Gorge Gateway Center on Laurel Creek Road and another night of music at Bridge Jam. Cap off the day with dinner from 3-5 p. m. at the Bridge Day Chili Cook- Off in downtown Fayetteville. Route 19 will not re-open until 5 p. m., so arriving before the road closes, finding a place to park and catching the shuttles are vital.
“ Parking is at a premium on Bridge Day,” says Wriston.“ I highly recommend utilizing one of the shuttle parking lots located on both sides of the bridge. Keep in mind the New River Gorge Bridge is 3,030 feet long. The round-trip parking shuttle will save you a lot of walking by bringing you straight to the gates of Bridge Day. When you are ready to return to your vehicle, just meet the shuttle at the gate where you were dropped off.”
The shuttles cost just $ 3 for a roundtrip, giving guests easy access to the Bridge Day festivities.
Navigating the Crowd
According to Cruikshank, officials start coordinating and scheduling Bridge Day at 4 a. m. on Friday morning, which is a good indication of how eager and early some attendees are.
“ If you want to beat the crowds, get here when the gates open,” says Wriston.“ The crowd starts to form about midday and increases until the event is over. Bridge Day ends promptly at 3 p. m. All shuttles stop running roundtrip at 1:30 p. m. so we can get the crowds off of Route 19 and out from underneath the bridge. I recommend arriving no later than 12 p. m. if you really want to get the full experience.”
Making the Most of It
Depending on a guest’ s available time and interests, a lot of fun and excitement can be packed into a weekend in the New River Gorge area. From live music to whitewater rafting to the unique food culture, the area truly has something for everyone.
“ I would recommend taking a rafting trip down the river while in town for Bridge Day,” says Chelsea Dorsey, who has been attending Bridge Day since 1997.“ Even a float trip down the New River would be fun, and if you’ re not into the water, there is plenty of mountain biking, zip lining and rock climbing.”
Make the most of the Bridge Day schedule by attending Taste of Bridge Day and Bridge Jam. Taste of Bridge Day allows visitors to sample food from the area’ s finest restaurants and caterers while enjoying local artwork and live music and supporting the Oak Hill and Fayetteville rotary clubs. The food vendors, which include Café One Ten, Smokey’ s Steakhouse and more, will be competing for awards for best appetizer, best entree, best dessert and people’ s choice. Taste of Bridge Day also features a kids’ zone with a dining area, face painting, balloon art, superheroes in costume, a kid-friendly deejay and a nine-hole miniature golf course. After sampling all of the food, head over to Bridge Jam, which is the best of both worlds— a music and craft beer festival. This year’ s lineup includes Railroad Earth, Fletcher’ s Grove, The Company Stores and Common Houses.
“ Bridge Jam is a new addition to the Bridge Day weekend,” says Wriston.“ The Bridge Jam organizer, New River Events LLC, provides free shuttles to take you to and from Bridge Jam, so feel free to pitch a tent and get comfortable.”
For almost 40 years, people from across the country and around the world have made their way to the New River Gorge for this iconic celebration. In short, Bridge Day is a special event that captures the best of West Virginia— unmatched natural beauty, adventure and family fun. •
Insider Tips & Tidbits
• Into the Gorge Shuttle, hosted by Adventures on the Gorge, is one of the most popular events on the Bridge Day schedule. For $ 25, guests can enjoy a roundtrip ride from one end of the bridge to the other and underneath the bridge to watch jumpers and rappellers from a different vantage point. Tickets can be purchased by calling Bridge Day headquarters at( 304) 465- 5617 between now and October 1.
• There are statewide and localized detours in place for Bridge Day on Route 19. Tractor trailers should stay on I-77 and I-64.
• Eat local on Bridge Day weekend for a true New River Gorge experience. In the morning, grab a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich at Top Knot in Oak Hill, and visit one of the area’ s many locally owned and operated restaurants for lunch, including Secret Sandwich Society, The Station, The Burrito Bar at Breeze Hill and the original Pies and Pints. End your day at Kool Beanz for a gelato, iced coffee or energy drink.
• Most people don’ t know that Bridge Day is actually a fundraiser for the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce. A percentage of the money collected for vendor booths, shuttles and media fees helps the chamber advertise area businesses and sponsor other events. In addition, the chamber donates a portion of the parking lot shuttle fees to the organizations that volunteer to man the lots, such as the New River Humane Society and Fayetteville Lions Club.
Photo By Matt Sanchez. Photo By Matt Sanchez.
Photo By Matt Sanchez.
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