New for 2024 – The GO Outside Festival now has two locations, each with plenty for you to Wander – Explore – Discover. The Adventure Outpost, the newest addition to GO Fest, takes place at Explore Park, while the main Festival Basecamp still takes place in Elmwood Park.
The New Outpost for Hands-on Adventure, Camping, Van Life Experiences, and the Member One Ultimate Air Dogs Show
Explore Park offers the vast green space many festival goers crave as well as camping options, mountain bike demos, and van life experiences! Twin Creeks Brew Pub is on-site for tasty food and beverages and live music throughout the weekend. A free shuttle will run every hour from the Festival Basecamp to the Adventure Outpost to seamlessly connect these two locations.
Quick Links
Adventure Outpost Map
Looking to go hiking or biking? Check out the detailed Explore Park Trail Map here.
Adventure Outpost Schedule
| Schedule Highlights | What to Expect |
| FRIDAY October 18 –Park hours: 6am-8pm –Camping Check-in with Just the Right Gear: 4pm – 9pm | Arrive at Explore Park to set up camp and check out Twin Creeks Brewpub for live music. Hop on the shuttle to head downtown for festival kick-offs. |
| SATURDAY October 19 –Park hours: 6am-8pm -Camping Check-in with Just the Right Gear: 7am – 9pm -Ultimate Air Dog Shows: 10:00 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, & 4 pm –GO Fest Glow Throw: 6:30pm-8:00pm –Twilight Treetop Quest: 6:00-8:40pm (last group will finish ~10:40pm) | Saturday is all about Exploration! It’s the perfect day to explore the park. Bring your own bike, grab a trail map for a hike, and book a Treetop Quest aerial adventure. As the sun sets, aerial adventurers will want to check out the Twilight Treetop Quest and disc golfers will want to be here for the Glow Throw. Check the schedule for live music, Member One Ultimate Air Dogs, van-life experiences with Noke Van Co., and disc golf! |
| SUNDAY “Try-It Day” October 20 –Park hours: 6am-8pm -Camping Check-out with Just the Right Gear: 7am – 1pm –Oboz Trail Project: 9am-11am –Try-It Day Exhibitors: 11am-4pm -Ultimate Air Dog Shows: 11:00 am, 1 pm, 3 pm | Get out to the Outpost to try a new bike, a new pair of shoes, disc golf, or even to let your canine friend try out dock jumping at the Air Dog pool! Visit the “Try It Day Hub” near the Visitor Center to connect with exhibitors! Looking for a guaranteed good time? Check out Cardinal’s Bike Box Derby. Check the schedule for Try-It Day Activities. |
Camping
Festival-style camping provided by Roanoke County Parks Recreation and Tourism and hosted by Just the Right Gear.
Snag one of the limited festival-style camping spots now!
If tent camping isn’t your thing, check out yurt and cabin rentals.
More About Adventure Outpost Activities
Member One Ultimate Air Dogs
Back by popular demand, the Ultimate Air Dogs will be performing their athletic feats at Explore Park! Here are the show times for the weekend (each show is 30 minutes long).
If you want your pup to give it a try, then be sure to bring a frisbee or toy and come to the dock after the shows!
Van Life
Our friends at Noke Van Co have created van-life experiences designed to give attendees a taste of the nomadic lifestyle! Give them a visit and see one of their awesome vans for yourself. While there, you can design your own camper van and/or sign up to play in their Spikeball Tournament!
Bike Demos
Join Cardinal Bikes on Sunday to demo Specialized and Santa Cruz bikes on the incredible trail network at Explore Park! They’ll have a full range of sizes available; just bring a state or federal ID with you to be able to check out a bike! Cardinal recommends wearing your riding clothes and appropriate shoes and bringing a hydration pack or water bottle. You can bring your own helmet and pedals, or Cardinal will have helmets and flat pedals you can use for your ride.
Adventure Outpost General Awesomeness
Explore Park is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway, America’s Favorite Drive, about 15 minutes away from Elmwood Park in downtown Roanoke. It’s the perfect place for a family camping adventure with offerings on land, water, and in the air! While there, you can
- Check out the Treetop Quest aerial adventure course, including a special twilight hour offering
- Enjoy food and live music at Twin Creeks Brewpub
- Explore hundreds of acres with hiking and biking trails and river access
Get to the Adventure Outpost
- Free Shuttle
- For those spending part of their GO Fest weekend at Explore Park, we’re offering a free, courtesy shuttle to transport attendees back and forth between the Festival Basecamp at Elmwood Park and the Adventure Outpost at Explore Park. This is not just for campers; anyone who wishes to spend a little time at the Adventure Outpost is welcome to ride!
- The shuttle will leave Explore Park on the half hour, every hour, and leave Elmwood Park every hour on the hour. See the full schedule below.
- FRIDAY, OCT. 18 | 4:30 PM-10:00 PM
- SATURDAY, OCT. 19 | 10:30 AM- 11:00 PM
- SUNDAY, Oct. 20 | 10:30 AM-5 PM
- Please note: The shuttle is wheelchair accessible, but unfortunately does not allow dogs or bikes this year. (Does this matter to you? Tell us.)
- Drive
- Festival attendees can certainly drive to the Adventure Outpost if they’d like. However, please note that parking is limited.
Tell Us About Your Adventure Outpost Experiences!
As this is our first year ever, we are relying on you to tell us what you think we can do to continue to grow the GO Fest experience and make the Adventure Outpost better next year.
Fill out this form to let us know what you think!