After being canceled for two straight years due to the Covid 19 Pandemic, Bridge Day is back!
The world-famous event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 9a.m.-3 p.m.
The only other time in history the event was canceled was in September 2001 due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Bridge Day is held annually on the third Saturday in October and commemorates the completion of the bridge founded in October 1977. Bridge Day is West Virginia’s largest single day festival.
Bridge Day is a free event and is held in Fayetteville, W.Va., on US Route 19 at the New River Gorge Bridge.
The festivities are wrapped around the base jumpers at the World’s second-longest single arch bridge.
The first Bridge Day was held on Nov. 8, 1980, with only a few base jumpers. today hundreds of thrill seekers come from all over the world to jump over 800 feet into the New River Gorge.
According to officialbridgeday.com nearly 100,000 people attended in 2019 with 790 jumps and 910 rappels.
Some of the base jumpers perform heart stopping acrobatic moves showing off to the spectators who cheer with amazement from the bridge.
On Bridge Day pedestrians are allowed to walk on the bridge to get the best views.
All four lanes of the bridge are closed to automobiles beginning at 7 a.m. with a detour beginning 5:30 a.m.
Numerous Vendors will line Route 19 adjacent to the bridge with food, crafts, and more. It’s a great time to get outside and enjoy West Virginia’s newest national park area.
There is a full schedule of events that weekend including Taste of Bridge Day on Friday, Oct. 14 from 5-9 p.m. at Adventures of the Gorge.
At Taste of Bridge Day, the area’s finest restaurants and caterers offer a sample menu. Food tickets are $1 and can be purchased in advance online at officialbridgeday.com or at the event.
Tim Maylor with the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce states that the proceeds from the event will benefit Canyon Rim Rotary Club.
There will also be live music arts and crafts.
The Bridge Day 5k run on Saturday morning has categories for all ages and men and women and is the only race that crosses the New River Gorge ridge. To register go to https://bit.ly/3jRj4ky.
A chili cook off will be held late Saturday afternoon after the jumps.
This year, there are some new rules regarding Bridge Day.
Maylor says only clear backpacks and bags are allowed at Bridge Day.
Bags can be purchased online at www.fayettecounty.com or you can purchase them on Bridge Day at the shuttle stops prior to entering the event for $3.
To find a full list of items not permitted at the festival, visit https://bit.ly/3p52Bed.
Getting to Bridge Day will not be a problem.
You are free to park along Route 19 or there are several locations in Fayetteville to shuttle you to the bridge.
The shuttle services began at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
Fayetteville Mayor Sharon Cruikshank invites everyone to come out and check out downtown Fayetteville.
Cruikshank said several new businesses have opened since 2019 and to take advantage of the shuttle service. Cruikshank also says that Bridge Day is unique because it’s the only day that you can walk on the highway and onto a bridge and it’s the only day it is legal to base jump off the bridge.
Bridge Day 2022 is sure to be an exciting one!
