It is Fayetteville’s Wild Weekend Nature Festival and we have fun events happening all weekend long! From educational programs designed specifically for youngsters and adults to guided hikes in the New River Gorge along with adventure activities. Fayetteville’s Wild Weekend will offer a variety of activities and workshops for all ages and interests. Come and celebrate the features, creatures, and culture that make Fayetteville the unique place that it is.
Fayetteville’s Wild Weekend Nature Festival Schedule:
Friday
10am-5pm Pop-up Nature Center at Fayetteville Visitor Center
1pm-4pm Kids Camp Sponsored by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection take-home kits will be available for pick up from the Fayetteville Visitor Center starting at 1:00pm on Friday. These kits are available to the public and will be distributed on a first come first serve basis. If you signed up for the in-person camp, a take-home kit will be reserved, and you can pick it up anytime during the Wild Weekend event.
7pm Birds of Prey Presentation with Three Rivers Avian at the Fayetteville Visitor Center
Saturday
9am Yoga with New River Yoga at Adventures on the Gorge pool deck ( $10)
9am Mushroom Hike lead by Amy McLaughlin and Shawn Means (Register)
10am-5pm Pop-up Nature Center at the Fayetteville Visitor Center
11am Snakes of WV with Roy Moose at the Fayetteville Visitor Center
12:30pm Vulture: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird with Katie Fallon at The Fayetteville Visitor Center
2pm Tree ID Hike with Chase Raso at the Burnwood Trail
2pm-5pm Nature Market -Vendors Fayetteville Visitor Center
Sunday
9am Yoga with New River Yoga at Adventures on the Gorge pool deck ($10)
9am Foraging Hike with Mitchell Dech Wolf Creek Birding Center Enter Wolf Creek Park via Nick Rahall Greenway; pass Bridge Brew Works; turn left down gravel road, turn right into the parking lot for Wolf Creek Trail Parking) (Register $10)
10am-3pm Pop-up Nature Center at the Fayetteville Visitor Center
12pm Mountain Biking Races at Arrowhead Bike Farm Brapps then Tapps Event (R $)
1pm Fayetteville Wild Weekend 1 Hour Stand Up Paddle Board Sampler at Kanawha Falls (Register $)
2:40pm Fayetteville Wild Weekend 2 Hour Stand Up Paddle Board Tour (Register $)
Register = Please registered to reserve your spot
($) = small fee required to participate with this activity
Stay tuned as we update the schedule with more events!
Friday
Three Rivers Avian Center will be presenting their “Wings of Wonder: WV Birds of Prey” program this Friday, August 13 at 7 PM in the parking lot at the Fayetteville Visitor Center. The event is free, open to the public and great for all ages. Come meet their newest Ambassador, Benny the Barn Owl! Five other native WV Raptor Ambassadors will join him, including live owls, falcons, hawk and our bald eagle Regis. Learn about the habitats they live in, the foods they eat, their unique abilities and the dangers they face. Pick up pro-active tips for helping WV’s wild birds and get a chance to ask questions during this award-winning interactive program. Masks are encouraged as well as social distancing. Please bring a chair! They will be set up in the parking lot of the Fayetteville Visitor Center.
The Settlement at the Burrito Bar Breeze Hill
7pm-11:55pm
Join us for a night of good times good people and good music. $10 at the door.
THe Euphoric Chimney Corner Cafe
7pm-10pm
Berth at the Rendezvous River Lodge
8pm
Saturday
Fayette County Farmers Market
Wiseman Ave. Courthouse Parking Lot beside Court House
8am-12:30pm
New River Yoga at Adventures on The Gorge Pool Desk
9am
Mushroom Hike lead by Amy McLaughlin & Shawn Means
9am Registration Required with limited group size
Master Naturalists and mushroom enthusiasts Amy McLaughlin & Shawn Means will lead a free mushroom walk along the Park Loop Trail at Fayetteville Town Park.
Whether you are a beginning mushroom hunter, a fungus freak or just curious about fungi, you are welcome to join us as we scour the woods for specimens to identify. This is a great opportunity to learn more about how to identify mushrooms and find out what makes them so unique.
Look for the mushroom flag near the trailhead. We’ll start our walk precisely at 9:00 AM, so don’t be late! Our walk will be about 1 mile over mostly level ground, but some places might have tricky footing, so wear appropriate footwear.
Please, no dogs – not everyone is comfortable with canines and it’s hard enough to wrangle a group of humans on the trail.
Family Mountain Bike Camp at Arrowhead Bike Farm
9am-4pm
Add mountain biking to your list of family activities by participating in The Arrowhead Bike Farm’s Family Mountain Bike Camps! Whether your whole family is new to riding or you want to share your love for riding with your kids, these camps create a fun and welcoming space for the whole family to improve through practicing skills and spending time out on the trail. We will work through ways to be more stable on your bike, have more control while riding, how to navigate trail features, and many more skills based on group interest! Our professionally trained and certified instructors will provide individual feedback to each of the riders in a fun, enthusiastic and confidence-building way. In addition to our great instructors, we keep group sizes small to provide the largest amount of personal instruction possible.The morning will consist of skill sessions at the Bike Farm and the afternoon will focus on bringing those skills to the trail! We’ll wrap up the day with a family ride out to the quintessential New River Gorge view, Long Point.
Snakes of WV with Roy Moose
11am Fayetteville Visitor Center
Join Roy Moose as he presents his very popular “Snakes of West Virginia” program at the Fayetteville Visitor Center. Learn more about all the snakes found in West Virginia and how to identiy venomous snakes.
Katie Fallon Presenting Vulture: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird
12:30pm
Katie Fallon is author of Vulture and Cerulean Blues and we are thrilled to have her joining this years festival to present “Vulture: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird. Vultures are often overlooked, underappreciated, and unloved, despite the vital role they play healthy ecosystems. Worldwide, vultures are more likely to be threatened or endangered than any other group of raptor, but in the United States Turkey and Black Vultures may be increasing in number. Based on Katie Fallon’s recent book, this fun presentation will discuss the life and times of the noble Turkey Vulture, including its feeding, nesting, and roosting habits, migratory behaviors, and common misconceptions.” She will be presenting at the Fayetteville Visitor Center.
Nature Market Fayetteville Visitor Center
2pm-5pm
Join us for a pop-up nature market in front of the Fayetteville Convention and Visitors Bureau from 2pm-5pm. We will have nature-inspired items available including handmade art, jewelry, honey, candles, flowers, soaps and more!
Abe Partridge with Andrew Adkins at Freefolk Brewery
7pm
Alabama artist tour de force Abe Partridge performs at The Freefolk Brewery stage with Andrew Adkins supporting. Don’t miss this show
The Mighty Good Times at The Rendevous River Lounge
THIS SATURDAY! Don’t miss out on an evening of Folk, Blues and Rock with Richmond, VA’s The Mighty Good Times! Music starts at 8:00pm, FREE show!
Sunday
New River Yoga at Adventures on The Gorge Pool Desk
9am
Foraging Hike Lead by Mitchell Dech
9am at Wolf Creek Nature Park $10 requires registration with limited spots
West Virginia and the Appalachian Mountains are a forager’s paradise. Summer is the perfect time to learn about the skills involved in foraging for wild food. Discover the delicacies that can be found in the woods. Roots, tubers, and shoots, greens, buds, and flowers are among the various plant structures that are available for harvesting. Follow a local legend the “Berry Man” Mitchell Dech as he leads our foraging hike. This event will be hands-on exploring to discover, discuss, and learn about edible plants in their habitats. Come prepared with comfortable shoes for moderate hiking 2miles.
Brapps Then Taps Arrowhead Bike Farm
12pm-5pm
This race will start and end at the Bike Farm with a loop through the newest National Park in the country on the Arrowhead Trails and beyond!Date: August 15, 2021Race Start: 12:00 pmAll Junior & Youth classes and Just for Fun = $15.00 (+online reg fees)All other classes = $30.00 (+online reg fees)On-site Registration is an additional $10
To register follow this link: https://www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=238698…Race Route:
Beginner Course:
https://bit.ly/3iijPSySport & Pro Course: https://bit.ly/3lkpCJm
NOTE: Race age is your age at the end of the year (12/31/2021)
This race requires you to be a WVVMBA member and have a USA Cycling license. You will be charged an additional $5 for each if you’re not a member or a license holder.
If you plan to purchase a yearly WVMBA membership or a USAC license do so before registering for this race.Purchase the WVMBA membership first to receive a discount for USAC license.
Brunch & Live Music at the Southside Junction Tap House
Enjoy brunch at the Southside Junction Tap House from 12pm-3pm along with $3 mimosas. There will be live music from 2pm-5pm. Join us Sunday, August 8th for LIVE MUSIC with Randy Gilkey, $3 Mimosas, and Brunch Specials!
Fayetteville’s Wild Weekend 1 hour stand Up Paddle Board Sampler
1pm requires registration $
Enjoy this one hour into to SUP trip with Moutain Surf Paddle Sports as part of the Fayetteville Wild Weekend! Learn the basics of Stand Up Paddleboarding and explore Kanawha Falls in Glen Ferris Fayette County.
Fayetteville’s Wild Weekend 2 Hour SUP Tour
2pm requires registration $
Enjoy this group SUP as part of Fayetteville Wild weekend. These trips are 2 Hour to Stand Up Paddleboarding tours where you can learn the basics of SUP and explore the beautiful Kanawha Falls up close!
Freefolk Irish – Ish Jam Session
3pm-5pm
Andrew Caldwell hosts the Irish-ish Jam Session on The Freefolk Stage. Join us every third Sunday for an eclectic Irish based jam that is open to anyone of any skill level, beginner to experienced.