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GearFest 2010 draws huge crowds in Dayton, OH
Did you know that GearFest in Dayton (the self-proclaimed Outdoor Adventure Capital of the Midwest) is the largest outdoor event held on the North Country Trail? I didn’t until talking with Andrew Bashaw, who attended representing the Buckeye Trail Association and the NCTA, late last week.
The 2010 version of GearFest was hosted on October 1-2 by Fiver Rivers Metro Parks in Dayton, OH and drew over 10,000 participants. This weekend event featured a variety of outdoor activities, including kayak & canoe demos, snowboarding (yes on real SNOW), mountain biking, a group bike ride (the Courteous Mass Bike Ride), exhibitors, a Youth Adventure Zone, climbing wall, live music, food & beer, exhibitors, gear demos, geocaching, disc golf, camping, fishing, and more.
According to the GearFest website…
GearFest has grown beyond just gear and exploded into a multi-day event, featuring camping, competitions, regional music acts, high-flying demos, a Friday night beer garden and much more! GearFest offers something for the budding weekend warrior to the hardcore outdoor enthusiast. With over 10,000 visitors during the 2010 event, GearFest is one of the largest festivals celebrating the outdoor lifestyle in the Midwest.
According to Andrew…
“The coolest thing about GearFest is the amount of excitement in all things related to getting outdoors, I’ve heard it talked about in other places, but I can actually see it at GearFest – thousands of people from very young children to teenagers to 20 Somethings to Grandparents – enjoying the day together, marveling at the latest gear, the latest outdoor activity, and the number of like-minded individuals. It was great to see people biking and backpacking into the event.“
Andrew went on…”There are few opportunities like GearFest where approximately 10,000 outdoor enthusiasts are gathered in one place to celebrate right on the Buckeye and North Country National Scenic Trail. The audience is more informed about the Trails existence, and the Trail itself was 20 feet behind my booth, so I could point to it when I did get question. To sum up the audience, a GearFester stopped by my booth, an NCTA member I didn’t know, wearing an NCTA T-shirt, who was currently Section Hiking the Buckeye Trail. You can imagine the type of conversation to be had with folks like these is refreshing intermixed with the more common what?, why?, where? of the North Country National Scenic Trail. To get to the point ~ more direct access to a mass of current and potential NCT hikers, members, and volunteers.“
For GearFest pictures, visit their slide show or check out their video recap. Next year’s GearFest plans are already set for Sept 30 – Oct 1, 2011 @ Eastwood Park. Make your plans to go…of course, after also planning to travel to Dayton for the NCTA’s annual conference (August 4-7) at Wright St. University.