Tuck Fest Experience Guide

Our favorite weekend of the year is just around the corner.

Tuck Fest is an annual celebration of the outdoor lifestyle featuring competitions, music, yoga, vendors in the outdoor industry, skill-building clinics, and more, arriving April 19-21 at The Whitewater Center.

Here’s some need-to-know info that will be useful all weekend long:

Parking: Tuck Fest is free to attend. There is a parking fee of $12/individual or $40/annual ($25/individual for oversized vehicles). Get there early to avoid peak traffic times. Parking can be up to a half mile walk from the main facility, so wear comfortable walking shoes.

Rideshare: There will be a designated free ridesharing drop-off point on Whitewater Center Parkway. From the drop-off point, it is a half mile walk to the main facility.

Food & Beverage: Outside food and beverage is not permitted on Whitewater Center property. There are numerous options around the facility to grab a cold beverage and a full meal or quick snack.

Pro Comps: New for Tuck Fest 2024 are the three Pro Competitions. These competitions are spectator-friendly and feature athletes competing for $35,000 in cash purses. Each day has a marquee festival with The Dirty Crit taking place on Friday, Deep Water Solo on Saturday and Boatercross on Sunday.  

Competitions: A one-time registration fee will grant you access to dozens of citizen competitions over the weekend. Pricing as follows:

• Pre-registration (Through April 17):
  • Adults 10 and older: $45
  • Youth 9 and younger: $35
• Onsite registration:
  • Adults 10 and older: $50
  • Youth 9 and younger: $40

Weather Policy: Tuck Fest is a rain or shine event. In the case of adverse weather, some events may be shifted to accommodate. In the case of precipitation, bring a rain jacket and soak it in.

Pro Comp

Dirty Crit: A cycling “crit,” short for criterium, is traditionally a short multi-lap route set in a highly populated area. The Whitewater’s spin on this classic concept will take racers through singletrack, around the gravel Channel Loop, and into the drained upper pond of the whitewater channel. The competition begins at 5:00 pm. Meet the athletes here.

Citizen Comps

Night Trail Race & Night Adventure Race: Charge up your headlight and kick off Tuck Fest weekend by competing in a race after dark. The Adventure Race is team-based and scavenger-hunt-style, while the Trail Race is a running race with 5K and 10K options.

Music

The Heavy Heavy: Brighton, UK-based, retro-inspired rock band. Performance begins at 7:00 pm.

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway: Bluegrass band led by award-winning guitarist and songwriter Molly Tuttle. Received second consecutive Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2024. Performance begins at 9:00 pm.

Expos

Vendor village will be open 4:00-8:00 pm. Yoga will be flowing throughout the afternoon at the South Ridge Pavilion.

Pro Comp

Deep Water Solo: The first one to the top wins. Two climbers at a time race head-to-head to the top of the 45-foot Deep Water Solo wall, and the winner from each matchup moves on to the next round in this single-elimination bracket. The competition begins at 4:30 pm. Meet the athletes here.

Citizen Comps

Tuck Fest Half Marathon: An essential race for those looking to collectively cover 26.2 miles over Tuck Fest weekend to receive the Tuck Fest Marathon Challenge award. The race begins at 8:00 am.

There will also be races on bike, foot, climbing walls, flatwater and whitewater all day long. See the full schedule here.

Music

Sam Fribush Organ Trio: Keyboardist from Greensboro, North Carolina, with a funky, soulful vibe. Performance starts at 3:00 pm.

Dylan LeBlanc: A singer-songwriter from Louisiana with songs about navigating adversity and finding peace. Performance starts at 7:00 pm.

Margo Price: Nashville-based country singer-songwriter. Nominated Best New Artist at 2018 Grammy Awards. Performance starts at 9:00 pm.

Expos

Vendor village will be open 10:00 am-8:00 pm. Yoga will be flowing all day long. Clinics include Learn to Raft Guide (2:00 pm), Trail Running 101 (12:00 pm), and more. Yoga will be flowing all day long.

Kid-friendly events

Adventure Architect clinic (11:00 am), Youth Short Track MTB Race (12:30 pm), Family adventure race (1:00 pm), Art in Nature clinic (2:00 pm), Kids’ Yoga (2:30 pm), Solutions to Pollution clinic (3:30 pm).

Pro Comp

Boatercross: A bracket-style kayak race that runs through the class III and IV rapids of the Competition Channel. After dropping in from the bridge overhead, athletes will navigate a series of gates, paddling both upstream and downstream, as they attempt to complete the channel as fast as possible.

Citizen Comps

Short Bike World Championships: The granddaddy of all short bike races. Participants young and old will use 12” kid’s bikes to race head-to-head in heats of four winding through a short, flat-ish course. Multiple years of short bike shredding experience is encouraged. Race begins at 11:00 am.

There will also be races on bike, foot, climbing walls, flatwater and whitewater all day long. See the full schedule here.

Music

Rayland Baxter: Alternative country musician from Nashville, Tennessee. Performance starts at 3:00 pm.

Expos

Vendor village will be open 10:00 am-5:00 pm. Yoga will be flowing all day long.

Kid-friendly events

Benefit of the Bees clinic (11:00 am), Short-Bike World Championships (11:00 am), Youth Trail Race (1:00 pm), Owl Discovery clinic (2:00 pm), Solutions to Pollution clinic (12:30 pm).

Whitewater Center pass activities will be open 10:00 am-7:00 pm all weekend long. View the Daily Activity Schedule here.

You can also hike, bike and run on any of the 40+ miles of trails at the Whitewater Center. We recommend checking the Tuck Fest schedule and avoiding race routes during their scheduled times. View the trail map here.

Whitewater Center is a dog-friendly facility. Dogs are required to be on leash unless in the designated Off Leash area.