Welcome to West Virginia's largest single-day festival! Every third Saturday in October, thousands of people gather on the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville, West Virginia to watch daredevils BASE jump into the Gorge below. You ready?
Where: New River Gorge Bridge, Fayetteville, WV
Event Map
Parking and Shuttles
The best way to get to the bridge on Bridge Day is to take one of the shuttles. Park your car and for $3 we will drop you off at the Bridge Day entrance.
CATCH A BRIDGE DAY SHUTTLE AT ANY OF THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS:
South – Fayette Landing Shopping Center
565 Mall Rd Oak Hill, WV 25901
The bus stop will be located on the south side of the median just past AT&T, at the far end of the median from the store.
South – Fayetteville Wal-Mart
204 Town Center Fayetteville WV 25840
The bus stop will be located at the far left side of WalMart.
South – Fayetteville High School
515 W Maple Ave Fayetteville, WV 25840
The bus stop is right at the entrance to the gravel parking area. The buses turn around in front of the school and stop to pick up at the entrance to the upper gravel area.
South – Fayetteville Court House
100 N Court St Fayetteville, WV 25840
The bus stop will be across from the Court House on Maple Avenue in front of Marathon Bicycle and Southside Junction.
North – Smales Branch Road
1175 Smales Branch Rd Hico, WV 25854
The bus will stop in front of the Lighthouse Worship Center.
North – Midland Trail High School
Intersection of Route 19 & U S Route 60 Hico, WV 25854
The bus will stop at the school parking lot.
Driving Directions
The New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia is easily accessible from major interstates. It is within a days drive of 2/3 of America’s population. If you are commercial traffic, the detour away from Rt. 19 is on I-79 and I-64/77 and goes into place at 5:30 a.m. on the third Saturday in October. The bridge itself closes at 7 a.m. on the third Saturday in October. Rt. 19 is open to local traffic from Ames Heights Road on the North and Rt. 16 on the South side of the New River Gorge Bridge.
Schedule of events
5:30 AM: Vendors arrive at designated staging lots
7:00 AM: Route 19 Closes to traffic. Detour Begins
7:00 AM-8:00 AM: Active SWV’s Bridge Day 5K Run Racers arrive at designated pickup spots
8:15 AM: Buses begin transporting 5k racers to starting line
8:30 AM: Shuttles begin at designated lots - see map
8:45 AM: Bridge Day 5K Race begins
9:00 AM: Bridge Day Begins
9:00 AM: Into The Gorge bus rides start (pre-sold tickets only)
11:00 AM: Bridge Day Car Show (Held at Starlite Drive-In)
1:30 PM: Into The Gorge bus rides end
3:00 PM: Bridge Day chili cookoff in downtown Fayetteville
3:00 PM: Bridge Day ends
5:00 PM: Route 19 re-opens. Detour ends
Festival Rules
NO dogs
NO coolers, or folding chairs
NO bicycles, skates, skateboards or wagons
NO weapons, fireworks, illegal drugs, or alcoholic beverages
NO quadcopters/drones
Prohibited bags include: backpacks, tote bags, large purses, camera bags, binocular cases
approved bags include: clear backpacks, clear tote bags, fanny packs, purse or clutch smaller than 5”x7” (subject to search)
Festival FAQ
Where can I find the shuttles to the event? Shuttles to the Bridge are $5 per person. Cash only is accepted at these parking lots. There are 6 pickup locations - see map. Please note which bus they are getting on to get the appropriate one back. Stops will be located at Midland Trail High School, Lighthouse Worship Center, Fayetteville PK8, Fayette County Courthouse, Wal-Mart and New River Health.
What day is Bridge Day? Bridge Day is always the 3rd Saturday in October from 9AM-3PM.
How much does Bridge Day cost? Bridge Day is a free event. There is no cost to enter, but bring your wallets to shop the over 160 different vendors at the event.
Can I get a pass to drive across the Bridge? No. If you are not an integral part of the success and safety of the event, either working in a volunteer capacity or as a member of one of the many emergency service teams, you must take the detour.
Where can I find Official Bridge Day Merchandise? There are Bridge Day welcome tents at each entrance. Here you will find socks, fanny packs, playing cards, mugs, tumblers, posters, puzzles, pins, and more!
Where can I pick up my Into the Gorge Ticket? Tickets will be picked up on the day of the event starting at 9AM at the Official Bridge Day tent on either the North or South entrance depending on what you indicated when you ordered.
Where can I find Into the Gorge shuttles stop? Look for the orange flags that say “Shuttle” on them. You can get on and off at any of those stops, except for the one in the center of the Bridge which is reserved for BASE jumpers only.
What time do Into the Gorge Shuttles start and stop? The shuttle starts at 9AM and you must get on the last shuttle from the bottom at 1:30PM
Can I still get Into the Gorge Tickets? These sell out very quickly. To ensure you get your tickets every year, follow Bridge Day on social media and look for these to go on sale in January each year.
Can I go down to the river? You may ride your bike or walk down into the Gorge. Just keep in mind it is a 4+ mile distance one way and that you yield the road to motorized vehicles. There are no unauthorized vehicles allowed into the Gorge via Fayette Station Road on the day of the event.
Can I bring a stroller? Fold-up strollers are allowed, but will be searched at the gate.
Can I bring my dog? Pets are not permitted at Bridge Day.
Does Bridge Day still take place if it rains? Bridge Day is a rain or shine event.
When does Bridge Day end? Please note that Bridge Day ends at 3 p.m. The last shuttle to the top of the bridge for Into the Gorge ticket holders will be at 1:30 p.m.
Where to Stay
Make a weekend out of this event and explore what the area has to offer. Check out all the places to stay in the area, but be sure to book early!
Bridge Day History
Bridge Day Commission
The Bridge Day Commission was created in 1990 by the WV State Legislature as a body that convenes as necessary to guide the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce in its planning and administration of Fayette County’s annual Bridge Day event held on and around the New River Gorge Bridge and within the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.