October 16, 2009, 5:52 pm
Bridge Day is West Virginia's largest one-day festival, and the only day of the year when the New River Gorge Bridge is closed to traffic.
Visitors are greeted to stunning views of the
New River Gorge below, treated to a rare opportunity to watch BASE jumpers leap from the 876-foot-high bridge, and invited to more than 200 food and craft vendors and live music. There’s certain to be something to satisfy everyone’s interests, regardless of budget or sense of adventure.
Bridge Day is the largest extreme sports event in the world. Hundreds of
BASE jumpers and nearly 80,000 spectators are expected to attend this year's Bridge Day on Saturday, October 17, 2009. The New River Gorge Bridge is the world's second longest single arch bridge and serves as the launch point for six hours of safe, legal BASE jumps. (BASE stands for Building, Antenna, Span, Earth—the fixed objects from which these jumpers leap).
If you plan to attend, visit consider visiting nearby Fayetteville, West Virginia which hosts a farmer’s market, pancake breakfast, parade and chili cook-off. And for some local flavor, sample the cuisine of regional restaurants at "The Taste of Bridge Day" event. Diners can savor the diversity of West Virginia's finest foods while taking in the fantastic views at Smokey's on the Gorge, an open air atmosphere restaurant perched on the chasm.
For more information and a schedule of events, visit the NPS Bridge Day website or the Official Bridge Day homepage.
