Annual Nantahala Outdoor Center gear festival this weekend
This is the 26th year for the end-of-season sale and swap. A destination event, visitors can expect games, giveaways, video premieres, rafting, live music, restaurant specials and much more throughout the weekend.
The event begins on Friday, when NOC opens its Used Gear Marketplace. At the same time, the Outfitter’s Store opens its doors to blowout brand new bikes, boats, apparel, tents and more. NOC’s famous Outfitter’s Store is the biggest specialty retailer of whitewater gear in the country and also features a wide selection of general outdoor apparel, so expect to find a variety of sale items.
This installment of GAF features more live music than ever before, with Woody Pines, The HumBuckers, The Steve Wohlrab Jazz Trio and additional musicians performing throughout the entire weekend.
In addition to sales, live music and regularly-scheduled rafting trips, Saturday features a packed line-up of events, including The Subaru Sumo Thunder Challenge, the ShredReady/IR Pumpkin Pursuit, a Crowded Canoe Competition, the Jackson Kayak Big Trick Competition, Foamy Boat Building, free fishing and kayaking clinics, restaurant specials, games, video premieres, kids contests and more.
Also during GAF weekend, the International Whitewater Hall of Fame will hold its 2009 induction ceremony on Saturday evening at Relia’s Garden Restaurant. There are meetand-greet events with the honorees, open to the public on Saturday afternoon.
NOC’s Guest Appreciation Festival usually sees visitation around 2,000 people. Visitors should be prepared to use marked satellite parking lots east of NOC on Highway 19, and ride the NOC-provided, free shuttles to the event.
Tags: guest appreciation festival, Nantahala, Nantahala Outdoor Center, nantahala river, North Carolina, Western North Carolina
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As a 10 year GAF veteran…put it on the “not nearly as cool as it was” list. The new head honcho at NOC moved it from the big parking lot to a much smaller, out-of-the-way location and changed the date of the festival to a month earlier in an effort to save money. What a shame. I won’t be going this year.