours by the end of the night and are exhausted, so we appreciate everyone's support with our clean-up efforts and helping to make sure the park is cleaner than when we arrived. If you need trash bags or gloves, please come find us on the south end of the circle.

Drum Circle

Any with a drum or other acoustic instrument is invited to join the circle. If you do not have a drum, please do not enter the drum circle. We ask that everyone respect the designated areas and each other's spaces.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The jams are FREE family-friendly, monthly celebrations, bringing together a diverse community of performers, musicians and spectators. From sunset to 10pm, dozens of fire spinners perform to music provided by local percussionists, using performance tools such as poi (a set of chains with weighted ends), staff, hula hoops and fans. It’s a display that is part artistry and part athleticism, inspired by a long tradition of fire performance with roots in South Pacific cultures. Fire spinners include everyone from amateur hobbyists to professional performance artists and Chicago jam performers usually come from the city, greater Chicagoland area and neighboring Great Lakes regions.

  • The jams are not held in the rain. If a jam is cancelled due to weather, there will be no jam that month. Any weather cancellations are made the day of the jam by 4PM CDT. Cancellation announcements are made via Twitter, FMJ email list, and Facebook group page.

  • Yes! We welcome photographers, but ask that you do NOT use flash photography, as it can be dangerously distracting to performers. Also, if you are using a tripod, we recommend using a low-level tripod rather than a full standing one, as you may be blocking the view of others if you’re at the front of the crowd.

    We encourage photographers and videographers to introduce themselves to organizers and ask that you speak to specific performers if you wish to use their images for anything other than photos/video taken for personal enjoyment/use. When posting photos or videos of the jams, please be sure to tag “Chicago Full Moon Fire Jam” and feel free to send us an email with links to photo albums and/or videos so we can share them with those in our Facebook Group.

    Drones are not permitted at the Jams due to Chicago Park District regulations. If a drone appears at the jam, we will stop the event until it lands. We ask for the audience's assistance in letting Jam organizers know where the operator is located.

  • Absolutely! Anyone is allowed to join the drum circle. Simply bring your drum (or acoustic instrument) and join in! Only drummers are permitted into the drum circle area, so please respect the space and those around you. We also ask that no one bring amplified sound without advanced permission.

    The Full Moon Jam requires that all amplified sound be approved in advance. In addition, the FMJ requires that any lights and amplified sound face away from the fire circle and the crowd and that sound levels are less than 100 decibels. The FMJ requires these in order to better prevent potentially dangerous distractions to the fire performers, as well as to maintain musical cohesion by preventing a singular sound from taking over too large an area of the Jam. The FMJ wants to honor the traditions that the Jam was founded on by preserving communal drumming and dancing by moonlight as the core of the event. We want to thank everyone in advance for helping us to share this policy.

  • Spectators are invited to bring picnics to enjoy during the jams. Per Chicago Park District rules, no alcohol or illegal substances are permitted and the police WILL ticket for violations of park regulations. You are welcome to bring blankets and chairs, but please respect your fellow spectators. If you bring a high standing lawn chair, do not place yourself at the front and block the site-lines of those behind you.

    Remember: The Jam is a Leave It Better event, meaning we ask everyone to participate in helping us to make the park cleaner then we when arrived.

  • Pets are welcome at the jams, but please keep them leashed and respect both the park and your fellow spectators: pick up after your pet.

  • The FMJs are a free-to-the-public, unpaid volunteer-run event. The FMJs do not endorse or coordinate with any commercial or vending efforts taking place at the jam. Any vendors at the jams are solely responsible for their own licensing and ensuring they are in compliance with the rules as set forth by the City of Chicago and the Chicago Parks District.

  • Join The Full Moon Jam Facebook Groupto keep apprised on weather cancellations, look through the latest photo albums, learn more about other Jam related events and how to get more involved.

  • The Full Moon Jam is a 100% volunteer-run organization and it is only by our collective efforts that the jam continues to thrive. If you would like to lend a hand, but would rather not deal with fire, consider volunteering!

    There are many ways to be involved in the Jams, even if you are not a drummer or fire performer. If you are interested in becoming more involved with the Jams in any way, let us know!

    The best and easiest way to help out, is to help us clean up the park after each event! Find a volunteer in a Full Moon Jam t-shirt and we will be happy to provide you with gloves and garbage bags!

    If you have any questions about volunteering, send an email to info@fullmoonjam.org or fill out the contact form above.

  • The Jams are held in a public park, and our volunteers set up the events a couple hours prior to each Jam, which makes it difficult to provide accessibility features. However, we have added an accessibility seating area located adjacent to our restricted performer area.

    This area will be highlighted with signs and roped off with lights. We request that anyone with specific needs send an email at least 1 week prior to the Jam they intend to attend. Because we are an all volunteer staff with limited resources, we cannot guarantee that we can accommodate all requests, but we will do our best. Please be patient with our volunteers and staff as we work to improve the inclusivity and accessibility of our events.

    Sensory Notes: Please be aware that the Jams feature strong smells, as we use white gas (naphtha) and ultra pure lamp oil (paraffin) in our performances. There may also be fire whip performers, which features loud/surprising noises.

Want to perform? Check out how to Join the Jams.