Outdoor Rec Fest is a chance to try about 30 outdoor activities you might never have tried before, like climbing aboard a demonstration hot air balloon basket, buckling on whitewater rafting gear, slipping into a tree tent, casting adaptive fishing gear, mounting a horse saddle, purifying water, taking professional-quality photos with a phone camera, and much more.
Outdoor Rec Fest is planned for September 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. near the Humphrey Nature Center in Letchworth State Park. There will be snacks, live demonstrations of equipment, how-tos, guided outings, and group activities. There is no festival attendance fee and no pre-registration required to attend. Park gates will charge the normal $10 vehicle use fee from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
All activities will be guided by businesses, services, and agencies from within a one-hour drive of Letchworth State Park. Scheduled events include:
•The Rochester Birding Association will start with a ‘soft start’ kickoff birding ID hike at 9 a.m.
•Trail Otter will lead two demonstrations, one on purifying water in the backcountry and one on how to properly pack an outdoor backpack.
•The Autism Nature Trail will give a tour of the one-mile educational sensory nature trail, which was constructed in Letchworth State Park near the Humphrey Nature Center in 2021.
•Balloons Over Letchworth will have a hot air balloon basket and burner on the ground to practice basket entry and exit, and to demonstrate the powerful burner blasts. Balloons Over Letchworth will not be flying balloons from the festival grounds.
•The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will demonstrate fishing equipment adapted for anglers with special needs.
•Silverlaken will have a tree tent set up and chat with patrons about their tiny house village, yurts, and canal house on Silver Lake.
•Camp Puzzle Peace will demonstrate some educational outdoor activities that they lead for children with sensory sensitivities on the Autism Nature Trail.
•The Rochester Orienteering Club will demonstrate basic compass and map navigation tools and skills on a temporary orienteering course.
•Letchworth Farms will demonstrate a horse saddle and some riding gear normally used on trail rides in the park.
•Adventure Calls Outfitters will have a raft and gear available for dry-land demos and photo ops.
•Letchworth Valley Picnics will set up a sample luxury picnic.
•Silver Lake Marine will have a fishing boat on site and answer questions about local fishing.
•Dell Collective will set up a sample vignette with some furniture and décor found in their well-known Airbnb, and will answer questions about how to book an Airbnb in the area.
•Gallery in the Valley will walk photographers through how to take some technical shots, like swirling water or galaxy shots.
•Endlessly Outdoors Company will finish off the festival with a scenic hike to Middle and Upper Falls, south of the event area.
Over the past 10 years, several businesses and services like outdoor outfitters, campgrounds, nature preserves, hospitality destinations, adaptive recreation equipment specialists, and an ADA-compliant nature trail have taken root and grown in the Genesee Valley, rapidly turning the region from a rustic hidden gem into one of New York State’s most accommodating outdoor adventure destinations. Several activity leaders specializing in accessible and adaptive recreation equipment were specifically invited for all visitors to see and try.
Stay tuned to Letchworth State Park’s official social media accounts, @letchworthstatepark on Facebook and Instagram, for more about this new festival.
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