The two most common kinds of big event with contra dancing are the dance weekend and the dance camp. Putting any individual event into one category or the other can be a little tricky, but it might be helpful to consider the "classic" version of each:
| Weekend | Camp | |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | Friday evening through Sunday afternoon | Full week |
| Location | Urban | Rural |
| Activities | Almost entirely social dancing | Mix of workshops, classes, social dancing, nature |
| Schedule | Tightly packed | Relaxed |
| Meals | Local restaurants and packed lunches | On-site together |
| Housing | Hotels and staying with friends | On-site together |
Nearby I have Beantown Stomp and American Dance and Music Week at Pinewoods, as pretty typical examples.
A weirder difference, however, is that while weekends book bands, camps often advertise as if they are booking individual musicians even when they're booking bands. For example:
American Dance & Music Week at Pinewoods lists Rodney Miller, Max Newman, Stuart Kenney, Sam Bartlett, and Mark Hellenberg (The Stringrays).
Harmony of Song & Dance at Pinewoods lists Alex Sturbaum & Brian Lindsay (Countercurrent).
Ashoken Northern Week lists Audrey Knuth, Max Newman, and Stuart Kenny (Lighthouse).
Cumberland Dance Week lists Jonathan Whitall, Eric Schedler, and Meg Dedolph (The Cosmic Otters).
I admit that part of my frustration here is that I'm trying to keep track of which bands are playing which events, but isn't this also pretty confusing for prospective attendees? A major reason to book a band instead of individual musicians is that a group of people who are used to playing with each other will generally sound better, plus dancers who know they like the band's music are more likely to attend. Why be coy about this?