Press Kit

WHITE MOUNTAIN OUTDOOR FEST IS NEW ENGLAND’S FIRST SPRING ADVENTURE SPORTS FESTIVAL

• Based in Mt Washington Valley, New England’s Adventure Mecca, White Mountain Outdoor Fest focuses on the growing interest in outdoor sports and recreation.
• White Mountain Outdoor Fest is three days and three nights filled with exhilarating events and hardcore outdoor recreation that will inspire, invigorate, and elevate athletes young and old and beginners to experienced.

North Conway, NH – Mt Washington Valley, with North Conway at its center, has long been recognized as New England’s premier four-season adventure sports destination. North Conway was named among the top ten best small towns for year-round adventure by USA Today’s 10Best and to celebrate its outdoor sports offerings, the Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce will present the White Mountain Outdoor Fest, June 4, 5, 6, and 7, 2020.  This multi-day fest will include athletic competitive and non-competitive events involving trail running, 5k run/walk, mountain biking, road biking, kayaking, canoeing, guided hikes and more. Also taking place is a Gear Village with over 50 outdoor recreation vendors to showcase the latest in outdoor sports and gear with demos, talks, music and food. It’s three days and nights filled with exhilarating events and everything from hardcore outdoor recreation to soft adventure that will inspire, invigorate, elevate and educate outdoor recreationalists from young to old. 

Background

According to the Outdoor Industries Association based in Colorado, outdoor adventure sports represent 2.2-percent of the nation’s GDP.  In New Hampshire, outdoor recreation generates $8.7 billion in consumer spending, supporting 79,000 jobs. In recognition for the state of New Hampshire recently became the nation’s 16^th state to launch an office of Outdoor Recreation to foster economic development in a four-state consortium of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.  Given the growing interest in outdoor recreation, the mission to present a springtime festival of adventure was born in Mt Washington Valley.  

Of course, with the growth in outdoor recreation comes responsibility for stewardship, which it the mission of the White Mountain Trail Collective and REI Co-op. As key partners in the White Mountain Outdoor Fest, the White Mountain Trail Collective and REI Co-op will help to lead the focus on sustainability and stewardship of the trails throughout Mt Washington Valley, an important component of the festival. The festival seeks to honor the White Mountains trails and scenery by teaching respect and conservation for outdoor enthusiasts seeking to recreate within them.  Planning for the White Mountain Outdoor Fest has been going on for many months, with a more organized and focused planning committee working throughout 2019 and 2020 to bring the festival to fruition.

The Schedule

While the planning and schedule for the White Mountain Outdoor Festival is still fluid, several highlighted events are the headliners for the four-day event.

The White Mountain Outdoor Festival will kick off the evening of June 4, 2020 with a party at Sea Dog Brewing Company in North Conway, where participants may still register for the weekend’s events (if they have not already registered for the weekend’s competitions) while enjoying food and beer tastings.  

On Friday, June 5, Run the Whites will present a Friday Night Vertical Race, offering an introduction to mountain running for all ages and abilities with varying routes up Black Mountain in Jackson. New to trail running?  Here’s a casual way to learn about a great way to get the heart pounding.

Starting Saturday, the Gear Village will offer an ongoing two-day location to learn more about all the latest in outdoor recreation and gear, at the base of Cranmore, sponsored by the White Mountain Trail Collective. Meet with gear and sports representatives to demo brands or talk over gear questions; more than 50 outdoor gear or sports vendors are expected to be on site accompanied by music, food, games, giveaways and more. All vendors participating in the Gear Village will help support the mission of the White Mountain Trail Collective.

Also on Saturday, June 6, Rockhopper Races, LLC, will present a 15 mile Chocorua Road/Trail Race challenging participants to an exhilarating route up, over and down the 3478-foot summit of Mount Chocorua.  This race offers participants the chance to experience one of the most iconic mountains in the valley. In the spirit of stewardship, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Chocorua Lake Conservancy to maintain and conserve the land and provide free public access to Chocorua Lake.

Another June 6^th  headliner event will be TriTek’s Tunnel to Towers 5K run and walk, to be held in North Conway. This 5k road race and walk will be open to all ages and abilities. The event honors all those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 and supports first responders and military who make extraordinary sacrifices in the line of duty. The event is co-sponsored by the  Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

Mountain biking events on Saturday, June 6^th will include guided road rides presented  by the MWV Bicycling Club on Saturday, June 6^th for varying levels of ability. There will be four road rides, all starting from the same location, each planned to highlight some of the most scenic and interesting terrain of New Hampshire’s Mt Washington Valley, and designed to introduce the excitement of road biking.

On the evening of June 6th, festival goers will be treated to “Jammin’ at Cranmore,” a free concert at the base of the ski resort to cap off a day of adventure. Stay tuned for the name of the band.

On Sunday, June 7, the Gear Village will resume at Cranmore throughout the day offering the chance to demo or discuss gear with more than 50 anticipated vendors. 

In addition, the Cranmore Mountain Race will be held on Sunday, June 7^th presented by acidotic RACING. Known as one of the oldest mountain races in the Northeast, the Cranmore Mountain Race offers runners of all levels the thrill of racing up and down the ski trails of Cranmore Mountain.  Five National Mountain Running Champions have run in this race, yet it is not confined to only experienced mountain runners; its open to everyone from beginners to expert trail runners and each year competitors range in ages from 10 - 80. The race is part of the USATF New England Mountain Running Circuit, the oldest mountain running circuit in the country. A portion of race proceeds will be donated to North Country Cares.

The White Mountain Outdoor Festival will culminate on Sunday, June 7^th with an REI Experience Day presented by REI Co-op.  Details will be announced soon for the components of this event.

In addition, the White Mountain Outdoor Fest Planning Committee anticipates a series of educational talks focused on outdoor recreation, stewardship practices, sports clinics, gear and more sponsored by Sea Dog Brewing Co and White Mountain Community College.  The committee is actively recruiting experts interested in suggesting and presenting lecture topics.

Planning will continue and additional events and outdoor recreation organizations and clubs are encouraged to offer events for the festival. The White Mountain Outdoor Fest Planning Committee members currently include representatives from Run the Whites, Rockhopper Races, Tunnel to Towers Foundation, White Mountain Trail Collective, REI Co-op, Ride NoCo, MWC Bicycling Club, aR (acidotic Racing), Cranmore Mountain Resort, all lead by the Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce. 

Premier sponsors include the Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce, Chalmers Insurance, and Settlers Green.  Additional sponsors include Conway Daily Sun, Eversource, and TD Bank, Frontside Grind, Hannaford, and Flatbread Company.

The White Mountain Outdoor Fest will showcase the myriad of adventure and outdoor recreation offerings in Mt Washington Valley, with a focus on forest conservation and sustainability while enjoying the trails in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. 

For more information, visit www.WhiteMountainOutdoorFest.com.

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Photos available upon request.  Contact PR@MtWashingtonValley.org.