RiverRocks, one of the premiere events in Chattanooga, and the top fall outdoor festival in the Southeast, will be Oct. 5-14.

RiverRocks offers something for everyone – young and old, from elite athletes to weekend warriors, casual observers, music aficionados and outdoor enthusiasts of all kind.
Over the past two years tens of thousands of Chattanoogans and visitors from all across the country have participated in the festival’s activities.

This year the festival will include bouldering, trail running, kayaking, rowing, cycling, open water endurance swimming, mountain biking, hiking and paddle boarding for both expert and novice competitors as well as casual participants of all ages. RiverRocks enlists the aid of dozens of outdoor groups and sponsors to help organize, promote and host the festival.

Highlights from the 10-day festival include: Over the Edge, where 70 rappellers will descend 20 stories off of the top of one of Chattanooga’s tallest buildings Oct. 5. A ground breaking concert using Chattanooga’s Gig City ultra-high speed internet capabilities to showcase Tennessee musicians on the RiverRocks stage in a collaborative live performance with artists thousands of miles away, hot air ballooning and a spectacular display as a huge wooden sculpture commissioned for the festival is burned to close out the evening’s festivities.

Athletes from more than 44 states and several countries have already signed up to participate in some of the marquee events. Chattanooga will be host 1200 rowers from around the Southeast competing in the Chattanooga Head Race. Australian swimmer Penny Palfrey, world record holder for the longest unassisted open water swim, and Martin Strel, “The Big River Man”, will be participating a 10 mile swim through the Tennessee River Gorge called Swim the Suck. RockCreek’s nationally renowned Stump Jump 50K trail run has already had to cut off registrations at almost 800 athletes however a new 5 mile trail run, hosted by the YMCA, is planned for the following weekend. 

A new RiverRocks Adventure Kids program will take place in Coolidge Park Oct. 13 complete with zip lines and archery along with other fun activities and programs focused on educating future generations on the importance of protecting and preserving our environment.

RiverRocks' mission is to help save the abundant land and watersheds set aside through conservancies and land trusts for future generations. RiverRocks has contributed more than $70,000 to local conservation organizations in the last two years.  Beneficiaries include the Tennessee River Gorge Trust, the Trust for Public Land, Lula Lake Land Trust, North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy, Cumberland Trail, Lookout Mountain Conservancy, Friends of Moccasin Bend and the Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center.

For a complete list of events visit RiverRocksChattanooga.com.

For a complete list of events happening this fall or for more information, visit www.tnvacation.com , facebook.com/tnvacation, tnvacation.com/triptales/, or twitter.com/tnvacation/.