For South by Southwest attendees hungry for “Yellow Jackets,” Showtime knew exactly what to do.
The network behind the hit 2022 series about a high school football team that ends up stranded in the wilderness has brought Camp Yellowjackets to Austin, turning the massive Fair Market space into a key location for the series. From the signature cocktails to the activities to the spooky portrait booth, the altar, and the comforts of the “dead guy’s” cabin, the entire activation was filled with details from a super fan’s dream.
Many culinary experiences were inspired by Misty (Samantha Hanratty), who accidentally gave the entire team psychedelic mushrooms in Season 1. There was no plane wreck, but there was a piece of trunks and a campfire sitting on the outside stage where DJ Hesta Prynn played 90s hits. opening night. The cast in attendance posed for photos and mingled, teasing Season 2 as much as possible exclusively for IndieWire.
In the cabin, visitors could take a seat, relax a bit – and look for clues, citizen detective style. A mysterious symbol of the forest appears in a foggy window, and Jackie’s journal (a point of contention in Season 1 continuity) is in the corner, ready to be perused. Fans arrived in a flurry of snow (not an unheard of sight in Texas these days), but the flakes really fell at the heart of the activation: Lottie’s (Courtney Eaton) altar, where the girls perform a blood sacrifice in the Season 1 finale — a hint of the bloodshed and violence to come.
Check out photos from Showtime’s first official Yellowjackets camp below.
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An innocent exterior
Image credit: Suzanne Cordeiro/SHOWTIME
Camp Yellowjackets opened at dusk on March 10th, creating an eerie nocturnal atmosphere just right for “Yellowjackets.”
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A warning
Image credit: Suzanne Cordeiro/SHOWTIME
Season 2’s tagline – teasing impending cannibalism – greets visitors at the door.
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Welcome!
Image credit: Suzanne Cordeiro/SHOWTIME
Camp counselors check in visitors and direct them to the many activities: foraging, target practice, meat processing, and more.
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I wish you were here
Image credit: Suzanne Cordeiro/SHOWTIME
Before signing in, a series of TVs airs a “Camp Yellowjackets” ad with footage from the show, and Season 1 ends with a chilling “I wish you were here” postcard text.
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Take a sip…
Image credit: Suzanne Cordeiro/SHOWTIME
Would you be brave enough to try Misty’s Mushroom Surprise? Remember what happened on Doomcoming…
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Target shooting
Image credit: Suzanne Cordeiro/SHOWTIME
Instead of rifles, camp visitors are given target practice with rubber axes. Participants go head-to-head, two at a time, and receive ribbons for participation or victory. Score points by hitting the target, the cans, or the squirrel (no points for him, but you might find a bloody foot in the snow that’s Coach Scott’s, or not…)
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Let the darkness set us free
Image credit: Suzanne Cordeiro/SHOWTIME
Snow has fallen at the door, but that’s nothing compared to Lottie’s altar, where her bear horns from the season 1 finale sit in the offering, surrounded by downpours and mist.
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Are we out of the woods yet?
Image credit: Suzanne Cordeiro/SHOWTIME
No 🙁
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Only the hits
Image credit: Suzanne Cordeiro/SHOWTIME
Outside, a DJ played 90s hits in front of a fireplace—not just any fireplace, but a piece of the fuselage of Flight 2525.
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Wash the food
Image credit: Suzanne Cordeiro/SHOWTIME
Any meat-rich meal requires a drink to quench your thirst.
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Typical cocktails
Image credit: Suzanne Cordeiro/SHOWTIME
If Misty’s mushroom recipe doesn’t take it out, these tequila cocktails might.
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REST IN PEACE
Image credit: Suzanne Cordeiro/SHOWTIME
Since the girls didn’t pack for the cold, they have to make it through this winter; animal skins hung from the ceiling, suggesting practical use and hunting.
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Take the Edge off
Image credit: Suzanne Cordeiro/SHOWTIME
Better with these than an axe.
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Friends forever
Image credit: Suzanne Cordeiro/SHOWTIME
Upon entry, guests received a Camp Yellowjackets friendship bracelet – because friendship never dies, even if you eat the other one!
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Past campers
Image credit: Suzanne Cordeiro/SHOWTIME
Major characters from the 1996 timeline of “Yellowjackets,” including the now-deceased Laura Lee (Jane Widdop) and Jackie (Ella Purnell).
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