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PETE'S PICKS
Support your local outdoor community! If you like the outdoors, and clearly you do as you read our newsletter, then please make every effort to experience the GO Outside Festival (GO Fest) this weekend ... and be sure to invite ALL your friends. A well-attended event sends a strong message to our local governments that the outdoors is important to us, and the support of government leaders can only lead to more and better stuff for the outdoors. GO Fest truly is a community-driven event. Each of the local outdoor stores, guides, clubs, etc. is heavily involved with the event and are working tirelessly to deliver a festival unlike any Roanoke has seen before. We guarantee a good time ... or your money back (that's a joke because the entire event is FREE). Stop by the Roanoke Outside booth, snap a picture of yourself in the "raft sofa" (you'll know it when you see it), post it to the Roanoke Outside Facebook page, and you may just win some free swag. Get Outside!
Pete Eshelman
Director of Outdoor Branding
Roanoke Regional Partnership
  
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GO FEST BEGINS FRIDAY -- DON'T MISS IT
 The clock is ticking down for this weekend's GO Outside Festival at River's Edge.
The FREE three-day event is a celebration of everything outdoors. Test out the latest outdoor gear, sit in on a workshop, participate in fun games that will take you back to your childhood, watch pro athletes, enjoy a cold brew, and listen to live music ... plus a whole lot of surprises. Make time to see it all, and know that what you see one day can be entirely different the next.
GO FEST gates open Friday at 5 p.m. and the event is kid- and pet-friendly. There is even free camping on site if you want to make a complete weekend of it.
Some of the weekend's highlights include demos from Gibbon Slacklines, bike pro Jeff Lenosky, and shows featuring the Subaru Ultimate Air Dogs. You can also take part in a variety of workshops - bicycle maintenance, fly casting, yoga, geocaching, camp stove use, making your own first aid kit, and more. Plus there will be more than eight hours of live music on Saturday. And it is all FREE!
So check out the full schedule of events for GO FEST and find some time to come show your support to the local outdoor scene.
GO FEST
- Dates: Oct. 19-21 (gates open Friday at 5 p.m.)
- Location: River Edge Sports Complex, Roanoke
- Cost: Free
- Activities: Camping, free demos, pro athletes, climbing wall, music, disc golf, geocaching, kayaking, running and more
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DON'T FORGET YOUR ORANGE -- HUNTING SEASON IS UNDERWAY
 It's hunting season in Virginia and that means you need to break out the orange vests (or other brightly-colored clothing) when you head out for a hike, trail run, bike ride, or camping adventure. And remember to put a vest on your dog, too.
Tips
- A licensed hunter has every bit as much right to be in the woods as you.
- Sunday is the safest day to be outside (if you aren't a hunter). It is illegal to hunt on Sundays.
- Be visible. Wear bright colors and avoid earth tones. Don't wear white - a flash of white may be mistaken for a deer's tail.
- Make noise. Don't be obnoxious, but don't be silent. Talk with your partner, whistle, or wear a bell.
- Stick to the trail. Hunters are generally aware of where trails are located.
Find out the dates for specific hunting seasons >>>
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SAVE ROANOKE MOUNTAIN CAMPGROUND
 Almost one year ago the National Park Service (NPS) released a draft of the Blue Ridge Parkway General Management plan. Parkway officials identified the Roanoke Mountain Campground as being underused, and proposed it be permanently closed.
Dozens of community residents, along with several local governments, sent a unified message to the NPS that it didn't want the campground to close. The NPS has not released the final general management plan yet so the fate of the Roanoke Mountain Campground is still unknown.
It may be too late to submit a comment on the management plan but it's not too late to increase the number of overnight users, which was one of the key points cited by Parkway officials for the proposed closure.
The Roanoke Mountain Campground closes Oct. 31, which leaves two weekends left to experience the hidden gem. Make plans to spend one night at the campground between now and the end of October. From the campground you can easily access some of the best hiking trails in Roanoke including the trails at Mill Mountain, Explore Park, and the Chestnut Ridge Trail.
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SECTION ADDED TO TINKER CREEK GREENWAY
Another mile of trail brings the Tinker Creek Greenway closer to completion. The new Hollins segment - from a trailhead parking lot on Plantation Road to a ridge overlooking Carvins Cove - will connect the Greenway to the Carvins Cove Nature Reserve trail system. There is still a small section of the trail under construction, which is expected to be complete by the end of the year. When complete, the 2.5-mile path will connect Fisherman's Trail to the Carvins Cove boat landing. The trail is coming together because of a public-private agreement between Roanoke County and Hollins University. The Tinker Creek Greenway trailhead provides the first direct linkage from the regional greenway network to Carvins Cove. The trail connects more than 40 miles of trails to the second largest municipal park in the nation at Carvins Cove. But be careful as you make the hike in the next couple of months; terrain off the trail can be tricky. In the meantime, enjoy the hike and Carvins Cove views from the newly-connected ridge. Check out a trail map >>>
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UPCOMING EVENTS TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON
Visit The RoanokeOutside.com Calendar of Events for details on these upcoming events!
- Peaks Run Century Cycling Challenge - 10/27
- Big Lick Vet Tails and Trails K9 5K - 11/3
- Roanoke Tweed Run - 11/3
- Discover the Appalachian Trail - 11/10
- 2nd Annual Crooked Road 24 Hour Ultra - 11/17
- Drumstick Dash - 11/22
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Roanoke Regional Partnership · 111 Franklin Plaza, Suite 333 · Roanoke, VA 24011540.343.1550 X 104 · www.roanoke.org
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