Hero Quest is a one-day simulation, just for our Youth Leaders, designed to help our youth grow, have fun, develop strong friendships with other quality youth, and be even more prepared to lead and guide our young knights and handmaidens at Summit.  Please make sure to read the information below thoroughly as there are instructions for youth, volunteers, and opposition forces.  To see details for Summit, click HERE.

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Date and Location

Thursday, August 21st
American Fork Amphitheater
850 E 700 N
American Fork, UT 84003

Please note construction may make travel times vary from past years due to road resurfacing on North County Road between 1100 N and State Street.  Please check websites such as UDOT or Google Maps for road conditions and directions to ensure you arrive on time.

Parking

In order to keep parking under control, please follow these guidelines to help ensure a good experience for all!

• Carpool wherever possible.
• DO NOT park illegally or block roads or other cars. Police will ticket your vehicle.
• DO NOT park or drop off attendees in or near the lower parking area, as there is business traffic during that time, and there is no one to supervise your child.
• Refer to the parking map for details on where to park, depending on your role.
• Youth Leaders - Park on the street along 900 East. Carpool where possible. If on-street parking is NOT available, you may park in the Upper North parking lot on the northwest side. You will be checking-in above the amphitheater.
• Parent Drop-off/Pick-up - Park in the Upper/North parking lot. For special needs, there will be a small short-term parking zone near Check-in. Please refer to the map for overflow parking on Saturday. DO NOT park illegally or block roads or other cars. Police will ticket your vehicle.
• Opposition - Park in the church parking lot north of the temple.
• Royalty & Committee Heads - Park in the Lower West parking lot on 860 East. (A large area of this lot is for ATV's, golf carts, side by sides, & trailers)
• Other Volunteers - If you have an assignment in the lower area of the park, please contact your committee head to get approval to park in the lower parking lot. Otherwise, please park in the “North half” of the North parking lot - the other half is for parent drop off and pick up on Friday and Saturday. Talk to your Committee Head or Heather Fausett (801 635 0341) for clarification, if needed.
  

Arrival Times/Schedule (as of 8/13/2025)

If you have arranged an arrival time not listed, please disregard the other times listed and keep to your specifically arranged time.

• 7:00 AM - Logistics and Equipment Team Arrives
• 7:00 AM - Medical Team Check-in
• 7:30 AM - Check-in, Costumes, and Cast Members Check-in
  
• 7:45 AM - Royal House Huddle - Royal House will proceed to their huddles first before checking in or costuming.  Post-huddle, they will wait with the other youth leaders for the 8:30 check-in.
• 8:00 AM - Master Knight and Princess Huddle - Master Knights and Princesses will proceed to their huddles first before checking in or costuming.  Post-huddle, they will wait with the other youth leaders for the 8:30 check-in.  
• 8:00 AM - House Mentor Check-in
• 8:00 AM - Photography/Videography Staff Check-in
• 8:30 AM - All Youth Leader Check-in
• 9:00 AM - Event Starts
• 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM - Opposition Check-in at the assigned Opposition area (see parking map and emails from Opposition Coordinator for details.)
• 7:30 PM - Clean up Houses and complete House assignments.  Remember the order of departure and follow it carefully. (leaving around 8:00 pm)
• Check-in Heroic Youth costumes and weapons.
• Put personal belongings in your car or in designated areas for those waiting on rides.
• Take down and clean-up Camp/Kingdom area, returning equipment.
• Complete clean up assignment.
• Go home (except for MKs, Princesses, and Royal House for a brief debrief). Get lots of rest and food and water and de-stinkify.

Youth Leader Information

Youth Dress Code

Girls: Modest dresses or skirts and blouses.  All female youth leaders need to dress according to My Ladies’ Guide to Christathel Fashions and the 5 Commitments and will be lent specific costume accessory pieces to wear on the day of the event.

Boys: T-shirt or long-sleeved shirt and pants.  All male youth leaders need to dress according to the Terra Libre Costume Guide and the 5 Commitments and will be lent a tabard and belt to go over their shirt and pants on the day of the event.

Youth Leader Weapons and T-shirt Information

In general, swords/shields and bows/arrows will be given to Youth Leaders at Hero Quest.  If a Youth Leader is given a weapon before Hero Quest, they will be required to turn it in at the Walkthrough before Hero Quest.  They will turn them in each evening until the Saturday of Summit when they can take them home.  Youth leaders will be given a t-shirt on the first day of Summit when the attendees receive them, not at Hero Quest.

Youth Leader Packing List

Every youth leader needs to be prepared in order to have the best experience possible.  Pre-hydrate yourself by making sure you are drinking more water for at least a week before the event.  We frequently experience all four seasons in one day at this time of year, and it is crucial that you are prepared for heat and for cold.  Hero Quest goes on, rain or shine.  Please bring the following in a backpack or bag.  All personal belongings should be labeled with your name to keep them from getting lost or inadvertently stolen.

• Come dressed in your costume and wearing sunblock
• Refillable water bottle (labeled)
• Sun blocking hat if desired and appropriate for your role (no baseball caps)
  
• Food: Bring a sack lunch, snacks, AND sack dinner in an insulated, labeled lunch box/cooler.  Be generous. You will be very hungry.  NO FOOD WILL BE PROVIDED at the Hero Quest event and FOOD DELIVERIES ARE NOT ALLOWED.  Please bring plenty of food for both meals and at least two snacks.  You should start drinking water at least a couple of days before the event to prevent dehydration, even if you plan to drink plenty of water on the day of the event.
• Supplies for your role, if applicable
• If weather forecasts indicate a need: Warm jacket and/or Rain poncho

Volunteer Information

Please note: Adult House Mentors ARE needed this day.  Camp Sergeants/Matrons & Kingdom Lords/Ladies are NOT needed this day. 

For volunteer questions, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator:
volunteers@heroicyouth.org

No unregistered volunteers or adults will be allowed at the event for the safety of our participants. All registered volunteers must have completed the Heroic Youth Youth Protection Training or they will not be allowed to enter the event.

All volunteers, please make sure you have done the following:

1. Register and sign an Event Waiver.
2. Take the Heroic Youth (HY) Youth Protection Training: For the safety of the youth, all volunteers are required to complete our free online 10 minute Youth Protection Training course. If you have completed the online Heroic Youth training within the last 12 months, that counts toward the requirement. 
3. Please make arrangements for your child(ren) who are not participating to be cared for outside of the event venue. Additionally, children under age 8 are not allowed at the event, except for some extenuating circumstances.
   

Volunteer Reminders

• If you do not have an assignment for Thursday or Saturday afternoon, please consider joining the final battle opposition forces, especially at Hero Quest on Thursday. We are always VERY much in need of opposition members!
• All volunteers must wear a costume. It can be very simple. Please refer to the costume guide on the website for guidelines.
• Wear sturdy, close-toed shoes to avoid hurting your feet in the hilly, rocky park. Tennis shoes work great even though they don’t match your costume - everyone wears them.
• Be prepared to get hot and tired. Please keep your costume light, and bring cooling devices like an evaporative cooling towel or neck fan.
• No meals will be provided at the event and food deliveries are not allowed. They detract from the carefully cultivated simulation atmosphere. See packing list for more info.
• Start drinking water at least a couple of days before the event to prevent dehydration and heat exhaustion, even if you plan to drink plenty of water on the day of the event.
• Bring electrolytes. If you bring any sports drinks, please stay away from flavors with blue or red dye—these can easily ruin costumes.
• Arrive on time. Please arrive with enough time to get in costume before your assigned arrival time. If you are unavoidably running behind, notify Lady Amory Gunther at 801-842-3846.
• When you arrive, please check in first, then refer to the check-in sheet for who to report to in your assigned area.
• Address everyone as sir/lady. Use courtly language whenever possible to add to the atmosphere for the participants and other volunteers.
• Exemplify the Hero's Creed—the participants look up to you!
• Stay in character. Even if you are in a background role, you should be familiar with the simulation (read the plot for Hero Quest and Summit—if you need a copy, please reach out to your committee leader, or Lady Amory Gunther at volunteers@heroicyouth.org). Have fun acting as a citizen of the land, especially if you run into participants. It helps them really get into the simulation!
• If you find yourself without a specific assignment to fulfill during any given part of the day, please see a need, fill a need. If all needs have been filled, make a friend, ask questions about the plot or Heroic Youth, and experience what is going on around you.
• Have fun! Seriously, enjoy your time at the event. If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong. 😉

Volunteer Packing List

Every volunteer needs to be prepared in order to have the best experience possible. We frequently experience all four seasons in one day at this time of year and it is crucial that you are prepared for heat and for cold. Summit goes on, rain or shine. All personal belongings should be labeled with your name to keep them from getting lost or inadvertently stolen.

• Refillable water bottle
• Warm jacket or sweater for morning/evening hours
• Rain poncho or very light jacket
  
• Hand-held umbrella for blocking sun and/or rain
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses and/or sun-blocking hat, bandanna, etc.
• Evaporative cooling towel or neck fan (optional)
• Camping chair or blanket - there will not be chairs available for everyone to sit during times of low activity.
  
• Costume
• Backup battery pack(s) for your phone, especially if you are assigned to a check-in area, cast role, messenger/runner role, or will be a House Mentor.
• Plenty of food for all three meals, in an insulated cooler or lunch box (labeled). NO food delivery is allowed.
• 2-3 hearty snacks (see below for suggestions)
• Supplies for your volunteer role, if applicable
• A sword or other approved weapon, if you will be opposition

Snack Suggestions
You will DEFINITELY get hungry throughout the day so your snacks should be hearty!  Be generous.  You should bring at least one salty or sweet and one hydrating snack.

• Pretzels and carrot sticks
• Cheese sticks and grapes
• Granola bars and lemonade or electrolyte packets
• Oreos and snap peas
• Almonds and apple slices
• Chips and veggies with hummus

Opposition Information

For Opposition questions, please contact our Opposition coordinator:
Drew Nelson
be.a.heroicvillain@gmail.com
Cell: 801 691 4421

Opposition Check-in Times (as of 8/6/2025)

Opposition Costume:

Every volunteer needs to be prepared in order to have the best experience possible.  We frequently experience all four seasons in one day at this time of year and it is crucial that you are prepared for heat and for cold.  Summit goes on, rain or shine.  Please bring the following in a backpack or bag.  All personal belongings should be labeled with your name to keep them from getting lost or inadvertently stolen.

• Dark-colored long pants (that you don't mind getting grass stains on).  Preferably something that can pass as "medieval" like sweats or old Dockers.  Stay away from jeans and no shorts, please.
• A black shirt
• Eye protection (sunglasses, safety glasses, etc.)
• It is recommended that men wear a cup for some extra protection.
• You may also wear black or dark-colored capes, robes, medieval-looking uniforms, headdresses, makeup, etc.  

Opposition Packing List:

• Refillable water bottle (labeled)
• Sunblock
• Heroic Youth approved sword if you have one (please bring extras if you are willing to share!  We have markers to label them, if needed.)
• Food: Bring the food you think you’ll need: lunch, snacks, and dinner. (Dinner is only needed if you're staying for the debrief with the youth leaders).  NO FOOD WILL BE PROVIDED at the event and FOOD DELIVERIES ARE NOT ALLOWED.  You should start drinking water at least a couple of days before the event to prevent dehydration, even if you plan to drink plenty of water on the day of the event.
• Supplies for your opposition role, if applicable

Please Help:

We are still in need of male and female adult and youth opposition members for Thursday (as well as Saturday)!  Opposition registration is here.

Thank you for your participation in Hero Quest this year!  We can't wait for the day to arrive!