Heartland HangOut • Sept 17th – 23rd • Oregon, IL
Tickets Go Live Soon!
we are thrilled to announce that
MAR & AMY
are joining the Castle Crew
MAR
LOI
AMY
NAYLOR
In addition to HeHo Performances & Workshops, Mar & Amy will be guiding Master Classes & are two of our featured teachers during the HeHo Afterglow Retreat
MASTER CLASS IMMERSION
with Mar & Amy
GO DEEPER • SEPT 17–20TH
Can only get away for a long weekend?
Intimate space for 16x Heartlanders
All skill levels welcome
Only full weekend attendees are eligible
Not included with HeHo Weekend/Day-Pass ticket
6-DAY STAY
HeHo + Afterglow Retreat
EXTENDED LEARNING WITH
Mar Loi • Amy Naylor • Dan Mulqueen
SEPT 17–23TH
Intimate space for 16x Heartlanders
Isthmus Center Accommodations
All skill levels welcome
* NEW ACCOMMODATIONS *
Private rooms in the Heritage Lodge
6-Day Stay in the Isthmus Center
2025 Heartlanders get first dibs! See you in Oregon, Illinois!
In the lineage of HangOutUK we aim to honor the spirit of community by making gatherings accessible. Thank you Rob & Kelly for the inspiration!
STRONGHOLD CASTLE
Camp & Retreat Center
Perched atop bluffs along the beautiful Rock River in Northern Illinois, Stronghold Castle Retreat Center provides opportunities for people to experience the community through a retreat and camping environment, and we love offering the same at this year’s HangOut. Stronghold is 30-minutes south of Rockford, Illinois and 1.5-hours from Chicago O’Hare Airport.
– Join Us At –
ACCOMMODATIONS
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6-DAY RETREAT HOUSE: HEHO + AFTERGLOW
Available: Sept 17-23rd, 2026This year we’ve transformed the Isthmus Center into our HeHo+Afterglow Retreat house, and it is only available for Heartlanders immersed for 6-days. The Isthmus Center (Sears Center) is a contemporary lodge that sleeps up to 16 people. It has eight bedrooms, each with a double bed and 1 set of bunk beds. A large central meeting room features a stone fireplace. Snack preparation area includes a sink and refrigerator. The Isthmus Center has central heat and air. All firewood is provided for the beautiful fireplace.
Private Room: has a private bathroom for 2 people.
Semi-Private Suite: two bedrooms share a connected bathroom (Jack & Jill Style). 2x people per room, 4x sharing a bathroom.
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HEARTLAND HANGOUT
Available: Sept 17-20th, 2026This year Private rooms are located in the Heritage Lodge. Stronghold's hotel style facility, can accommodate adults and family groups. Adjacent to Brubaker Center, the Lodge offers a large gathering room with a gas fireplace on the 2nd floor, meeting room on the 1st floor. This year we have 6 double occupancy bedrooms each with a private bath. Handicap accessible with an elevator for easy access to each floor.
The difference between Private & Semi-Private Rooms?
Private: register & pay for 2x people
Semi-Private: Heritage Lodge – register/pay for 1x person. Anyone could be your roommate. Castle – register/pay for 1x person. Anyone could be your roommate and there may be a shared bathroom.
The meeting rooms have a coffee machine, a microwave, a small refrigerator and small sink; though you will need to bring your own coffee supplies for these coffee machines.
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HEARTLAND HANGOUT
Available: Sept 17-20th, 2026Our Semi-Private rooms can be found in the Heritage Lodge and the Castle. The centerpiece of Stronghold is the unique Tudor-style manor house (the castle) nestled high on the bluffs overlooking the Rock River. It features the Great Hall, which is perfect for gatherings in front of the massive wood fireplace. Castle has 4 floors plus a nice climb up to the tower overlooking the Rock River for miles!
The Castle has a full kitchen for use with pots and pans/dishes. There is also a kitchenette for small use. 2 refrigerators, 1 stove & 3 microwaves. It is heated by 3 large boilers to keep it nice and warm. Please note that the castle does not have air conditioning, but there are fans for each room and multiple for the large Great Hall. There is a beautiful breeze when the windows are open.
The Heritage Lodge …
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HEARTLAND HANGOUT
Available: Sept 17-20th, 2026STAY IN THE CASTLE!! The centerpiece of Stronghold is the unique Tudor-style manor house nestled high on the bluffs overlooking the Rock River. It features the Great Hall, which is perfect for gatherings in front of the massive wood fireplace. Castle has 4 floors plus a nice climb up to the tower overlooking the Rock River for miles! Several of the Castle rooms can be used for meetings or seminars. Dormitory-style lodging with twin beds and bunk beds. For the Heartland HangOut, we’ve organized rooms into two categories: Bunk-Style & Semi-Private Rooms.
The Castle has a full kitchen for use with pots and pans/dishes. There is also a kitchenette for small use. 2 refrigerators, 1 stove & 3 microwaves. The Castle is heated by 3 large boilers to keep it nice and warm. The Castle does not have air conditioning, but we do have fans for each room and multiple for the large Great Hall. There is a beautiful breeze if you open the windows.
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HEARTLAND HANGOUT
Available: Sept 17-20th, 2026If you want the privacy of nature, you can camp on the Stronghold Grounds in the Campground. Bring a tent, a van/car or a camper! We’ve got dry-camping options for all (though no hookups). If you’re tent camping you can post up near the castle, otherwise, bring your walking shoes and enjoy a 10-minute stroll from the campsite to the Castle.
The campground has a shower house with hot showers and flush toilets, fire rings at each site, and soft grass in the shade. Quiet time is 11pm to 7am. The campground is about a 10 minute walk from the Stronghold Castle. Trolls are not allowed in the campground or in the moat.
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HEARTLAND HANGOUT
Available: Sept 17-20th, 2026If you want to attend Heartland Hangout and live nearby or want to stay off-site, a general admission ticket is for you!
Unable to attend the whole weekend? General Admission Day-Passes are available for Friday & Saturday only attendance.
FACILITIES INCLUDE
Camping (tent, car & RV), bunk-style & semi-private room accommodations
Disc golf 1/2 course
Hiking trails
Big fire pit
Circle of Pines
Proximal to the Rock River
Covered group pavilion
Castle vibes & a secret, hidden room
FAQ for more info
Maps & Photo Gallery
Stronghold Castle
Sincerest gratitude for these like minded makers, musicians, artists, and community members for generously contributing to the 3rd Heartland Handpan Hangout!!
Meet the 2026 Village
Co-Organizing Castle Crew
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‘24-’25 Organizer, Co-Founder of Handpan Gathering Productions, LLC
Addi Faerber, PhD is a handpansapien, gardener, grant writer, and cyclist. Addi has a PhD in pharmaceutical marketing from UW, and has trained in jazz, marching and concert percussion. Addi offers handpan instruction, facilities drum circles, and performs nationwide.
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‘24-’25 Organizer, Video Projects & Musical Extraordinaire
After Discovering the handpan back in 2013, I knew that it was going to be a massive part of my life. By the fall of that same year, I was back enrolled in college and I went on to finish my Undergrad degree in Music business at Southern Illinois University. Handpan music was my drive throughout it all, and I would take my knowledge learned in classes to find ways to implement them on handpan, and creative ways to utilize them in my music. While I have been longtime friends of Isthmus, I began working at the shop in February 2021, and enjoy both building and working on special projects with the team!
connect with Maxwell -
‘24-’25 Organizer, Musician & Handpan Steward, Co-Founder of Handpan Gathering Productions, LLC
In 2016, while visiting friends in the Mojave desert, a glowing campfire set the stage for Sarah to be mesmerized by something she had neither seen nor heard before … the handpan. Little did she know that big changes were being initiated. As her inner flames grew brighter and bolder, she was brought back to her first musical loves — the violin and the voice. Sarah uses her voice as a self-healing tool, alongside playing the handpan, violin, mandolin, RAVvast and frame drum. Having written a few pieces, she aims to share them in 2022. In addition to music, Sarah is also a visual artist — fine art, mixed-media photography & graphic design.
Four years after discovering the handpan, Sarah Paz Hyde went on, to organize the first Super Bloom Women’s Handpan Gathering set for a 2020 launch. Though the inaugural gathering was postponed, in 2022 it took flight and is in its 4th cycle.
JOIN OUR VILLAGE
Interested in Collaborating
in some way for this year’s
Heartland Handpan Hangout?!
We’d love to hear from you!
STRONGHOLD VALUES
Engaging Life's Realities
Respect for Creation and Creatures
Hopefulness
Responsibility for Self & Action
A place of Second Chances & Grace
Hospitality
Creating a Safe Environment