Life

Life Outside Festival

September 3, 2019

This article is presented in sponsorship with Great Rivers Greenway. When it comes to ways to live more of your life outside, Missourians are a pretty fortunate lot. From rivers to trails, and countless experiences in between, there is simply no shortage of amazing ways to connect with nature and enjoy lots and lots of free fresh air. But as amazing as our outdoor options can be, for someone just getting started, they can also be a bit intimidating. It can be hard to know how to get started with any particular activity. What equipment do you need? Where do you go? Do you need to join a club? When is a good time to get started? Do you really need all that stuff? How do you get all that stuff into your car? What if you invest your time and money into the activity, and then decide it’s not for you? To help bridge this informational gap, Great Rivers Greenway, a public agency developing a network of greenways throughout the St. Louis area, presents its annual Life Outside Festival. The event is free, and provides attendees with a chance to connect with dozens of outdoor related businesses, nonprofits and clubs and an opportunity to see, try and learn about a wide variety of outdoor activities. “I loved being able to try out new things that I’ve always wanted to try, but never knew how to get started or who to talk to,” said a 2018 festival attendee. “I also liked learning about organizations and activities that I didn’t even know existed.”

This year’s event had originally been scheduled for June but was postponed due to record flooding throughout the St. Louis region. The rescheduled event will be held September 21, 2019 along the St. Vincent Greenway in St. Vincent County Park in St. Louis County. While the date might be different, the heart and soul of the event remains the same. Partner organizations from across the region will still be at the event, presenting their various outdoor activities in a free, fun and supportive environment. Life Outside also introduces event-goers to the region’s greenways and engages them with a variety of outdoor experiences along the way. Because there is no one way to enjoy outdoor living, or time on the greenways, activities at Life Outside will range from the very active – like cyclocross – to the very relaxing – such as hammock demos. No matter what kind of outdoor experience you might be looking for, there is an activity for you at Life Outside. “Life Outside is a chance for people of all ages, abilities and interests to get to know our

region’s greenways and the many ways they can enjoy the outdoors. People can explore the St. Vincent Greenway and try activities such as mountain biking, birdwatching and hiking to decide first hand if this is something they want to make part of their lives,” said Elizabeth Simons, community program manager for Great Rivers Greenway. “We encourage people to make a whole day of it! Bring friends and family to try some new outdoor activities; pack a picnic, listen to some live music, relax outside, and check out everything the St. Vincent Greenway and St. Vincent County Park has to offer.” In addition to the variety of outdoor activities, a selection of food trucks will be at the festival with food and beverages available for purchase. Attendees are also encouraged to bring their own picnic to enjoy 18 different musical acts performing at three stages throughout the festival grounds. Go to www.LiveLifeOutside.org to learn more about the Life Outside Festival and to register yourself and your family for this fun, free event!