# Year of the ZABAL - Day 263: 13 days until ZAOstock What ZAOstock is, the running order, and how to get ready for October 3 in Maine ![Zaal Panthaki avatar](https://img.paragraph.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,format=webp/https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/682962ca2ef8db4a03deaa946785c06e.png) Zaal Panthaki September 21, 2026 ![Cover image for Year of the ZABAL - Day 263: 13 days until ZAOstock](https://img.paragraph.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=900,height=600,format=webp/https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/1ac033654a5aecff2aef92430d9cbe16dd20b17bf639079e108dd41779a474a4.png) zm year of the zabal day 263 13 days until ZAOstock. If you have never heard of ZAOstock, here is what it is. ZAOstock is a free music festival on Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 12 to 6 pm Eastern, on the Franklin Street Parklet in downtown Ellsworth, Maine. It is one stage with 8 acts, free for all ages, rain or shine under tent cover from Wallace Events. There is no gate, no ticket to show, and no wristband to buy. At 6 the street clears and Black Moon Public House next door hosts its own evening. It is part of Art of Ellsworth, during Maine Craft Weekend. This is the 4th ZAO Festivals chapter. We gathered in New York City in April 2024, Miami in December 2024 during Art Basel, a pool party in Laurel, Maryland in July 2026, and now the flagship in Maine. Every single one has been free to attend. Here is the running order on the day: The Crown Vics, OPEN X, Grass Rug, Acadia Rising, Michael Anderson, DCoop, LyonsDen, Tom Fellenz. 3 of the 8 have had their own edition so far: DCoop, LyonsDen, and Tom Fellenz. The rest go up one at a time between now and the day. You can see the [running order schedule](https://zaostock.com/program) . Here are the small things you can do before the day, in this order: First, [RSVP for free](https://ticket.zaostock.com) . It is not a ticket shown at a door, because there is no door. It simply tells us how much water, seating, and shelter to plan for. Second, if you are travelling, book a room now. Early October is foliage season at the gateway to Acadia and rooms go fast. There is a public lot and free street parking near the parklet. You can find [hotels, airports, and places to eat](https://zaostock.com/ellsworth) . Acadia National Park is about 25 miles away, and driving to the Cadillac Mountain summit needs a [reservation booked ahead](https://zaostock.com/acadia) . Third, use the artwork. The [design kit](https://zaostock.com/design) has the moose logo, the signs for the day, the hand-drawn poster pieces, the colours, and the type. Every file downloads. The moose is by attabotty. The signage, illustrations, colours, and type are by Samantha "Candy" of CandyToyBox. Please credit them. There are 2 rules: the moose is white so put it on a dark ground, and use it as supplied, with no recolouring and no cropping the antlers. Please ask before printing any of the signs. Fourth, take a volunteer shift. There are 7 roles: setup, check-in, water, safety, teardown, content, and floater. You get a crew shirt and a meal, and there is no commitment until you say yes to a specific shift. Apply through the [volunteer application](https://zaostock.com/apply) . Fifth, put something behind it if you want to support production. The Supporter tier is $20 and there are 50 of them. The Pro Ticket is $50 and there are 20 of them, each including a one-to-one with someone on the ZAO team before the event. Neither buys a better spot, because there is no better spot. Both go directly to artist fees, materials, and production. The first goal is $1,000. Support is non-refundable and the day is rain or shine - full terms at the [terms page](https://zaostock.com/terms) . You can grab support passes at the [tickets page](https://zaostock.com/tickets) . If a business wants to [sponsor an artist](https://zaostock.com/sponsor) , which means covering one artist's travel to Ellsworth with their agreement, check out the sponsor page or email info@thezao.com. If you cannot make it to Maine, watch the [live stream](https://zaostock.com/live) from 12 to 6 Eastern with no sign-up needed. - BetterCallZaal on behalf of the ZABAL Team ## Subscribe to The ZAO Newsletter The ZAO Newsletter is your daily pulse on the decentralized creator revolution—featuring reflections from the frontlines, updates from our guild, and insights into how artists are reclaiming ownership through tech, community, and impact. Thanks for subscribing. 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