ROANOKE, Va. – This weekend, downtown Roanoke will host thousands of people for the annual Go Outside Festival.
“We have all these awesome pro-athlete shows, so we got highliners, we got BMX stunt riders, and we got lumberjacks and lumberjills,” Kait Pedigo, event manager for the Anthem Go Outside Festival said.
For one local shop, GO Fest is already bringing in new customers from all over.
“This morning, this guy came up to the counter and said ‘I’ve never been to Virginia before.’ I went, ‘What brought you here?’ He went, ‘GO Fest! I’m from Las Vegas,’” Laura Duckworth, co-owner of The Gift Niche said.
Organizers said downtown Roanoke is the perfect place for a festival like this, with the outdoors being a huge part of this community.
“We have people who are coming at the outdoors from all points of view and then it’s just a really fun way to get to know all those people and to find new ways to get outside which I think resonates with everyone,” Pedigo said.
We’re told this year, GO Fest can expect to bring in 40,000 people to the downtown area. From kayaking to biking the festival will allow people from all over to experience the Roanoke Valley.
“Roanoke is this amazing outdoor destination, and this is a really great weekend that kind of encapsulates that, and it also inspires people,” Pedigo said. “It’s a chance for us all to get together and celebrate that. The enthusiasm and momentum from that can kind of spur us on throughout the year.”
The 3-day festival starts this weekend and will have plenty of family-friendly activities.