The Live Outside and Play road team are back! And we’re ready to embark on a road trip of epic proportions from Colorado to the East Coast and back to the Centennial State again. And the 2018 festival tour is set to be bigger and better than ever. With 20 festivals on the docket, we’ll be making stops in tiny towns and metropolises — all while spreading the love adventure outdoors and representing Elevation Outdoors Magazine, Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine and this season’s awesome sponsors along the way. We met so many people last year that became an integral part of our experience, and we want to see you again! Or meet you for the first time!
Check out this current list of events we’ll be attending over the next seven months, and mark your calendars to come out and hang with us this year!
Tom Tom Founders Festival
April 9th through 15th | Charlottesville, Virginia
The 7th annual Tom Tom Founders Festival is a week-long celebration with tunes, food, speakers and overall cheer. Catch us at the fest Friday through Sunday.
BONUS: Join us for a group bike ride on April 14th to see a little more of Charlottesville
Tuck Fest
April 19th through 22 | Charlotte, North Carolina
Come hoot and holler with us while cruising some waves at the National White Water Center. Good music and plenty of demos included.
BONUS: Join us on Sunday, April 22nd for some Plogging (Picking up trash while Jogging!)
Cheat River Festival
May 4th through 5th | Albright, West Virginia
If you like rapids, rowdy company, and mud, this is your festival! It couldn’t be more of a party, but also family friendly! A real paradox.
BONUS: We will be leading a Backpacking 101 workshop on May 4th. Come ask questions, or share your own knowledge.
Appalachian Trail Days
May 18th through 20th | Damascus, Virginia
Whether you have hiked the trail, plan on hiking it, or just love being outdoors, this festival is a wonderful gathering of the tribe.
BONUS: We will be sharing some trail magic on May 17th with those headed into the city. Join us to celebrate the white blaze with snacks.
WE’RE ROAD TRIPPIN’ TO COLORADO May 21st THROUGH May 24th. Catch us on the Road!
CKS Paddlefest
May 25th through 28th | Buena Vista, Colorado
Sunny Buena Vista welcomes you with a wonderful festival featuring whitewater, flat white and land events.
BONUS: Join us for a river clean up after the festival to restore it to its pristine condition.
Lyons Outdoor Games
June 2 | Lyons, Colorado
Last year a member of the Live Outside and Play road team did yoga with goats at this festival. For quirky fun and a plethora of beer tastings, come hang out with us in Lyons.
GoPro Mountain Games
June 7th through 10th, Vail, Colorado
This festival spans two separate villages in Vail and has a packed schedule. Families, athletes, and spectators gather for four days of excitement.
FIBark
June 14th through 17th | Salida, Colorado
If you want to watch handmade floats battle their way down the Arkansas River from a ferris wheel, we know a festival.
Gunnison River Festival
June 22nd through 23rd | Gunnison, Colorado
Located at the headwaters of the Taylor and Gunnison Rivers, with regional creeks flowing off the Continental Divide, Gunnison River Festival celebrates clean waterways and fun ways to use them.
Ridgeway RiverFest
June 30th | Ridgeway, Colorado
Celebrating rivers and families, this day centers around the “Junk of the Unc” event where participants race unconventional rafts down the Uncompahgre River.
Copper Mountain Music Festival
July 6th through 8th | Copper Mountain, Colorado
With free music and plenty of activities, this festival celebrates Americana and Bluegrass music, set against a background of mountain biking and beautiful views.
Après Day with Upslope Brewing
July 28th | Boulder, Colorado
Unlike previous van life rallies we’ve put on with Upslope, this one will take place on a larger scale with Apres all day in the back parking lot (think their anniversary party). We’ll be celebrating the outdoor lifestyle and bringing in experts from the road and their vans for touring – and let’s be honest, showing off a bit.
ARISE Music Festival
August 3rd through 5th | Loveland, Colorado
A meeting of the hippies. Complete with a star-filled music line up, downward dog, and workshops to enlighten the soul. Carve out this weekend in your summer for the perfect combo of zen and party.
Mountain Town Music Festival
August 17th through 18th | Keystone, Colorado
A fitting festival for our final hurrah in Colorado, the Mountain Town Music Festival celebrates vistas, seasonal treats, and sweet tunes. Make sure to stay for the signature fireworks show.
WE’RE ROAD TRIPPIN’ BACK TO THE EAST COAST August 19th THROUGH 22nd. Catch us on the Road.
Lock’n
August 23rd through 26th | Arrington, Virginia
Do you like to JAM? Do you LOVE to JAM? Then head on over to Lock’n for an incredible line-up and even better company. This full-service festival offers everything you’re looking for in a weekend adventure.
Gauley Fest
September 13th through 16th | Summersville, West Virginia
The weather may be turning, but there’s still time to get on the water at Gauley Fest. Come hang with the river people and celebrate rivers together.
The Festy Experience
October 5th through 7th | Nelson County, Virginia
If you love listening to tunes with your friends, bring them all with you to the Festy and get ready for some jammin’. The yoga flows like the beer and the music floats into the crisp fall sky.
GO Outside Festival
October 12th through 14th | Roanoke, Virginia
We’ve never been to a festival with as many events as the GO Outside Fest. We suggest you join for the whole weekend, but if you come for one day, make sure it’s the day with the superhero race.
Bridge Day
October 20th | New River Gorge, West Virginia
What’s more thrilling than watching hundreds of BASE jumpers throw themselves off the New River Gorge Bridge? Jumping yourself. This festival celebrates the iconic bridge and allows jumpers to hurdle themselves off it for one day a year.
We will also lead and attend 20 ‘meet-up’ style community events. So if the festival scene isn’t your thing, get some LOAP time in with us riding bikes, cleaning up trails and building new ones.
There is one way for us to get to all these great events, our sponsors! Sending a thank you shout out to our title sponsor Nite Ize, and all of our other awesome sponsors like Crazy Creek, National Geographic, Sea to Summit, Mountain House, Lowe Alpine, Old Town, Leki, HydraPak, UCO Gear and Wenzel.
