Mark and Annabelle Rottschafer, of Atlanta Ga, check out the view of the New River Gorge Bridge and fall colors starting to change from the visitation center in Fayetteville.
BECKLEY, W.Va. — Fayette County will welcome nearly 80,000 attendees looking for high adventure, live music and good food for the annual Bridge Day festival this Friday and Saturday in and around Fayetteville.
The event is one of the largest extreme sports events in the world.
The festival begins Friday with the annual Taste of Bridge Day at Smokey’s, Adventures on the Gorge in Lansing, as well as Bridge Jam 2016 at the Cascade Festival Grounds (former Gaines Estate at 225 W. Maple Ave.) in Fayetteville.
BASE jumpers and rappellers will take part in their respective activities from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and spectators can stroll across the bridge, take in the activities and the fall colors and purchase good from around 175 vendors on site.
The Wild Rumpus band will perform Saturday at Adventures on the Gorge form 8:30 to 11 p.m. Adventures on the Gorge is the main title sponsor for Bridge Day 2016.
“What a great way to see Bridge Day, on a rafting trip, or shopping with our vendors set up on the bridge,” said Sharon Cruikshank, chair of the Bridge Day Commission and executive director of the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce. “Both options are great ways to support Bridge Day.”
In addition to 175 vendors along the bridge, more than 200 BASE jumpers have registered to take the leap.
Rappel coordinator Benjy Simpson expects around 300 rappellers this weekend.
The following is a schedule of events for Bridge Day 2016:
Friday, Oct. 14
• 5 to 9 p.m. — Taste of Bridge Day, Smokey’s on Ames Heights Road. Taste of Bridge Day features local and regional restaurants with samples available for the public. Admission is free. Tickets to sample are $1 each. Entertainment will be provided by Cody Wickline.
• 8 p.m. to midnight — Bridge Jam (www.bridgejam.com), Cascade Festival grounds on Maple Avenue in Fayetteville.
Saturday, Oct. 15
• 5:30 a.m. — Vendors report to staging lots.
• 7 a.m. — U.S. 19 closes
• 8 a.m. — Bridge Day 5K registration by Active Southern West Virginia
• 8:30 p.m. — Shuttle services, which cost $2, begin at designated parking lots (Kroger, Wal-Mart, Fayetteville High School, downtown Fayetteville, Lighthouse Worship Center and Midland Trail High School).
• 10 a.m. — XPOGO Stunt Team performs at the south side of the bridge
• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. — Bridge Day Car Show at the Gorge Gateway Center on Laurel Creek Road
• 10 a.m. to midnight —Bridge Jam concert at Cascade property on Maple Avenue, Fayetteville
• 3 p.m. — Yoga clinic at Cascade property on Maple Avenue, Fayetteville.
• 3 to 5:30 p.m. — Chili and cornbread cook-off in downtown Fayetteville.
• 3 to 5:30 p.m. — Live music by Duffy Boyd Bluegrass band, downtown Fayetteville.
• 5 p.m. — U.S. 19 reopens.
For more information on the festival, call 304-465-5617 or visit www.officialbridgeday.com.
