Filmmaker John Waters had an announcement for his diehard followers this month: Camp John Waters, the annual adult getaway for his superfans, will end after next year’s edition.
Waters broke the news on the first night of this year’s gathering: “The John Waters Summer Camp must end next year,” he told the crowd.
When the audience let out a collective groan, Waters tried to explain.
“I know, I know, I know,” he said. “I’m glad no one applauded. People say why and I say well, wet dreams disappear sometimes, right? There’s some reform schools that won’t let you graduate or a cult that has already recruited our best members…”
Since 2017, Waters has hosted the four-day gathering at Club Getaway, a camp in Kent, Connecticut, usually in early to mid-September. It’s billed as an ‘All-Inclusive Dreamland Sleepaway Weekend’ and a ‘Campy Getaway with the Pope of Trash.’
“Yes, we’re a cult,” Waters has said, “but we’re a good cult.”
Fans pay hundreds of dollars to spend time with Waters and a changing cast of “guest counselors.” The fans dress up as characters from his movies, talk like the characters and trade stories about memorable scenes.
Counselors have included Melanie Griffith; Deborah Harry; Ricki Lake; Pat Moran; Johnny Knoxville; Elizabeth Coffey; Kathleen Turner and Patricia Hearst. This year, the counselors were Stephen Dorff, Amy Locane and Mink Stole.
The club features swimming, zip lining, hiking, biking, archery, water skiing, trampolining, yoga, meditation and sailing. John Waters-related activities have included a costume contest judged by Waters; dance parties; fireside storytelling with s’mores; a John Waters movie marathon; Hairspray Karaoke and ‘Bloody Mary Bingo.’ At least one couple has gotten married while there. Waters, 79, also uses the event to try out his latest spoken-word show before he goes on tour in the fall.
Most years, tickets for Camp John Waters have sold out as soon as the dates were announced. In 2020, the event didn’t take place because of COVID. Many campers go to more than one and keep in touch on social media.
The camp has been so popular that some of Waters’ fans have talked online about meeting at other times of the year just to keep the party going. When the house that was used to film Beverly Sutphin’s residence in “Serial Mom” came up for sale in Greater Towson several years ago, some fans mused about pooling their money and making it a meetinghouse for John Waters fans. Ditto with the house in Baltimore City at 3900 Greenmount Avenue, where Waters and Mink Stole lived when they were filming “Pink Flamingos.” But that didn’t happen.
Camp John Waters is one of several events that Waters has on his calendar year after year, along with hosting the Mosswood Meltdown music festival in Oakland, California, and his birthday show in April. For many years he had a Christmas party in Baltimore that was one of the city’s most coveted invites, but he stopped that in 2020, citing concerns about the COVID pandemic.
Waters declined to answer questions about the decision to end Camp John Waters in 2026. He hasn’t made announcements about curtailing any other activities. If anything, he talks about being busier than ever. Tickets have already started to go on sale for his spoken-word shows later this year, including “A John Waters Christmas” at Baltimore Soundstage on Dec. 23.
While the camp outings may be ending, the memories will live on, he told his fans in Connecticut.
“Yes, we will be gone, gone, gone,” he said. “But let’s remember the nights we dismembered our filthy times together forever. We promise you, outside world, we will never let you rest in peace.”
I wish John Waters was my uncle. I love that guy.