American Volkssport Association

Walking Festivals

In using this Directory recognize that event information sometimes changes. We therefore suggest a call to the Event Point of Contact or Regional Director before firming up your schedule. Looking for a great walking vacation or a weekend getaway? Want to go to the biggest and best events the clubs of the American Volkssport Association can produce? The events listed are traditionally annual ones with multiple events, and most of the time, opportunities for socializing with fellow walkers. Explore the possibilities below and catch the Spirit of Walking.
January

Event Name	NEW YEAR'S IN SEATTLE
When	December 31st and January 1st Annually
Where	Seattle, WA
Event Website	Emerald City Wanderers
Articles and Local Information	About Seattle and Tacoma
Point of Contact	David Madsen, e-mail dmadsen@seattleu.edu phone 206.789.1960
Comments	A fun way to ring in the New Year! Enjoy the club's warm hospitality and the shimmer of the "Emerald City."

Event Name	Martin Luther King Jr. Day Weekend
When	Jan 17 - 20, 2020
Where	Jacksonville, Fl
Event Website	First Coast Trail Forgers Walking Club
Flyer	Event Flyer
Point of Contact	Kristin Raasch 904-563-6953 or email: kraasch1725@gmail.com
Comments	The Jacksonville area offers beaches, a downtown Riverwalk along the St. Johns River, nature walks along with historic sites and neighborhoods. In short, we have great places to walk. We will be offering 5 walks during the weekend.


February

Event Name	Presidents' Day Weekend
When	Feb 15-18
Where	Gulf Shores, AL, the Lions Club, 832 Ocean Shores Blvd.
Event Website	georgiawalkershomestead.com
Flyer	Event Flyer
Point of Contact	Connie Clark at georgiawalkers178@gmail.com
Comments

Event Name	Seabreeze Walking Festival
When	Sat - Mon, Feb 16-18, 2019, Presidents Day Weekend
Where	Ocean Shores, WA, the Lions Club, 832 Ocean Shores Blvd.
Event Website	capitolvolkssportclub.org
Point of Contact	Chase Davis at GX7QR2@comcast.net or Bonnie Tucker at bonniedale@comcast.net
Comments	Walk with old and new friends at this biennial festival. 6 walks and a bike ride in Ocean Shores and along the North Beach. Numerous YRE’s in the area. Buy tickets ahead for the Saturday night Italian buffet and Irish music by the Burren Band.

Event Name	Saddle up for the Texas Trail Roundup
When	Fri, Sat and Sun February 21-23, 2020
Where	San Antonio, Texas
Brochure	Pre-registration
Event Website	texastrailroundup.org
Point of Contact	Susan Medlin AVA Southwest Regional Director sueammed@aol.com (cell) 210-325-3523
Comments	Enjoy walking and dining on the famous River Walk on Friday. On Saturday, visit our World Heritage Site Missions. On Sunday we head north on the River Walk, through Breckinridge Park, the lovely Japanese Garden, Trinity University and the historic Monte Vista neighborhood. Leave the snow behind!

March

April

Event Name	Two States, Two Counties
When	April 5, 6, & 7
Where	Border area of Oklahoma and Kansas
Point of Contact	Terri Tyler tltyler50@gmail.com or arnoldtea@hotmail.com
Comments	3 walks in 3 different states plus 12 swim events

Event Name	3 Clubs, 3 Events Spring Fling
When	April 20, 21, 22
Where	Neosho, Missouri; Miami, Oklahoma; Independence, Kansas
Event Website	Dogwood Trailblazers
Point of Contact	Jim Gant jimgant40@gmail.com
Comments	3 walks in 3 different states plus 12 swim events

Event Name	2020 Susquehanna Rivertowns Weekend
When	April 24-26, 2020
Where	Columbia Crossing River Trails Center 41 Walnut Street, Columbia, PA 17512
Point of Contact	Sharon Miller, millersd@ptd.net, 717-805-9540 and Pam Copenhaver, indigo1704@aol.com, 717-817-9724
Comments	Columbia, PA Bike https://my.ava.org/event-view.php?sn=113910 Wrightsville, PA Walk https://my.ava.org/event-view.php?sn=113914 Marietta, PA Walk https://my.ava.org/event-view.php?sn=113911 Columbia, PA Walk https://my.ava.org/event-view.php?sn=113912 Columbia, PA Walk https://my.ava.org/event-view.php?sn=112913


Event Name	Spring Fling in Kansas Counties
When	April 26 & 27
Where	South Central Kansas
Point of Contact	Terri Tyler tltyler50@gmail.com or Trudy Duffman trudyduffman@yahoo.com
Comments	Walks and swims

Event Name	Steamboat Rock State Park
When	April 27 & 28
Where	Central Washington
Point of Contact	Cheri Overman, Phone: 253-709-7835, Email: cgeosite@gmail.com
Website	Four Plus Foolhearty Folks Club
Comments	Join us for three routes in the unique landscape of the Grand Coulee area.

May

Event Name	20 Iowa Parks in 2020 Kickoff Weekend
When	May 1-3, 2020
Where	Walks in three state parks: Beads Lake on May 1, McIntosh Woods and Pilot Knob on May 2. Clear Lake Guided Bike on May 3, optional walk opportunity on May 3: Mason City YRE
Flyer	Choctaw Country Weekend Event
Point of Contact	Diana Whited, (515) 783-5251
Comments	May 1-3 is the kickoff of the 20 Iowa Parks in 2020 project. 2020 is the 100th anniversary of the Iowa state park system. To help celebrate, Iowa's Walking Club, the Nebraska Trailblazers and the DNR have created 20 walks in 20 Iowa state parks. The 20 walks will be available May 1-October 15. This kickoff weekend will showcase three of the parks and provide a preview of the fun available the rest of the summer. Visit iowaswalkingclub.org for more information. Select "20 parks in 2020" from the menu at the top of the front page.

Event Name	Choctaw Country Weekend
When	May 18 & 19
Where	Southeastern Oklahoma
Flyer	Choctaw Country Weekend Event
Point of Contact	Teresa Arnold arnoldtea@hotmail.com or Terri Tyler tltyler50@gmail.com
Comments	Walks and Swims in 3 Oklahoma communities, 3 different counties. Clubs: Tulsa Walking Club, World Wide Walkers, Wandergruppe Walking Club, Sunflower Sod Stompers.

Event Name	Chattanooga Challenge
When	May 24-27
Where	Chattanooga, TN
Website	Asheville Amblers
Point of Contact	Judy Michele (828) 628-4343, Email:jumianc@aol.com
Comments	Pre-registration highly recommended. Downloadable registration form available at www.ashevilleamblers.com. Driving directions to walk start point as well as walk instructions and route map will be provided at registration. Join us Saturday night for buffet of country style cooking at Jenkins Buffet. Reservation (by form or phone) needed by May 17. Registration check-in: 1-3 and 7-8 Fri, 8-5 Sat/Sun, 8-Noon Mon

June

Event Name	CRAZY HORSE
When	Traditionally, annually on the first weekend of June.
Where	In the Black Hills of South Dakota on US Highway 16/385 just 17 miles southwest of Mount Rushmore.
Event Website	http://www.crazyhorse.org/
Point of Contact	Black Hills Volkssport Association or John Moranti, e-mail of jmoranti@rap.midco.net phone number 605-342-6188
Comments	Climb Crazy Horse Mountain and see progress on the sculpture of Chief Crazy Horse. This has become a "cult" event with thousands attending!

Event Name	Mid-America Regional Conference
When	June 19-21 2020
Where	Dayton, Ohio
Club	Ohio Wander Freunde
Point of Contact	Dawn Gruber
Flyer	Flyer/Registration
Comments

Event Name	Ruidoso
When	24-29 June 2020
Where	Ruidoso, NM
Club	Sun Country Striders
Point of Contact	Derrill Rothermichderrillrothermich@hotmail.com
Comments	Will have 6 walks plus usual 3 YREs. Will vary from easy to more difficult. Altitude is from 7,000 to 9,000 feet.

Event Name	Rogue Valley Regional Walking Conference
When	June 25-28, 2020
Where	Medford, OR
Flyer	Save The Date
Point of Contact	walkoregon.org
Comments	Enjoy 6+ walks, a bike event & swim event. Other amenities include wineries, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, river rafting and more.

July


August

Event Name	2019 Northwest Hiking Weekend
When	August 2-4 with early registration available August 1
Where	Chuckanut Mountains near Bellingham, Washington
Event Website	Four Plus Hikers
Flyer	Flyer
Point of Contact	Cheri Overman, (253) 709-7835, cgeosite@gmail.com
Comments	Offering 3 hikes over 3 days. Please see website for detailed trail information.

Event Name	2020 Atlantic Region Conference
When	August 21-23, 2020
Where	Plymouth Meeting, Pennslyvania
Point of Contact	Marcy Lucas, (KSVA President), lucas_mj@hotmail.com
Registration	Event Registration and Special Hotel Rates to be soon announced
Comments	Swim and Walk from the Conference Hotel The Special Programs for the Plymouth Meeting walk include Mayflower, Walk Around the Clock, Airports, Carousels Bike on the Schuylkill River Trail Local YREs: King of Prussia Mall Walk, Valley Forge, Radnor, and many others..

Event Name	The Wallace Weekend (and Kellogg too)
When	August 23-25
Where	Silver Valley, Idaho
Event Website	lilaccityvolks.com
Comments	Participants will have the opportunity to Walk the Pulaski Tunnel Trail, Historic Kellogg and Historic Wallace (all Traditional Walks) as well as participate in the YRE on the east end of the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. For more information check out the LCVA website.

September

Event Name	Salute to Central Oregon: Rivers, Mountains and More
When	September 12-15, 2019
Where	Bend, Oregon
Event Website	www.walking4fun.org
Point of Contact	Annette St-Pierre,email is: walking_the_world@yahoo.com phone number 503-780-4568
Comments	There will be 11 walks/hikes, 2 bikes and 1 swim event at this multi-day event. Central Oregon is a wonderful location to come see and enjoy.

Event Name	Walkers Round in Winthrop WA
When	September 20-22, 2019
Where	The BARN in Winthrop, WA
Event Website	www.esva.online
Point of Contact	Sharon Moats, ESVA President s.moats@comcast.net
Comments	7 Walks, 1 Bike, Barbeque Dinner Social

October

Event Name	Falls and Foliage ESRs 114676 and 114677
When	Oct 12/13 2019
Where	Cradle of Forestry and Graveyard Fields, Brevard, NC
Event Website	www.ashevilleamblers.com
Point of Contact	Judy Michele
Comments	2 days of great walks plus brat plate specials

Event Name	2020 Fall Foliage, State College PA
When	Oct 9-11, 2020
Where	Super 8 by Wyndham State College, 1663 S Atherton St, State College, PA 16801, USA
Point of Contact	Tom Jackson, thomasjackson@embarqmail.com
Comments	State College - Bellefonte - Fall Foliage, PA https://my.ava.org/event-view.php?sn=116188 State College - Town & Gown - Fall Foliage, PA https://my.ava.org/event-view.php?sn=116187 State College - North https://my.ava.org/event-view.php?sn=116226 State College - Mifflinburg, PA https://my.ava.org/event-view.php?sn=116324 State College - Pearls of Penns Valley, PA https://my.ava.org/event-view.php?sn=116325

Event Name	19th Annual International US FreedomWalk Festival ®
When	October 16-18, 2020 Always the 3rd weekend in October
Where	Hilton Garden Inn Reagan Nationnal Airport 2020 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202
Room Reservation	Use the following link for special group rate: http://group.hiltongardeninn.com/19thAnnualFreedomWalkFestival
Event Website	http://www.usfreedomwalk.org/
Articles and Location Information	Washington, DC for visitors http://washington.org/; Arlington, Virginia for visitors www.stayarlington.com
Point of Contact	Dolores Grenier US FreedomWalk Festival PO Box 17208 Arlington, virginia 22216 USFWF@yahoo.com , 703-209-0174 or info@USFreedomWalk.org
Info	3-days, 3 walking events 5 to 42 km. Friday’s 5/10 km walk, come experience Arlington, Virginia hospitality with a Welcome Walk west of the Potomac River. Arlington! Saturday’s 6/12/21/44 km walk goes along Embassy Row, the National Mall and all three branches of the federal government. Sunday’s 6/12/21/32 km walk goes along the C&O Canal, the Tidal Basin and Potomac Park for your enjoyment!
Comments	These are individually IVV-AVA sanctioned events, but the weekend further qualifies as the IML(International Marching League, Walking Association) event for the USA. Washington, DC is the backdrop to this international walking festival for FUN, FITNESS, and INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP! Truly an event weekend to remember! The USFWF offers a social, a opening ceremony with Arlington County Sheriff's Office Honor Guard, an International Dinner on Saturday, and the closing Ceremony on Sunday! Come on out to Arlington, VA/Washington, DC to walk with us, enjoy the Fall foliage, and experience all the US FreedomWalk Festival has to offer! Volksmarching at its Best!

Event Name	WEST TEXAS TRAIL WALKERS 3 DAY EVENT
When	Annual 3 day event on Columbus Day weekend
Where	This event rotates among several spectacular sites: Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Ruidoso NM, Davis Mountains, Guadalupe Mountains, Caprock Canyon State Park, and Big Bend National Park.
Host Club	West Texas Trail Walkers
Club Website	www.westtexastrailwalkers.org
Point of Contact	Linda Fields at lgfields@sbcglobal.net or Dianne Duke at d.w.duke@live.com
Schedule	Hikes on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Friday night Wine and Cheese Party to honor our volunteers. Saturday night banquet. (Worker's walks on Wednesday and Thursday).
Comments	Come and explore and enjoy the beauty of the deserts, canyons and mountains of west Texas and eastern New Mexico.

November


Event Name	WALK AROUND FLORIDA 29
When	November 1-3, 2019
Where	Venice,FL
Event Website	suncoastsandpipers.org
Brochure	Flyer
Point of Contact	Alice Lawrence at pipers@tampabay.rr.com
Comments	Organizers invite you to Venice, American style. Enjoy a weekend of walks in a lovely bit of Florida, with gorgeous beaches, quaint shopping districts, and unique natural attractions. And—just maybe—a gondola!

December

Event Name	Holiday Extravaganza
When	Dec. 7-8, 2019
Where	Alexandria, Virginia
Start/Finish Location	Holiday Inn on Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA
Event Website	Northern Virginia Volksmarchers
Brochure	Flyer
Point of Contact	Helen Garamone, email hkgaramone@hotmail.com; phone 571-243-2573
Comments	This two-day event includes three walks, ranging from 5 to 12 KM. Includes a walk in Old Town Alexandria to view the Scottish Walk Parade and Santa, a walk across the Potomac River into National Harbor with all its holiday trimmings, and a walk in DC passing many landmarks decorated for the holidays, to include Union Station, the Botanical Gardens, the Capitol, and the Ellipse. The hotel is the Holiday Inn on Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA. The hotel is offering walkers reduced rates ($99 a night) from Friday, Dec. 6 through Sunday, Dec. 8. Call 703-960-2000 and ask for "Scottish Walk RM Block."

Event Name	CHIRSTMASTIME IN WILLIAMSBURG
When	Annually in December
Where	Williamsburg, VA
Articles and Local Information	Williamsburg Virginia
Comments	Williamsburg is magical at Christmas!

Event Name	NEW YEAR'S IN SEATTLE
When	December 31st and January 1st Annually
Where	Seattle, WA
Event Website	Emerald City Wanderers
Articles and Local Information	About Seattle and Tacoma
Point of Contact	David Madsen, e-mail dmadsen@seattleu.edu phone 206.789.1960
Comments	A fun way to ring in the New Year! Enjoy the club's warm hospitality and the shimmer of the "Emerald City."

Event Name	ANNUAL NEW YEAR'S EVE AND NEW YEAR'S DAY WALKS
When	December 31st and January 1st Annually
Where	Columbia, Maryland
Event Website	Freestate Happy Wanderers AVA -190 www.mdvolks.org/freestate/
Point of Contact	e-mail Linda Hassell wahasse1798@verizon.net
Comments	A fun way to ring in the New Year! Three Trails, Two Events each day. Walkers will enjoy a safe, memorable event with the club providing homemade food, baked goods and a Kids Korner for the young walkers to enjoy. Children under the age of 12 walk for FREE with IVV Credit included. Walkers can visit with other walkers the enjoy Freestate's hospitality. Many YRE's are in the area for you.

Multi-Event Calendar