AW Gauley River Festival - September 18-20, 2009 - Summersville, WV

Gauley Fest just keeps getting bigger and better! Started in 1983 to celebrate the derailment of a hydro-electric project that would have disrupted the flows on the Gauley River, Gauley Fest has grown to become the largest river festival in the world.

The festival is a showcase for American Whitewater and the top whitewater vendors in the boating community, plus it’s THE place to catch up with old friends, make new ones, and just have a great time with like-minded river loving folks.

Gauley Fest is also AW’s largest fundraising event. All proceeds from the festival support American Whitewater’s conservation and access works throughout the nation.

The festival will feature live entertainment, a whitewater marketplace, raffle, and a silent auction where you can pick up some awesome outdoor gear. Come out and join us for a weekend of great paddling, exciting camaraderie, live entertainment, killer boat raffles, and the infamous silent auction.

Vendor Information
Driving Directions
Festival Schedule
Music Schedule

American Whitewater’s silent auction and raffles are one of the highlights of the Gauley River Festival.

Each year our silent auction offers great deals on boats, paddling equipment, outdoor gear, and much more. This year we will be raffling off or silent auctioning boats from every major boat manufacturer. The best part is that all renewing or current AW members will get a raffle ticket for a shot at winning a brand new boat of their choice!

This year will also feature a special Ro Sham Bo (Rock, Paper, Scissors) event for all current AW members against Woody Callaway of Liquidlogic Kayaks for over $6,000 in prizes! Head on over to the Ro Sham Bo event page to get the details.

Check out our Raffle and Silent Auction page for more details.

American Whitewater needs your help! Volunteers are needed for Gauley Fest 2008. Come help the organization that works for boaters by boaters.

If you are interested in volunteering for the Gauley River Festival, please click the link below to be taken to the American Whitewater volunteer page. If you have any questions, concerns, or would just like more information regarding volunteering at the Gauley River Festival, please contact our volunteer coordinator Stacey Johnson.

Learn more about volunteering

Camping is available on the festival grounds Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at a rate of $5 per person/night. Dogs are discouraged in the campground, however camping is available for dogs at a rate of $5 per dog/night (no kiddin!).

All dogs must be on a leash at all times, and you must clean up after your dog. We are on a kid’s play area! No reservations are taken on camping; first come, first serve. Camping has been known to sell out, so come early. Gauley Festival Camping Rules

Afraid of gas prices on your drive to the big G Fest? Why not carpool? Save yourself some gas money, shrink your impact on the planet, and meet some great people along the way.

Take a stop by our Gauley Fest Forum and throw up a post with a title like “2008 Carpool from <YOUR TOWN/STATE>” just replace <YOUR TOWN/STATE> with your actual town and or state and see if anyone in your area would like to carpool with you.

This year American Whitewater has teamed up with Dave Finney of Clockwork Graphics to make the popular Gauley Fest t-shirt. The design for the back of the shirts will be the image you see here with the American Whitewater logo and Gauley Fest written on the front.

Plus you can download a larger version of this image to use as a Gauley Fest poster.

Whether you’ve never been to the Gauley Fest or just want to double check your shuttle directions we’ve got a map for you. Download a Full-size pdf.

If you’re looking for directions to the fest site from your home check out our directions page.