Posts Tagged ‘Festivals’

Bridge Day – Why Yes, There’s an App for That

Monday, October 10th, 2011

This year’s Bridge Day Festival is indeed a special one. This year, we are debuting the Official Bridge Day 2011 mobile app for iPhone and Android.

Bridge Day at Your Fingertips

The purpose of the app is to help you find your way around Bridge Day and share the experience with your friends and family. The application has vendor and event information, a map, a barcode scanner, and the iPhone version can even make digital postcards to help you share your experience.

Also built into the app is a “Check-In” screen, that will let you post to Facebook, Twitter, Gowalla and Foursquare right from the app. You’ll also have access to the Bridge Day blog, which will be updated during Bridge Day on all the festival happenings.

The app is free, so get to downloading!

See you on the Bridge!

 

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Bridge Day – Five Days and Counting…

Monday, October 10th, 2011

Five days and counting until Bridge Day 2011.  And what’s our office like?  CRAZY!

Although we work all year long to get ready for Bridge Day, these last two weeks are crunch time.   Not a problem for the Bridge Day Team.  That’s life and it makes things interesting.

The most interesting question so far?  “Are horses allowed under the Bridge?”  We love animals as much as you do.  Dogs, cats, and horses.  But not on Bridge Day.  With all the people in attendance, it’s just not the right time to introduce your pet to the beauty of the Gorge.

Posters are ready to go!

Vendors

At this point we have our vendors lined up and are happy to say that we have more vendors this year than at any time since 9/11.  It takes some planning to make sure everyone has the right booth and all the food vendors have their health permit.  Martha and Sharon have been working their tails off.  Make sure and come hungry, as we have some great food vendors!

Sponsors

And great sponsors!  Subaru is on board again as our presenting sponsor and will be previewing the NEW Subaru 2012 Impreza.  You will also enter the Bridge through Red Bull arches at each end of the Bridge this year.

So what else keeps us busy?  Answering questions from media that want to cover Bridge Day.  We love this part because it gives us chances to showcase the New River Gorge and that is our job.  This is the opportunity for the New River Gorge, and hopefully the sun, to shine.

What else would you see if you were a fly on our walls?

• Lights on the phone bank flashing.

• Stacks of the 2011 Bridge Day posters waiting for Ginger Danz to sign in the Bridge Day tent on the south side.

• A picture of the Bridge with cut-out witches placed strategically on it.  Don’t ask.

• Stacks of signs and corners filled with flags to mark the bus routes & parking areas.

• Orange and green vests for the volunteers that answer questions & give directions.

• The GEICO Gecko.  Okay, not really, but he will be at Bridge Day

• Pop-up tents and recycle bins ready to make their way to the Bridge.

• Boxes of Official Bridge Day shirts from Sustain U.

We have a big Bridge, and I think we need a bigger office.  See you at Bridge Day!

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Posted in Bridge Day Vendors, Visitor Information | 6 Comments »

Secrets to Having the Best Bridge Day in the History of the Earth

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

Bridge Day is one of the coolest events out there (and yes, we’re biased). But where else are you going to be able to hang out with thousands of people on one of the world’s largest structures and take in some of the most beautiful scenery and craziest people on the planet?

With more food than a fair and vendors selling everything from New River Pet Rocks to hand knit wool socks, Bridge Day is a unique event that showcases our wonderful fall scenery and our very own engineering marvel.

Here are some of the secrets to making your Bridge Day the best Bridge Day ever.

Family Fun on Bridge Day

Lodging 

Choosing where to stay can make a huge difference in how you’ll access the bridge. There are many options that are in close proximity to the Bridge and require either a short walk or shuttle ride to get to the event. Close options are:

Planning

The best way to make the most of the day is to plan, plan, plan. Take a look at the Schedule of Events to help you figure out how to take advantage of all of the activities taking place. Allowing yourself extra time to travel and planning for all the activities in advance is key to having the best Bridge Day in history.

After the Bridge

In order to get traffic moving again and clean up after the fun, the Bridge will start being cleared at 3:00 pm. But that doesn’t mean the fun is over.

There is a car show at the Quality Inn until 4:00 pm.  In downtown Fayetteville, you can check out the Mountain State Cornhole Tournament, Chili and Cornbread Cook-off and live music by local bands.  There’s free parking in Fayetteville for these events, so you should have no problem getting around.  If you opt to walk into Fayetteville from the Bridge, you’ll be able to catch a free shuttle from there to all of the designated Bridge Day shuttle parking lots until 7:00 pm.

And many of the local bars, restaurants and outfitters also have live music to take you late into the night.

Bridge Day Possibilities

Here’s an example of what an ideal Bridge Day Itinerary might look like:

  • Taste of Bridge Day- Adventures on the Gorge Friday, October 14, 5-9pm.
  • Pancake Breakfast – 7:30am at the American Legion Fayetteville.
  • Fayetteville Farmers Market – 8:30am
  • On the Bridge – 9:00am. Walk across bridge, see jumpers, visit vendors, and take in scenery.
  • Shuttle to the Bottom -12:30pm. Go check out the event from a entirely different perspective.
  • Car show – 3:00 pm Quality Inn
  • Downtown Fayetteville – 4-6:30pm Music, food, and fun.
  • Live Band, The Wild Rumpus – 8:00pm Rendezvous Lodge, Adventures on the Gorge

 

This is just one way to spend your Bridge Day. No matter what you want to do, remember to plan as early as you can for lodging and shuttles.

What is your idea of the best Bridge Day ever?

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The Other Side of the Gorge – Ansted Hometown Mountain Heritage Festival

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

Years before folks B.A.S.E. jumped or rafted, our towns were made up of some great artisans and pioneers.  Folks who lived off the land and made our destination what it is today.

Fire House Cloggers

In June – we’ll celebrate them all with the annual Ansted Hometown Mountain Heritage Festival.

On June 17-19 the area will be full of crafts, demos, and art and photography shows.  The weekend includes a chance to get active with a 5k walk/run and a 10k event.

Join neighbors and new friends at community meals, including a spaghetti dinner, a pancake breakfast, and a beans and cornbread dinner.

Here’s the current schedule:

Friday, June 17, 2011

  • 2 pm Flag Ceremony
  • 4 pm Citizen of the Year- United Bank Lot
  • 4-7 pm Methodist Spaghetti Dinner
  • 6 pm Stonewall Jackson
  • 7-10 pm Street Dance United Bank Lot
  • Inflatables – Vendors – Crafters – Heritage Demonstrations

Saturday, June 18, 2011

  • 9 am 5K Run/Walk & 10K Run- Ansted Denesis Healthcare Alzheimer’s Benefit
  • 9 am VFW Pancake Breakfast followed by Hot Dog Sale
  • 10 am – 2pm Fire House Cloggers
  • 10 am- 3 pm David T. Linkenhoker Art & Photography Show
  • 11:30 am Awards Presentation For 5K- United Bank Lot
  • 12 pm Horseshoe Pitching Contest
  • 12 pm-2 pm Karaoke- United Bank Lot
  • 4 pm Parade
  • 7-7:45 pm Michelle Motley-United Bank Lot
  • 8-9:30 pm Glen Shelton Concert-United Bank Lot
  • Inflatables – Vendors – Crafters – Heritage Demonstrations

Sunday, June 19, 2011

  • Family Day-FREE ice cream!
  • 12 pm-3 pm Free inflatable fun for kids
  • Noon- 4 pm Gospel Music- United Bank Lot
  • 3 pm Episcopal Church Bean & Cornbread Dinner- Donations for Fayette County Humane Society
  • 4 pm Raffle drawings- United Bank Lot
  • Vendors – Crafters – Heritage Demonstrations

 

Ansted, high above the hills of the New River Gorge, actually has its origins in bituminous coal.  Named for scientist Dr. David Ansted, the town began in 1891 from land between Hawk’s Nest and Westlake.

While no coal is visible today, it’s the Appalachian history that remains and this weekend is a true celebration of the tenacity of its people.

Will we see you there?

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10 Alternate Names For Bridge Day

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

What’s Bridge Day?  The short answer is it’s the largest festival in West Virginia.

But it’s more than that, really.  Just saying “the largest festival…” leaves out the whole community feel of it.  The tradition.  The adrenaline.

Maybe if there were some more names for it, it would help describe everything that goes down…

  • “Y’all Are Crazy” Day- The big draw, of course, is BASE jumping off the New River Gorge Bridge.  If you don’t know, BASE is parachuting from a fixed object- in this case, a bridge.  A spectacle.
  • “I Can’t Eat Any More… Well, Okay” Day If there’s one thing you’ll find everywhere at Bridge Day, it’s food.  From the Pancake Breakfast in the morning to the Chili Cookoff that night, (and all day long, too) there’s plenty of grub.
  • “This Place Is Awesome” Day When you see the big crowd, and the jumpers, and the rafters and kayakers below, and the fall colors, all from this engineering marvel of a bridge, this is exactly what you’ll think.  Promise.
  • “I Do Need Some Art” Day We’re lucky to have some of the most talented artisans in the state come and set up shop.  Almost anywhere you go on Bridge day, there’s great art for browsing and for sale.
  • “We Need To Stay Another Day” Day There is no way to do everything you’d like to do in the New River Gorge in a day.  Rock climbing, mountain biking, horseback riding, fishing, ATVs, paintball, rafting, kayaking, and on and on.  Sorry about that.
  • “I Should Get A Motorcycle” Day It probably helps that Weest Virginia has more CRPC  (Curvy Roads Per Capita) than any other state.  Whatever it is, Bridge Day draws tons of bikes.
  • “I’ve Got To Show My Friends This” Day This year -the 30th anniversary- Bridge Day is full connected, online, and mobile. Text bd30 to 77007 to find out everything, and tag the stuff you share with #bridgeday or #bd30.
  • “I Could Get Used To This” Day The New River Gorge is the world’s greatest backyard, basically.  People move to this part of the Mountain State to turn life into serious play.
  • “Fat Guy With A Funnel Cake” Day Self-explanitory.
  • “We’re Definitely Doing This Again Next Year” Day If we renamed the festival after the phrase most often overhead at Bridge Day, this would be it.

It’s a lot of things.  More than anything, it’s fun.  And who are we to try to define fun, anyway?  We’ll just stick with Bridge Day.

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