Dayton Ohio - Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience

Free Outdoor Adventure Festival at Eastwood MetroPark, Dayton OH

What started as an event to highlight outdoor gear has grown to a two-day festival featuring almost every outdoor adventure sport in which that gear is used.

The Midwest’s premier outdoor adventure festival returns Oct. 7 & 8, 2023

Explore the active side of Dayton with the whole family at Five Rivers MetroParks’ 2023 Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience. Again this year, the event will feature two days of outdoor adventure from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, at Eastwood MetroPark, 1385 Harshman Road in Dayton. Admission and parking are free.

Try an Outdoor Adventure

Try your hand at more than 25 outdoor activities, open to all ages and skill levels, in various experience areas throughout Eastwood MetroPark. Add to your knowledge at the Bike Village and get rolling on the pumptrack. Build outdoor living skills at the Outdoor School and discover backcountry camping at the Osprey Backcountry Zone. Children can try a variety of outdoor activities at the Youth Adventure Zone, including animal encounters, climbing and nature play. Other activities include:

• Climbing
• Mountain biking
• Disc golf
• Fishing
• Slacklining
• Paddling (flat and whitewater)
• Cycling

Watch Outdoor Adventure Demos
Festivalgoers can view freestyle kayakers and stand up paddleboarders on the Mad River Run. Watch riders take BMX tricks to new heights with two ramps. Slackliners reach new heights and balance while performing tricks in the air.

Compete in the Great Outdoors
Attendees also can enter competitions, including the Ohio River Road Runners Club’s 12-hour endurance run and:

• Dock dogs competition
• Kayak Cross competition
• SUP Cross competition
• National Association of Professional River Anglers Super Wade Fishing Tournament

Exhibitors, Contests, Music and More
Exhibitors will offer new outdoor gear and accessories for purchase, and local clubs will link festivalgoers will resources to help get them outside. A used gear area will be managed by Arrow Adventures for those who wish to consign their old gear. A portion of the consignment fees will support the Five Rivers MetroParks Foundation. Exhibitors will close at 8 p.m. on Saturday, but the event continues until 10 p.m. so event participants can enjoy live music, food and more at the festival and the Great Lakes and Fifty West Beer Garden. 

The music lineup, selected by 91.3-FM WYSO, features regional acts from multiple genres. Fill up with offerings from a wide selection of different food trucks. Free water will be available, and guests should bring their own non-glass cup or purchase a steel cup at the event to help Five Rivers MetroParks keep the festival waste-free.

Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience vendors commit to the event’s waste-free initiative and will not be selling plastic water bottles. Food will be served using compostable serviceware.

Camp for the weekend!
Bring a tent and camp for the weekend on the banks of the Eastwood Lagoon. Campsites are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Limited space will be available for small campers and vehicle camping.