Press ReleaseFrom Thursday, August 8th to Sunday, August 11th, the Rivers, Trails, and Ales Festival will once again take over East Muskingum Park for the 9th year in a row, bringing over a thousand locals and tourists together to hit local rivers, trails, and ales providers with a celebration of all things outdoor adventure and all things local.
“The RTA Festival is set apart from other local festivals because its core foundation is all about promoting active lifestyles,” says Eric Dowler, RTA Festival Director. “RTA Fest gives insight into how awesome and transformational events like yoga, hiking, mountain and road biking, paddling, and just walking downtown can be for a person and our local economy.”
Over the course of RTA Fest weekend, over 50 different events will take place for people of all ages to enjoy. From Gnome Adventure Hikes at Kroger Wetlands to Group Road Rides to Nature Hikes at Broughton’s Nature and Wildlife Education Area to Yoga in the Park and a variety of paddling events, RTA Fest captures a full spectrum of activities available year-round in Marietta.
We sometimes take for granted what we’ve been given, so RTA Fest is a way for us to show off what is here and happening all year long in Marietta and Washington County.
“RTA Fest means expanding an energetic and positive community. It means encouraging folks to head outside and enjoy our local waterways, city trails, beautiful roads, and vibrant downtown. We sometimes take for granted what we’ve been given, so RTA Fest is a way for us to show off what is here and happening all year long in Marietta and Washington County,” shares Dowler.
The 9th annual RTA Fest is expanding its offerings once again, with additional Gnome Adventure Hikes, a new Gravel Mountain Bike Ride, a new paddling event, a Kids Trail Run, an expanded Beer Festival set to take place on Saturday, August 10th at 4 p.m., and for the first time ever an Ale Trail.
“Festival participants can use their Ale Trail Passport to collect stamps at all the participating Marietta establishments throughout the weekend and exchange them for a prize. Completing the passport will gain the participant entry into next year’s beer festival. How can you beat that?” says Jeremy Stackpole, RTA Festival Ales Director.
“The RTA Beer Fest is the culmination of the ales portion of RTA weekend. It is meant to capture the unique beer culture of Southeastern Ohio’s breweries and showcase the talent found so close to home,” says Stackpole.
The RTA Festival is free to attend. Proceeds from the festival benefit Marietta Main Street, the Marietta City Trail Fund, and other funds relevant to the mission of the event.
To learn more about the RTA Festival, access the 2019 Festival Program (including a Kids Guide), or to volunteer to support the many events this festival brings to the community, visit www.rtafest.com or on Rivers, Trails, and Ales Festival on Facebook.