The Outdoor Recreation Center at Washington State University invites you to celebrate the great outdoors at the Fourth Annual Palouse Outdoor Festival on Sept. 23 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Wawawai County Park.
This free event includes activities such as rock climbing, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, and yoga. Instructional clinics will be held on topics such as kayak rescues, boat selection, boat packing, bike packing, backcountry cooking, Leave No Trace, and more. Participants will have opportunities to engage with WSU’s ORC, University of Idaho’s Outdoor Program, as well as local businesses and organizations, such as NRS, Hyperspud Sports, B&L Bicycles, Paradise Creek Bicycles, Backcountry Lark, Friends of the Clearwater, Palouse Clearwater Search and Rescue, WSU’s Outing Club and Environmental Sustainability Alliance. As always, in the spirit of National Public Lands Day, we invite you to roll up your sleeves and put in an hour of habitat restoration service at nearby Granite Point. Free registration for these event begins at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 23 at the park. Registration is a first-come, first-served basis, and programs fill up fast so hurry down to participate in your favorite activity.
Jonathan Stahl, the Assistant Director of Adventure Programs & Experiential Learning says, “My favorite part of the festival is seeing groups of people trying out new outdoor activities, meeting people with similar interests, and enjoying an eventful day at the local county park.”
The Palouse Outdoor Festival aims not only to be a fun-filled event that promotes outdoor activities and community, but also a chance to learn about stewardship and conservation of the outdoors. The first principle of Leave No Trace is to plan ahead and prepare, so plan to pack your own picnic with your friends or family, and enjoy your time together outside.
According to Stahl, last year over 100 students from WSU and University of Idaho attended this event, and it is expected to grow again this year.
This year the ORC will offer two shuttles to and from the park for a $5 registration fee. The shuttles will leave from the ORC lobby at 9 a.m. on Sept. 23 and will leave the park at 3 p.m. the same day. You can register for the shuttles online at urec.wsu.edu.
For more information about the festival, please visit urec.wsu.edu, or contact Jonathan Stahl at (509)-335-2349 or at jmstahl@wsu.edu.
Written by McKenna Palmer
