Code of Conduct

1Purpose and values

Krampus Bremerton brings Alpine folklore to life for our community through Krampusnacht Bremerton, troupe performances, and year-round gatherings. Thousands of guests, local businesses, and the cities where we perform trust us to deliver an experience that is spooky, playful, and safe. This Code of Conduct explains what we expect from everyone who takes part, so that trust is kept.

Our community is built on five values:

• Respect. For guests, for one another, and for the folklore and cultures we draw on.
• Safety. Physical and emotional safety come before any performance or photo.
• Inclusion. Everyone who comes in good spirit is welcome, whatever their background.
• Integrity. We are honest with one another, handle shared resources responsibly, and keep our commitments.
• Community. We support local businesses, creative people, and one another.

Krampus is mischievous and playful, never genuinely harmful. The same is true of how we treat each other.

2Who and where this code applies

Who. This code applies to everyone who participates in Krampus Bremerton activities, referred to here as participants:

• Krampus performers, Krampus Friends (characters from related traditions), and elves
• Spotters, wranglers, and other safety volunteers
• Event volunteers, planners, and organizers
• Vendors, sponsors, and their staff while at our events
• Photographers, videographers, and media we invite
• Attendees of socials, mixers, maker events, and meetups
• Members of official Krampus Bremerton group chats and online communities

Guests at public events are expected to follow event rules and the directions of organizers, venue staff, and public safety officials.

Where. The code applies at Krampusnacht Bremerton and every other Krampus Bremerton event, performance, parade, social, mixer, and maker event; at venues we use, including setup and teardown; in official Krampus Bremerton chats, groups, and pages; and whenever a participant represents Krampus Bremerton, in or out of costume.

Nature of participation. Participants are volunteers, independent vendors, or guests. They are not employees, contractors, or agents of Strange Skipper, LLC, DBA Krampus Bremerton, and they are not paid for their participation. Unless a separate written contract says otherwise, participation is voluntary and participants may stop at any time; Krampus Bremerton may end anyone's participation at any time, for any reason, with or without a reason given; and neither the participant nor Krampus Bremerton is obligated to the other to take part, provide services, or continue the relationship. This code is not a contract and does not create an employment, agency, or other legal relationship.

Other rules still apply. This code works alongside our performer training, vendor and registration agreements, venue rules, permits, and the law. Where they overlap, the stricter standard applies.

3Standards of conduct

Every participant is expected to:

• Treat guests, fellow participants, venue staff, business owners, and public officials with courtesy and respect.
• Be honest in dealings with Krampus Bremerton and with one another.
• Work as part of a team: communicate, follow the plan, and look out for each other.
• Follow reasonable directions from organizers, wranglers, venue staff, and public safety officials.
• Keep commitments, or give as much notice as possible when you can't.
• Remember that guests and the community see you as Krampus Bremerton, in costume and out.

Equal welcome. Krampus Bremerton welcomes everyone. We do not tolerate discrimination, exclusion, or mistreatment based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion or belief, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, body size or appearance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This describes how participants are expected to treat one another and how organizers make decisions; it does not create a right to participate (see Section 2). Accessibility needs at an event can be raised with organizers, who will do their best to help.

4Hate, extremism and hate symbols

White supremacy, Nazism, and hate in any form have no place at Krampus Bremerton. Krampus is folklore, not ideology, and our tradition may not be used to promote hate.

Prohibited at all Krampus Bremerton activities:

• Displaying symbols, slogans, gestures, numbers, or imagery associated with Nazism, white supremacy, or other hate movements, whether on clothing, costumes, props, flags, patches, signs, or the body. This includes, for example, the swastika, SS runes, and the black sun (Sonnenrad), and the symbols catalogued in the Anti-Defamation League's Hate Symbols Database.
• Promoting, recruiting for, or expressing support for hate groups or violent extremist movements.
• Hate speech, slurs, or threats targeting anyone for a characteristic listed in Section 3.
• Costumes that mock or caricature a race, ethnicity, religion, or culture, including blackface or similar makeup.

Intent and impact. Some symbols have both historical and hate-group meanings. At Krampus Bremerton, impact matters as much as intent: displaying a prohibited symbol is not permitted, whatever the reason given. Anyone who promotes, identifies with, or acts on hateful beliefs is not welcome and will be removed.

Concerns about hate symbols or hateful conduct should be raised through Section 13 so they can be addressed fairly and quickly.

5Harassment, bullying and retaliation

Bullying and harassment in any form, in person or online, aimed at an individual or a group of people, are not tolerated.

Harassment is unwelcome conduct that intimidates, demeans, or humiliates someone, or that a reasonable person would find hostile or offensive. Examples include:

• Insults, slurs, or ridicule, including about appearance or personal characteristics
• Threats, intimidation, or deliberately frightening someone outside the context of a consensual performance
• Unwanted physical contact, blocking someone's path, or following them
• Repeated unwanted messages or contact after someone has asked you to stop
• Sharing someone's private information, messages, or images without their consent

Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual comments, jokes, advances, propositions, touching, or images, and any suggestion that participation depends on a personal or sexual relationship. Sexual or sexually suggestive behavior is never appropriate at Krampus Bremerton activities.

Bullying is repeated behavior meant to hurt, exclude, or pressure someone, including spreading rumors, encouraging others to shun a person, or organizing others against them.

Online bullying. This code applies to conduct directed at participants anywhere, including personal social media accounts, private messages, and unofficial group chats, when it targets someone because of their involvement in Krampus Bremerton or affects our activities. This includes:

• Spreading accusations or rumors about a participant instead of raising concerns through Section 13
• Organizing or joining coordinated campaigns to shame, isolate, or pressure someone, including pressuring organizers to remove a person without a review
• Pile-ons, mocking posts, or repeated public or private messages aimed at a participant
• Extending harassment to people who defend or associate with the person being targeted

Honest opinions and good-faith criticism are not bullying. Personal disagreements are participants' own business; targeting someone is not.

Retaliation against anyone who raises a concern in good faith, takes part in a review, or supports someone who did is itself a serious violation of this code.

6Consent, guest interaction and children

Consent and personal boundaries are requirements, not suggestions. Every interaction with a guest depends on it.

Physical contact

• Contact happens only when the guest clearly invites it: a high five or fist bump they offer, a light shoulder tap when invited, standing close for a photo they asked for.
• Never grab, corner, trap, shove, push, or strike anyone; never block a guest's path or exit; never chase anyone into an unsafe area.
• Never touch a guest's hair, face, or body without clear invitation. Switches, bells, and chains are props, used lightly and only with willing participants.
• When in doubt, back away. A missed interaction is fine; crossing a boundary is not.

Reading the guest

• Stop and move on at the first sign of discomfort: stepping back, turning away, tears, freezing, or looking to a parent.
• Give extra space to guests who may have sensory sensitivities, PTSD, or anxiety, and avoid sudden movements or sounds near them.

Children

• A parent or guardian must be comfortable before any close interaction with a child. Never pursue a child who is frightened.
• Adult participants do not take children away from their parents or guardians, or arrange private contact with a minor.
• Participants under 18 may take part only with a parent's or guardian's written consent and, at events, with a responsible adult present.

Photos. Guests initiate photos. If a guest says no, move on without comment.

7Safety, alcohol and substances

Never alone. Krampus performers always work in groups with spotters, wranglers, or organizers nearby. Performers with limited vision use a spotter and move slowly.

Everyone's safety comes first. Participants are expected to:

• Know the group's hand signals and emergency word, and stop immediately when it is called.
• Watch for hazards such as curbs, ice, stairs, cords, and crowd surges.
• Check on fellow participants for overheating, injury, or exhaustion, and alert an organizer.
• Walk away from confrontational or aggressive guests and alert a wrangler or organizer rather than engaging.
• Report every injury, incident, or property damage to an organizer as soon as possible.

Props and weapons. No real weapons, including firearms, knives, or replica firearms, at any event. Props must be safe for crowds and approved by organizers if there is any doubt. Open flame and pyrotechnics are allowed only with organizer and venue approval.

Alcohol and substances

• No alcohol, cannabis, or other intoxicating substances while in costume, performing, volunteering, or on duty at an event.
• Never arrive at an event impaired.
• At social gatherings where alcohol is served, participants must be 21 or older to drink, drink responsibly, and never drive impaired.
• Illegal drugs are not permitted at any Krampus Bremerton activity.

8Costumes and cultural respect

Costumes at every level are welcome, from a pair of horns and a few bells to a hand-carved Austrian mask. The character matters far more than the budget.

• Respect the source. Krampus Friends from other cultures are welcome. Research the character's origins and present it respectfully; some communities object to their figures being used, and we honor that.
• Keep it family-friendly. Costumes at public events must be appropriate for all ages, with no nudity or sexually explicit elements.
• Keep it safe. Costumes must allow safe movement, with a spotter for limited vision. Organizers may ask you to adjust anything that creates a hazard.
• No hate imagery. Costumes and props must comply with Section 4.
• Unmask when required. Remove your mask promptly if asked by a public safety official, venue staff, or an organizer.

9Politics and personal beliefs

Krampus Bremerton is a shared space for people of every political view, faith, and background. To keep it that way:

• At our activities and in our group spaces, leave partisan politics at the door: no campaigning, candidate or party promotion, petitions, or political debates.
• Participants' personal beliefs and opinions are their own business. We do not ask about them, and we expect participants not to press them on others in our spaces.
• Personal disputes between participants, including disagreements that began elsewhere, must not be brought into Krampus Bremerton activities or group spaces.

Opposing hate is not "politics" under this section. Raising a concern about a hate symbol or hateful conduct is always welcome through Section 13.

10Social media, privacy and confidentiality

Personal accounts. What participants post on their own accounts is their own business, except when it targets another participant (see Section 5). Those posts stay outside Krampus Bremerton: don't bring online conflicts or campaigns against others into our events, meetups, or group spaces, and don't use those spaces to target anyone.

Official spaces. Krampus Bremerton chats, groups, and pages are for planning, sharing, and celebrating. The standards in this code apply there in full. Moderators may remove content or members that violate it.

Good to share: public performance photos (tag @krampus_bremerton), positive memories, costume progress and tips, event announcements, and appreciation for fellow participants.

Do not share:

• Photos or video of other participants without their permission, or close-up images of guests or children without consent
• Behind-the-scenes moments, internal discussions, or disagreements
• Screenshots of private or group conversations without the participants' consent

Confidential information. Participants with planning roles may see information that is not public: registrations, contact details, vendor and sponsor terms, budgets, payments, internal decisions, and notes about participants. This information belongs to Strange Skipper, LLC, DBA Krampus Bremerton. Use it only for Krampus Bremerton work, don't share it outside the planning team, and return or delete it when your role ends.

Speaking for Krampus Bremerton. Only authorized organizers may speak for Krampus Bremerton to the media, the City, venues, or sponsors, or post on its official accounts.

11Name, brand, money and conflicts of interest

Name and logo. The Krampus Bremerton and Krampusnacht Bremerton names, logos, images, and information belong to Strange Skipper, LLC, DBA Krampus Bremerton. Participants may share public event content and say they took part. Using the name or logo to promote another business, event, or fundraiser, or to suggest an affiliation or endorsement, requires written permission, and that permission ends when the role ends.

Money and property. Anyone who collects fees, handles payments, or uses Krampus Bremerton equipment does so on behalf of Krampus Bremerton and must:

• Follow the written agreement for their role, including who receives which funds and when
• Keep accurate records and receipts and provide them on request
• Turn over funds owed by the agreed date and raise any problem paying early
• Never use Krampus Bremerton funds, equipment, or grant money for personal or other business purposes
• Return all equipment and materials when the event or role ends

Conflicts of interest. Participants in planning or coordination roles must tell organizers about any business, event, or financial interest that could compete with or affect their Krampus Bremerton work, including running or partnering in a similar event. A disclosed interest is not a problem in itself; organizers will agree how to handle it.

Grants and public funds. Any application for grants, tourism funds, or sponsorship that names or depends on a Krampus Bremerton event requires organizers' prior written approval.

12Community, venues and partners

Krampus Bremerton performs in communities across the region. Our welcome depends on the goodwill of local businesses, venues, sponsors, and the cities that host us.

• Comply with all local laws, permit conditions, and venue rules wherever we perform, and follow directions from police, fire, and city staff.
• Respect businesses and their customers; keep entrances and walkways clear.
• Leave every space cleaner than you found it, and report any damage to organizers.
• Treat vendors, sponsors, and partners professionally, and refer disputes with them to organizers instead of handling them publicly.
• Do not contact venues, sponsors, or another organization's business partners on Krampus Bremerton's behalf, or about Krampus Bremerton matters, unless an organizer has asked you to.

13Raising a concern

If something at a Krampus Bremerton activity makes you feel unsafe, or you believe someone has broken this code, tell us. Concerns raised in good faith are taken seriously, and no one will face retaliation for raising one.

In an emergency, call 911 first.

How to raise a concern

• At an event: speak to any organizer or wrangler.
• Any time: email krampusbremerton@gmail.com.

Helpful details include what happened, when and where, who was involved, any witnesses, and any photos or messages. You can raise a concern about something you experienced or something you saw.

If your concern involves an organizer, you may raise it with a different organizer.

Please raise concerns directly with organizers rather than through group chats or public posts. Handling concerns privately is fairer to everyone, including the person who raised it, and lets organizers learn the facts before anyone is judged.

Knowingly making a false or malicious report is a violation of this code.

14How concerns are reviewed

1. Safety first. If anyone's safety is at risk, organizers act immediately, which may include asking someone to leave.
2. Gathering facts. Organizers speak with the person who raised the concern and, where appropriate, privately with the person involved, so they can respond. Others may be asked what they saw.
3. Deciding. Organizers decide once they've heard from the people involved. We would rather take the time to get it right than act on rumor. While a review is under way, organizers may take interim steps, such as pausing someone's participation.
4. Privacy. Reviews are handled discreetly, and information is shared only as needed. We may or may not share the outcome; decisions involving other people are kept private out of respect for everyone involved.

15Consequences

Organizers respond in proportion to the seriousness of the conduct, its impact, and any history. Responses may include:

• A conversation, reminder, or request to change something
• A written warning
• Removal from an event, performance, or role
• Suspension from Krampus Bremerton activities for a set period
• A permanent ban from activities and official group spaces
• Ending a vendor, sponsor, or volunteer arrangement
• Referral to venue security or law enforcement

Serious conduct, including violence, threats, sexual misconduct, displaying hate symbols, or retaliation, may lead to immediate removal or a permanent ban without prior warning. Fees and costs are not refunded when a participant is removed for violating this code, unless an agreement says otherwise.

Review of a decision. Anyone suspended or banned may ask in writing, at krampusbremerton@gmail.com, for the decision to be reviewed. A review may be requested once in any twelve-month period. Reviews are at organizers' discretion, and the original decision stands unless organizers choose to change it.

16Acknowledgment and updates

By registering, volunteering, vending, or otherwise taking part in Krampus Bremerton activities, participants agree to follow this Code of Conduct and the performer training that accompanies it.

Krampus Bremerton may update this code at any time. The version published on this page is the current one.

Questions about this code can be sent to krampusbremerton@gmail.com.