New outdoor festival coming to Berea this weekend
May 13—Berea's brand new outdoor festival, called SummerFest, will be welcoming warmer days at the Pinnacles on May 18, featuring a variety of activities and booths for the whole family.
One of the businesses leading the endeavor is Get Outside Kentucky, a local recreation company that offers bike and kayak rentals, sales, repairs and collaborates on local events and tourism.
Alex Sipple, owner of Get Outside Kentucky, expressed excitement at getting to showcase all the great outdoor activities available in Madison County.
"Summer is when we really get to connect with more people through tourism and meet new faces from around Kentucky. We're hoping this festival will be a fun way for community members and visitors to learn about the local outdoor and nature organizations in one place," said Sipple. "SummerFest is a great opportunity to educate people on all the natural beauty and talent we have in Madison County."
The organizer noted that, in addition to music and activities, there will be information about upcoming events and ways people can get involved with groups like Peace Craft and the Pinnacles Forestry Center, who are also sponsoring the event.
Laura Wick of PeaceCraft explained how the fair trade store will contribute, saying, "At our retail store on College Square, we have a great selection of outdoor games and toys, and we'll have a bunch for everyone to try out on Saturday at the PeaceCraft tent. Additionally, all of our items are ethically made and directly benefit workers and artisans, so every purchase is doing good for the world."
Wick has her fingers crossed about this weekend's event, as she hopes this becomes an annual event to kick off summer in Madison County.
"We hope to have a great turnout at the inaugural event and are so excited to share our Fair Trade toys and games as we celebrate the start of a great summer together. As a local non-profit, we're always looking for ways to build up a better world, and SummerFest is a perfect way for locals and visitors to enjoy the outdoors together and kickstart summer!" she said.
Events at the festival will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Activities will include a 9 a.m. bike ride, then a 10 a.m. guided hike, with a break at noon where people can sit with their snacks for a picnic featuring live music. Then, guests will be able to take part in a solar projecting demonstration at 2 p.m.
According to Sipple, there will be other various activities and games throughout the day and people will want to bring a snack for the picnic. Organizers will be distributing a cold treat to enjoy as well.
