The Outdoor Gear Builders of Western North Carolina (WNC) will hold its inaugural Get in Gear Fest this weekend at a park that has twice hosted industry sponsored park clean up events.
The free event, which is being hosted by local outdoor manufacturers from the region, will feature product demos, gear clinics, beer from local breweries, raffles, races and more. It is taking place from 12-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 21 at RiverLink Park in Asheville, NC. The park has served as the site of two Timberland Service Projects during OIA Rendezvous, the annual executive retreat of Outdoor Industry Association.
To demonstrate what they offer to our community, the Outdoor Gear Builders of WNC will have a wide variety of hands-on fun for all ages at the event. Come prepared to test out the mobile pump track on bikes outfitted by Cane Creek and Industry Nine, try your aim at Simpleshot’s Slingshot Shooting Range and crawl through Swaygo’s squeeze box. Strap on a Misty Mountain harness and join in a match of Tug-of-War against a Subaru packed full of gear! There will be an opportunity to meet Jennifer Pharr Davis, the fastest Appalachian Trail thru-hiker in the world, at the Lightheart Gear tent. Those who preregister will join LiquidLogic on the French Broad River for a kayaking demonstration.
“We want our community to have the chance to try our gear, for free, and have fun doing it.” Kyle Mundt, Director of Marketing and New Product Development for SylvanSport and one of the founders of the Outdoor Gear Builders. “The Outdoor Gear Builders are invested in the community of WNC. This is our chance to show them what we have to offer, right in their own backyards.”
Delicious local food trucks such as The Gypsy Queen, Chub Burger, Avery’s Hot Dogs and The Hop will be serving up food all day. Attendees will be able to quench their thirst with brews from these confirmed breweries: Highland Brewing Company, Wicked Weed Brewing, Brevard Brewing Company, Oskar Blues Brewery, Catawba Brewing Company, New Belgium Brewing Company and more!
There will also be a live auction and dozens of prizes and drawings featuring gear from Outdoor Gear Builder’s members. Attendees who join in the social media challenge will be entered to enter a free drawing for a watersports package. Asheville on Bikes will award one free raffle entry to every person who arrives via bicycle. A portion of the proceeds from the beer sales will also directly support the work of RiverLink, a local non-profit that works to revitalize the French Broad River.
The 2015 Get in Gear Fest is made possible by the support of these local companies: Prestige Subaru, Highland Brewing Company, Wicked Weed Brewing, Brevard Brewing Company, Oskar Blues Brewery, Catawba Brewing Company, New Belgium Brewing Company, JB Media Group, Darby Communications, 98.1 The River, 105.9 The Mountain and more.
The event is also supported by AdvantageWest, the regional economic development partnership, through funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). AdvantageWest helped spearhead the creation of the Outdoor Gear Builders of WNC as part of the EDA-funded WNC AgriVentures grant.
The Outdoor Gear Builders of Western North Carolina (OGB) is an organization of Western North Carolina companies collaborating to share talents, encourage ideas and inspire each other. Its member brands are dedicated to creating exceptional outdoor gear with a focus on responsible manufacturing, cutting edge innovation and economic growth in our region.
