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GO Fest Pivots in 2020 With Small Events

The annual festival won’t happen at River’s Edge, but Oct. 16-18 will include a series of events to support the greater outdoor community. 

The Anthem Roanoke GO Outside Festival (GO Fest) isn’t happening in the traditional sense. The event, which is put on by the Roanoke Outside Foundation and Roanoke Parks and Recreation, will not happen in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but you can show your outdoor community spirit in other ways.

GO Fest will pivot from a large outdoor festival to a series of smaller, socially distanced events that still contribute to the Roanoke Region’s outdoor community.

“We want it to be a weekend where everyone makes it a point to do something outside,” said Julia Boas, events director for the Roanoke Outside Foundation.

Here’s what you can expect for the weekend of Oct. 16-18:

  • Outdoor activities across the region: Clubs and businesses can plan an outdoor, socially distanced gathering, event, clinic, talk, etc. and add it to the outdoors.
  • Scavenger hunt: Go Quest is a team scavenger hunt that allows participants to post pictures, videos, GPS markers, and more in real-time. Teams work together, but don’t necessarily have to be physically together, to accomplish real-life challenges like finishing hikes or bike rides to singing in a public location. Teams that accomplish the most could win cash and outdoor gear. Registration for GO Quest will go live in early September.
  • Benefit concert: If CDC and state health guidelines allow, GO Fest will host two socially distanced benefit concerts with proceeds going to Project Outside. Event seating will be VIP-style with boxes where a limited number of friends and family will be allowed to share a 12? x 12? space.

“More than ever we need to gather outside, physically distant but socially connected.,” said Kait Pedigo, Roanoke Parks and Recreation special events supervisor. “We’re working diligently to set the gold standard for how safe events are done in our region.”

GO Fest was created more than 10 years ago to provide a showcase of all the amazing things happening in the outdoor community in the Roanoke Region. But it’s also a community economic driver.

In 2019, the GO Fest generated $480,000 in new economic activity to support 4.7 jobs in the Roanoke market for the next year. Further, the festival generates significant revenue through sales and opportunity for regional outdoor businesses ($5,520 in average sales per vendor in 2019) and helps nonprofits recruit volunteers and fundraise.

“If we want to continue developing as an outdoor community we need to be willing to invest even more in our community strength,” Boas said. “GO Fest is honored to be able to kick-off the fundraising efforts this year for Project Outside. It gives us hope and excitement for the future during difficult times.”

Project Outside is a community fund created by businesses, governments, and individuals to support outdoor capital improvement projects, maintain key outdoor assets, and help launch and support businesses in the outdoor sector.

It is a partnership between the Roanoke Outside Foundation and land managers (i.e. local governments, ATC, NPS, etc.) of identified regional outdoor assets. Project Outside funds will be used to fill maintenance funding gaps in projects or initiatives and pool resources to tackle new outdoor infrastructure projects.

The goal is to raise $100,000 this year, and then keep it going. This is our time to invest in our community strength – the outdoors – to continue positioning the Roanoke Region as a preferred place to live, work, play, and visit.

Businesses and individuals can pledge support to the Project Outside through an online donation portal, or by pledging a percentage from specific sales to the campaign (e.g. 1% of sales from the month of October, or $10 of every  bike sold through the end of 2020).

Supporters can also purchase GO Fest merchandise or tickets for the outdoor gear raffle (Hydro-Flask, Mountain Khaki, FloydFest, Walkabout Outfitter, Yakima, Otterbox, and more) – coming soon – and shop locally for outdoor gear. Show all the vendors you might have visited at GO Fest some love at their place of business.

All fundraising and proceeds from merchandise and events associated with GO Fest in 2020 will go to Project Outside to ensure that the festival doesn’t lose all the momentum they have been building for the outdoors.

Learn more and get involved: https://www.roanokeoutside.com/project-outside/

 

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