Glamptuary Attends The Inaugural Outside Fest - Key Takeaways & Heartfelt Messages
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE MUSIC BY FLEET FOXES & ANDREW BIRD, KEYNOTE SPEECHES BY DIANA NYAD & SHAUN WHITE, PANELISTS CONRAD ANKER & JIMMY CHIN, AND A WIDE COLLECTION OF ON-SITE EXPERIENCES; ALL SET AMIDST THE BACKDROP OF DOWNTOWN DENVER
I love attending festivals. They provide an opportunity to engage with people in an atmosphere which encourages conversation.
The 2024 Inaugural Outside Festival provided an abundance of conversational opportunities, along with an impressive line-up of supporting entertainment, delicious food, and engaging experiences designed to celebrate the great outdoors.
Outside Magazine deserves the lion’s share of credit for executing this event, which took place on June 1st and 2nd in Denver, CO.
An impressive list of supporting sponsors included The North Face, Columbia Sportswear, and dozens of other household names who directly (and indirectly) support outdoor activities.
The entertainment was also top notch with musical talents like Fleet Foxes, Andrew Bird, and Thundercat, along with other notable bands, musicians and DJ’s.
There were also film screenings, a collection of experiences like bouldering walls one could partake in, food trucks, dozens of vendors who provide products & services in support of outdoor activities, and I even saw a sasquatch who liked to have her picture taken…
All in all, I’d say the first year for the Outside Festival was a success. I mean, what festival doesn’t succeed when a sasquatch is in attendance?
In all seriousness, it’s wonderful that there is a festival like this that exists. There are far too many festivals that encourage us to go inside. There aren’t many that encourage us to connect with nature. And we need more of them.
Aside from the usual festival inclusions (food, drink, music) which one expects to see, I was specifically impressed with how some vendors stepped up and seized the opportunity to create unique and enagaging experiences.
For example, on the one hand…The North Face had a booth that featured a collection of retail products that could be purchased. That’s predictable. On the other hand…it was also the The North Face that built a bouldering wall for festival attendees to climb.
Everyone from professionals to beginners were invited to give it a shot and luckily for most, there was a heavily padded floor at the bottom of the wall.
What I loved about this installation, is it encouraged people to participate. And experiences are what we remember. A tip ó the helmet to The North Face for taking advantage of a stage like this.
There were other clever experiences created by strategic brands including a hanging wall test by Royal Robbins. This brought back memories of junior high gym class and the presidential fitness challenge. It was fun to watch others hang on for a chance to win some free gear. Well done Royal Robbins.
The real show-stopper was put on by Purina. You can’t go wrong with a live dog show. And Purina’s installation had a crowd around it all day long. The jump-roping dog was especially impressive.
My favorite part of the festival though, actually took place indoors. It was titled the Ideas Speaker series.
It felt like a bit of a miss on the part of the Outside Festival to host these events inside the Denver Art Museum. The museum is beautiful, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that the festival’s message is to get outside. It’s something I can certainly forgive, and fortunately with guests like famed mountain climber Conrad Anker, Academy Award winner Jimmy Chin, Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White, and endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, attendees were able to immerse themselves in the conversations that took place over the course of the festival.
The most powerful panel was hosted by Princess Daazhraii Johnson, and included photographer Sofia Jaramillo, Alaskan Native Jody Potts-Joseph from Life Below Zero, and climate activist Wawa Gatheru. This collective of storytellers engaged the audience in a sobering discussion about the importance of truth, visibility, inclusion, and representation in modern storytelling.
The last panel of the festival was the most entertaining. It was a combination of inspirational messages, thoughtful advice, hilarious anecdotes, and pure entertainment as a trio of mountain climbers + filmmakers took the stage.
As a filmmaker myself, I admit I fanboyed a bit when Jimmy Chin appeared on stage. The Director of the Academy Award Winning Free Solo was humble and thoughtful as he talked about how persistence, and a belief in yourself, can carry you through the most difficult of challenges.
Mountain climbing legend Conrad Anker and Outside TV host and filmmaker Malik Martin had the audience rolling with laughter as they talked about the challenges one faces when climbing mountains. Malik also broke down in tears at one point, as he spoke about his gratitude for the chance he was given by Conrad to build a career in film, and a develop a passion for climbing.
Over the course of two days, there were many messages that had an impact on me. Here are some quotes that stuck with me…
“The more we get people out in nature, the more collective healing we’ll do.”
“I’m just a person who is chasing my dream, and there ain’t no finish line.”
“Commit. And then figure it out.”
As I left the Denver Art Museum, I was surrounded by the beautiful music of Andrew Bird. I couldn’t resist and made my way as close to the stage as possible.
I left the 2 day festival feeling inspired and wanting more.
Kudos to Conor Hall, Director of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office for his vision in creating the festival, and to Robin Thurston who is the CEO of Outside Magazine for leading the charge in producing the festival. And of course - a well- deserved round of applause to all the staff, volunteers, sponsors, vendors, and the city of Denver for putting on a Grade A show.
Will there be a year 2? I hope so.
Will it take place in downtown Denver again? Maybe a greener location might be better.
I’ll ponder these questions as I step outside for a nice hike.
Safe travels everyone!
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