Ross Ulbricht is coming to PorcFest
DATE: Thursday, May 29, 2025
AUTHOR: Hon. Eric Brakey - Executive Director, Free State Project
Let me cut to the chase:
Ross Ulbricht is coming to PorcFest XXII!
June 16-22, 2025
Watch the announcement video below, produced by Reinita Susman (director of the upcoming Free State documentary).
For more than a decade, the Porcupine Freedom Festival has rallied around the "Free Ross" cause.
As the Granite Cradle of Crypto, the Free State of New Hampshire was home to the earliest pioneers and evangelists for Bitcoin — seeing its potential as an emerging technology to challenge fiat currencies controlled by central banks.
When corrupt federal prosecutors railroaded Ross Ulbricht for building and operating the Silk Road website — where people could use Bitcoin to engage in peaceful and voluntary exchanges without government interference — the Free State stood with Ross.
When an authoritarian federal judge sentenced Ross to a double-life sentence — citing false allegations (that were never proven in court) and his "dangerous" libertarian ideology as justifications — Free Staters rallied as the earliest activists in the campaign to Free Ross.
His mom, Lyn Ulbricht, became a regular speaker at PorcFest, rallying support to her son's cause every year as the momentum grew for his pardon and release.
Both inside and outside PorcFest, the Free State movement has mobilized at every opportunity to raise support for a pardon of Ross Ulbricht.
Living in the first-in-the-nation primary state, we've seized the moment many times over to put the issue front and center with presidential candidates — including Vivek Ramaswamy, Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Donald Trump.
In 2020, Lyn Ulbricht joined Free Staters at the Quill to prepare Free Ross signs for deployment at a Trump campaign rally.
From left to right, Tom Garrett, Patrick Binder, AJ Olding, and Archer Binder make Free Ross signs at the Quill with Lyn Ulbricht.
While I only recently joined the Free State Project, I learned about Ross a decade ago as a young liberty activist and Maine State Senator attending PorcFest.
In the years since, I used all the leverage I had as an elected official and federal candidate to raise the cause with both the Trump and Biden Administrations.
Like all of us, for nearly a decade, we got no serious response from the powerful.
This election cycle, many libertarians around the country decided to use their voting power as leverage to extract one unambiguously good thing from the clutches of the imperial city — a full and unconditional pardon for Ross Ulbricht.
With that pardon from President Donald Trump in January, Ross will join us at PorcFest for the first time in just a few weeks.
We hope all who contributed to this effort over the past decade will join us at the festival to say, "Welcome home, Ross!"
Details are still in development. In the coming days, I hope to have more to share (including the date and time Ross will be speaking).
In the meantime, be sure to grab your tickets — and use my discount code "GraniteGulch" to save 10% as a thank you for reading this newsletter.
Taste the Revolution! Join us, this June 16-22, for the 22nd annual Porcupine Freedom Festival.
Over 1,000 PorcFest tickets have been sold — including 200 child tickets, as our family programming continues to expand with PorcuPints.
As a thank you for reading our weekly newsletter, use discount code "GraniteGulch" for 10% off your PorcFest tickets.
This week, Dr. Bob Murphy released a video inviting you to join us for his talk on the current President of the United States: "The Good, the Bad, and the Funny."
Watch Bob Murphy's invitation to join him at PorcFest XXII.
Here is an update from our venue, Roger's Campground, on lodging availability:
Motel Rooms: SOLD OUT
Tent Sites: SOLD OUT
RV Sites: Less than 100 left
(Please note: yes, you can pitch a tent at an RV site.)
There are also nearby off-site lodging options for those seeking them.
Be sure to make a plan to rest your head at our family-friendly freedom festival!
As Jack Hunter returns for a second year, he expressed his shame in missing the first 20 years of the festival. Jack urges you not to miss out, like he did for so long!
Watch Jack Hunter's invitation to join him at PorcFest XXII.
For families, our Porcupints programming is back and better than ever as we prepare for over 200 kids of all ages.
Connor Boyack, author of the Tuttle Twins series, will be reading one of his books to the kids.
Professional puppet and animal shows are returning for a second year.
I will be conducting a mock "Porcupine Legislature" for older kids and teens.
And too much to list here.
Read more on our Porcupints page.
Remember that child tickets are always steeply discounted because PorcFest is a family-friendly freedom festival.
This year, we are restoring an old PorcFest tradition: the "One Pot Cook-Off!"
Organized for a decade by Edi Swearingen until 2016, chefs competed to serve for the best one-pot dish — creating opportunities to share experiences and meet neighbors across the campground.
However, all good things come to an end and the pots went empty for a decade... but not this year.
Thursday evening (June 19), the pots will be filled again with a wide variety of creative and tasty dishes — and we need you to make the One-Pot Cook-Off a success!
Grab your ticket to Taste the Revolution as a judge for the One Pot Cook-Off.
Calling all chefs! We still need more one-pot dishes. (Even I am planning one!) To sign up as a chef, please email this year's cook-off organizer, Amber Daves:
(Thank you to Amber for volunteering to bring back this wonderful PorcFest tradition!)
The only rule: your dish must be prepared and served from one pot for all judges.
Four years ago, I introduced myself to many at PorcFest with a rant at Soapbox Idol, an annual tradition on the final night of the festival.
(If you are interested, feel free to watch my rant against libertarian pessimism — which I stand by to this day.)
This year, I will be hosting the annual rant-off myself — and I am seeking both judges and participants.
What is Soapbox Idol? On the final night of PorcFest, anyone with a juicy rant can hop on the Soapbox and make their case to the audience and three celebrity judges.
Some rants are more serious than others — ranging from outright comedy to more serious prosecutions of important issues.
My personal favorite of all time was a rant that won over a decade ago, characterizing the many ways the Mafia is less terrible than the federal government.
For another example, Dennis Pratt (my good friend and three-time PorcFest producer), always leaves an imprint with a valuable slogan. Last year, it was an important one: "Build, don't bitch."
If you would like to participate in Soapbox Idol this year, I will hold auditions during the festival.
Hit reply and let me know (1) if you are interested in delivering a short rant or (2) you have any suggestions for celebrity judges.
PorcFest is not just a singular event organized by festival producers — it is a week-long free society that we all build together.
That's why more and more hubs are registering to host their own events.
If you think something is missing from PorcFest, we invite you to build it. Your hub can be:
• A lounge for relaxation and conversation
• A space for debates, panels, or workshops
• A hands-on learning center
• A music or performance venue
• A marketplace or vending zone
• Or anything else that builds community through liberty
If you can imagine it, you can build it! Hubs are where the revolution grows — grassroots and ground-up.
CLICK HERE to learn more, register a hub, and bring your own vision to life at PorcFest XXII!
There are only 18 days left until we kick off this family-friendly freedom festival.
Please join us to Taste the Revolution and Welcome Ross Ulbricht to the Live Free or Die state.
Once again, as a thank you for reading our weekly newsletter, use discount code "GraniteGulch" for 10% off your PorcFest tickets.
For Liberty!
Hon. Eric Brakey
Free State Project, Executive Director
PorcFest XXII, Co-Producer
P.S. As we gear up to welcome Ross Ulbricht to PorcFest, please feel free to check out my recent conversation with Aaron Day — one of our Diamond sponsors for the festival.
Additionally, for those in New Hampshire, keep reading for highlights of a few upcoming events over the next few days in the Free State.
Episode 65: "The Road to Digital Serfdom” with Aaron Day. Aaron Day joins the show to share his journey into the liberty movement, including his early business ventures, his political activism in New Hampshire, and how federal overreach radicalized him. He focuses on the threats posed by central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and how current stablecoin regulations are paving the way for digital financial control. Aaron also discusses the persecution of crypto advocates like Roger Ver and Ian Freeman as part of a broader crackdown on financial freedom. He emphasizes the urgency of adopting privacy-preserving crypto tools and previews his upcoming programming at PorcFest, aimed at reigniting grassroots energy in the crypto-liberty space. Click here to watch the full episode.
For those in New Hampshire, be sure to check out some of the community events coming up in the next few days.
Click the link above for our full NH Liberty Calendar.
Thursday, May 29
Seabrook, 8am-9 - Weekly Patriot Breakfast - A weekly social meeting of NH Patriots, think traditional Constitutional Republican. Hosted by Jude. (Linda’s Breakfast & Lunch Place, 920 Lafayette Road, Seabrook)
Nottingham, 10am-4pm - Field Day - There will be planned activities as well as lots of time for park exploration. Latitude will provide hamburgers and hot dogs. Families can bring either drinks, a side dish, or a dessert to share. $10 admission includes park entry, pavilion rental fees, and part of your lunch. Ages 4 and over need to pay for entry. Hosted by Latitude Learning. (Pawtuckaway Park, 128 Mountain Rd, Nottingham)
Strafford, 6pm-8 - Heart of NH Fifth Thursday Seacoast Meetup - Enjoy food and camaraderie with new folks and friends alike. Bring your own dish for the potluck, or pick up a pizza or other food at Cooper Hill to share! Hosted by Sarah Novytskyy. (Independence Inn, 6 Drake Hill Rd, Strafford)
Henniker, 6pm-8 - Women’s Circle - We'll invite intuition. Sitting in a circle, sipping tea. Bringing ourselves, releasing the rest. Guided and co-creative. $11-$22 donation requested; sign up online or pay at the event. RSVP is appreciated. Hosted by Jennifer Lappen. (Rooted Free, 1040 Old Hillsboro Rd, Henniker)
Friday, May 30
6:30pm-10:30 - Religious Bitcoin/Crypto Meetup - Join us for a monthly meetup exploring the moral and spiritual dimensions of Bitcoin and blockchain technology. This gathering is open to all faith backgrounds and anyone interested in the ethical implications of a decentralized peaceful money standard. Almost one year active! Text Zephan for address (603)369-7729
Sunday, June 1
Hillsboro, 1pm-3 - Macrame Plant Hanger Workshop - Learn the art of macrame and create your own beautiful, handcrafted plant hanger! In this beginner-friendly class, you'll master essential knotting techniques and design a stylish hanger to showcase your favorite plant. Pre-registration helps us to be prepared with the right amount of materials. Hosted by Lauren Parente. (Rooted Free, 1040 Old Hillsboro Rd, Henniker)
Candia, 1:30pm-3 - Garnet School Ruck - Join the Garnet School Ruck Club as we explore the land around the Garnet School! 2.5 - 5 miles & adaptable to all fitness levels. 1:15pm Warmup/Workout. 1:30pm Sharp: Ruck Departs. Hosted by Mike Rohan (Garnet School Ruck Club)
Manchester, 5pm-7:30 - Manchester Crypto Meetup - We’re not trying to shill any coin, token, or project. We are a group of individuals and businesses in support of cryptocurrency and its everyday uses. Hosted by Matt Ping (Strange Brew, 88 Market St, Manchester)
Keene, 5pm-6 - Social Sunday - Enjoy the company of other liberty-loving people at NH's longest-running activist social! If Local Burger is closed, come to our backup location at Curry Indian Restaurant: 149 Emerald St. Hosted by Chris Waid. (Local Burger, 82 Main St, Keene)
Nashua, 6pm-8 - Nashua Liberty Social - Weekly Nashua Meet-Up - Location varies each week. This calendar event is typically updated by 2PM on Sunday. Meet-ups are generally within about a 10 minute drive of the downtown area. Hosted by Jeff Creem.