Want to rough it a little?
Tent
Covers 1 cousinTailgate (Best Value) · Lakeside
- Your campsite for the weekend
- 1 All-Access Activity Pass
You bring or rent: your own tent, or rent one and we set it up before you arrive
Notify Me When Tickets Open
Sept 24–26, 2027Cordele, GA21+
Melanated Campout 2027
Cousins, pick your universe.This year’s theme: CousinConBlack culture. Every fandom. One camp. No costume required.
Three days outside with your people. Good music, games, costumes if you want ’em, and a Watergun Battle you’ve been plotting since last year.
No camping experience needed. Payment plans available.
New here? Here’s the campout.
A grown-folks camping weekend for us, by us.
Black-owned, adults 21+, and built so you can show up and just enjoy yourself, whether you’ve camped before or not.
3 days, one campgroundFriday to Sunday at Lake Blackshear in Cordele, GA. Come Thursday if you want a head start.
20+ activities includedWatergun Battle, Dinner in Orange, live band, comedy, line dancing, and more. No extra tickets.
Stay your wayBring a tent or RV, or let us handle it with glamping, a cabin, or a lakefront room.
First-timers welcomeReal bathrooms, hot showers, rentals, and a Camping 101 workshop. We got you.
Real photos · Real cousins · Real joy
The favorites are coming back.
One minute you’re laughing at somebody’s costume. Next thing you know, you’re line dancing with people you met 20 minutes ago.
Watergun Battle
Pick a side. Get soaked. Talk trash all year.
Dinner in Orange
Wear your orange. Wave your napkin. You’ll see.
Line Dancing
Know the steps or learn ’em on the spot.
Live Band + Comedy
Grown-folks nights with real entertainment.
Over 20 activities, all included with your pass.
See everything we did in 2026
Watergun BattleDinner in OrangeComedy ShowLive BandLine DanceLip Sync BattleSaturday Night PartyWatch PartyCampfire TalksFull BarYogaGolf TournamentFishingBiz SummitColor & ChillPajama Game NightCamping 101Veterans Meet & GreetSisterhood & Brotherhood Circles
The 2027 schedule drops once it’s locked in.
1,200+cousins came home in 2026
42Kcousins in our Facebook group
98Kfollowing us on Facebook
9thyear of Black outdoor joy
Choose your campout
Pick how you want to stay.
Every package comes with All-Access Activity Passes, and some cover more than one person. Check the count on each card so you’re ready the minute tickets open.
Tickets open soon. Get on the list and you’ll be first to lock in the lowest price of the year, with 25% down and monthly payments.
Grab your spot.
I know what I wantGet first dibs when tickets open
“I was nervous but still excited as a first-timer, but now I’m just 100% excited to come back next year.”
Find your spot in a few taps.
Step 1Rather talk it out? Call or text Zoey at 404.832.0277
How do you want to stay?
Pick one to see the options. Most campsites come two ways: Tailgate (best value) or Lakeside.
Got a van or car setup?
Van / Rooftop / Vehicle Tent
Covers 1 cousinTailgate · Lakeside
- Your vehicle campsite for the weekend
- 1 All-Access Activity Pass
You bring or rent: your van, car, or rooftop tent
Notify Me When Tickets OpenBringing someone? Add an Extra Camp Cousin at checkout (extra cost).
Have an RV, or want one delivered?
RV Site
Covers 2 cousinsTailgate (Best Value) · Tailgate Paved · Lakeside
- Your RV site for the weekend
- 2 All-Access Activity Passes
You bring or rent: the RV itself. Bring yours, or rent one delivered from our RV partners (listed at the bottom of this page)
Notify Me When Tickets OpenMore than 2 in the RV? Add an Extra Camp Cousin for each extra person (extra cost).
Walk in, drop your bags, exhale. Nothing to bring or set up.
Glamping Tent
Covers 2 cousinsDouble Queen · King + Twin Bunks
- A set-up glamping tent with real beds
- 2 All-Access Activity Passes
Lakefront Room
Covers 2 cousinsKing · Double Queen · Signature Studio Suite
- A lakefront room, booked per room
- 2 All-Access Activity Passes
- ADA rooms available in every style
Cabin
Covers 4 cousins2 Bedroom / 1 Bath
- A cabin for your crew
- 4 All-Access Activity Passes
Bringing more people than a package covers? Add an Extra Camp Cousin for each one (extra cost).
Staying off-site, local, or sharing a cousin’s site?
Activity Pass
Covers 1 cousin3-Day (Fri–Sun) · 4-Day (Thu–Sun)
- Every activity, all weekend
- 2-Pack and 4-Pack options save money
Not included: a campsite or anywhere to sleep
Notify Me When Tickets Open
Make it yours at checkout: Extra Camp Cousin · Thursday night arrival · Meal plan · Dinner in Orange table & chairs · Front Row seats · VIP section with a bottle or cake · Canopy spot on The Block · Team shirt (Blue or Orange) · Souvenir 2027 tee · Golf
Add-ons available until September 15, 2027.
Bringing a crew?
Line dance group, sorors, the whole family? Pull up together.
- 2-Pack and 4-Pack Activity Passes save you money
- Every RV, glamping, room, and cabin package includes a Camp Cousin free
- Got a Group Code or Cousin Code? Enter it at checkout
Payment plans available: 25% down, then monthly payments. Final payment due August 31, 2027.
Optional purchase protection at checkout. All sales final. New and not sure which to pick? Call or text 404.832.0277 and a real cousin will walk you through it.
Optional purchase protection at checkout. All sales final. New and not sure which to pick? Call or text 404.832.0277 and a real cousin will walk you through it.
You’re wanted here
First time? We got you, cuz.
- Real bathrooms. Hot showers. Cleaning crew keeping it fresh all weekend. We do not do roughing it.
- Tent and RV rentals. We set it up. You walk in.
- Meal plan available. Show up hungry. Leave happy.
- Camping 101 workshop. We got you, step by step.
Every year, returning cousins walk over to welcome first-timers before they’ve even finished setting up. Nobody assigned that. It’s just how we do. You’ll be in great company.
Coming solo? So is a lot of the camp.
Read the New Camper Guide →
Straight from the campsite
Don’t take our word for it. Ask your camp cousins.
Every one of them thought they were just going camping. Oooh chile, if only they knew.
★★★★★
Setting up for the Dinner in Orange and enjoying the night with my 12 friends. That whole Friday night. That’s the one I keep coming back for.
★★★★★
The fellowship and overall vibe was awesome. I felt a sense of community. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. I did not want to leave.
A word from your host
We built this because we needed it too.
We needed somewhere to just exhale. Not a conference. Not a retreat with a whole syllabus. Not an itinerary that requires homework.
Just us, outside, being fully ourselves. Laughing until our stomachs hurt. Staying up way too late around a fire. Feeling something we forgot we could still feel.
Jocelyn, Co-host of Melanated Campout
Quick answers
Before you ask.
When is Melanated Campout 2027?
Friday to Sunday, September 24–26, 2027, at Lake Blackshear in Cordele, GA. Want a head start? Add Thursday early arrival at checkout.
What is Cousin Con?
Cousin Con is the theme for Melanated Campout 2027: Black culture, every fandom, one camp. Same campout you love, with all your fandoms invited. No costume required.
Do I have to dress up?
Nope. Come in costume, rep your fandom with a shirt, or show up in your favorite hoodie. You’re family either way.
I’m coming solo. Am I going to be okay?
You’re going to be better than okay. A lot of the camp comes solo, and solo cousins arrive open and leave full. There are mixers, campfire conversations, and a whole campground of people here for the exact same reason. You won’t be alone for long.
Who can come?
Adults 21 and up, with a valid photo ID at check-in. Melanated Campout is a Black-centered, Black-created, Black-owned space, and everyone who loves Black people and supports more of us falling in love with the outdoors is welcome. No pets. Trained service animals only.
What if it rains?
We camp rain or shine. Pack a poncho and an extra pair of socks, and you’ll be fine.
No pressure from us. Ever.
Be first in line. Tickets open soon.
Get the heads-up the minute tickets open, plus lineup news and camping tips.
You’re wanted here
Come get this joy.
September 24–26, 2027. Lake Blackshear, Cordele, GA. Adults 21 and up. Bring your people, or come meet ’em.
Questions? Call Zoey, our camp concierge, at 404.832.0277, or email hello@melanatedcampout.com. Real people. Real answers.
🚐 RV rental + deliverySteve at Fireside RV · 404.500.9070
Don Sports · 478.808.5722
Hailey at MGP RV Rentals · 904.315.0746
TurnKey RV 4 Me · 478.335.6466
RVShare · Outdoorsy
Don Sports · 478.808.5722
Hailey at MGP RV Rentals · 904.315.0746
TurnKey RV 4 Me · 478.335.6466
RVShare · Outdoorsy
📞 Talk with Zoey404.832.0277