Festival FAQ
Please stop by the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center! There will be clinics, presentations, food trucks, and more.
What is the Outdoor Adventure Festival?
The greater Indiana Dunes region is packed with outdoor adventure opportunities and the festival brings together all these activities in one weekend with over 70 events. The festival showcases the region’s natural and cultural significance through hiking, paddling, biking, and other activities such as yoga, geo-caching, photography, and birding. There are events for everyone including families, beginners, experts, and those with limited mobility.
When is the festival?
The Outdoor Adventure Festival (OAF) runs from Friday, October 4 at 1:00 pm until Sunday, October 6, at 5:00 pm. Please note that the entire festival takes place in the Central Time Zone.
Where is the festival being held?
The festival is centered at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center in the town of Porter. There are events throughout Porter, Lake and La Porte Counties. Highlights of the weekend include paddling trips on the Little Calumet River, Lake Michigan, and Lake George in Hobart, dozens of hikes led by experts across the entire region, and access to natural areas not normally open to the public.
How can you hold so many events in one weekend?
The festival is possible because of the following organizations which lead events and help put on the festival: Friends of Indiana Dunes, Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana Dunes State Park, Northwest Indiana Paddling Association, Wilderness Inquiry, REI, Save the Dunes, Shirley Heinze Land Trust, Indiana Audubon Society, Northwest Indiana Geocachers, Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve, Orbis Environmental Consulting, Core Power Yoga, Eastern National Bookstore, Dunes Learning Center, Porter County Parks and Recreation, Portage Parks and Recreation, Dunes National Park Association, and the Westchester Township History Museum.
What do I do if I have questions, need directions, etc.?
Please stop by or call the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center at 219-395-1882.
Do I have to register?
Yes. All participants must complete the registration process. Last year, many events sold out. Day-of registration will be available at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center.
How do I register?
You can register for the Outdoor Adventure Festival by clicking on the "Register" tab above.
Is there a fee for the festival?
The Indiana Dunes Outdoor Adventure Festival fee is $10 for adults (18 and over). The fee covers all three days and is good for as many events that you can pack into the weekend. Kids 17 and under are free. Please note that there are a few events that have an additional fee. These are clearly noted during the event selection portion the registration process.
The festival fee will be used to cover certain unavoidable administrative costs such as the registration website. All funds will be collected by the Friends of Indiana Dunes. Any excess funds will be used by the Friends of Indiana Dunes to support their mission of aiding the Indiana Dunes National Park and State Park.
We will not be offering refunds of the $10 festival fee if you cannot make the festival or if an event is cancelled due to the weather.
Where do I meet for my events?
Please check the program description for the meeting location. Although the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center is the main hub for information, almost no programs will start from there. It is important to be at the meeting location of your event 10 to 15 minutes early.
Do I get anything for registering?
Every person who registers for the event can come to the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center during the festival for a festival magnet or sticker. There will be clinics, presentations, food trucks, and more at the visitor center.
Tell me about the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center?
The visitor center is located at 1215 North Indiana State Road 49, Porter, IN, approximately one mile north of interstate 94 and just south of U.S. Highway 20. State Road 49 can also be accessed from the Indiana Toll Road (Interstates 80/90) and U.S. Highway 12.
The hours of the visitor center during the festival will be 8:30 am to 4:30 pm each day. The phone number of the visitor center is 219-395-1882. There will be clinics, presentations, food trucks, and more at the visitor center during the festival.
Where do I go for questions?
The best sources for information are staff at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center (219-395-1882 or stop by) and the festival’s website https://www.dunesoutdoorfestival.com.
Do you have festival t-shirts for sale?
Unfortunately, we do not have t-shirts for the festival. However, the Eastern National bookstore at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center does have several t-shirt designs that celebrate the Indiana Dunes.
Where do we go for food?
We will have great food trucks at the Visitor Center around the lunch hour on Saturday and Sunday. The closest concentration of restaurants and stores is on Indian Boundary Road in Chesterton, about one mile south of the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center.
Do I need a festival name badge?
You do not need a name badge. However, we will have name badges printed out for those want to wear one or need to gain free admission into the Indiana Dunes State Park for one of the specific events being held in the State Park.
Will the Indiana Dunes State Park charge an entry fee?
The Indiana Dunes State Park will charge a per car entrance fee the weekend of the Outdoor Adventure Festival. However, for festival registrants of events that are taking place within the state park, your printed registration confirmation email or name badge (which can be picked up from the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center), will provide free admission into the state park for your specific event.
Do you need an accommodation to participate in an event?
If you have a disability and require an accommodation in order to fully participate in an event, please contact Rafi Wilkinson at 773-573-6414 or rafi_wilkinson@nps.gov. For Deaf or hard of hearing individuals, please call 711 or 800-743-3333. Requests should be made as soon as possible, but no later than September 27..
Do I need anything special for the birding events?
The birding hikes are greatly enhanced with binoculars. If you own a pair or can borrow some, please bring them. We will have a couple of pairs to share during the event.
What do I bring for the yoga classes?
Please be prepared for the yoga classes to be either indoors or outdoors depending upon the weather. Please bring a yoga mat, beach towel, and water. No experience or training is required.
What if the weather is bad?
This is the festival for outdoor adventures, so we will hold the event unless there is active lightning or torrential rainfall. Check the "Schedule" page on the this website or call the visitor center 219-395-1882 for the latest event information. We will relay information back to the visitor center and update the following web resources.
https://www.dunesoutdoorfestival.com/schedule.html
Will you reschedule an event if it is cancelled due to the weather?
Possibly. Check the resources listed in the previous question.
Will you offer a refund of the $10 festival fee if an event is cancelled due to the weather?
No.
Will there be an Outdoor Adventure Festival in 2020?
Yes! Next year’s festival will be held on October 2-4, 2020.
What is the Outdoor Adventure Festival?
The greater Indiana Dunes region is packed with outdoor adventure opportunities and the festival brings together all these activities in one weekend with over 70 events. The festival showcases the region’s natural and cultural significance through hiking, paddling, biking, and other activities such as yoga, geo-caching, photography, and birding. There are events for everyone including families, beginners, experts, and those with limited mobility.
When is the festival?
The Outdoor Adventure Festival (OAF) runs from Friday, October 4 at 1:00 pm until Sunday, October 6, at 5:00 pm. Please note that the entire festival takes place in the Central Time Zone.
Where is the festival being held?
The festival is centered at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center in the town of Porter. There are events throughout Porter, Lake and La Porte Counties. Highlights of the weekend include paddling trips on the Little Calumet River, Lake Michigan, and Lake George in Hobart, dozens of hikes led by experts across the entire region, and access to natural areas not normally open to the public.
How can you hold so many events in one weekend?
The festival is possible because of the following organizations which lead events and help put on the festival: Friends of Indiana Dunes, Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana Dunes State Park, Northwest Indiana Paddling Association, Wilderness Inquiry, REI, Save the Dunes, Shirley Heinze Land Trust, Indiana Audubon Society, Northwest Indiana Geocachers, Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve, Orbis Environmental Consulting, Core Power Yoga, Eastern National Bookstore, Dunes Learning Center, Porter County Parks and Recreation, Portage Parks and Recreation, Dunes National Park Association, and the Westchester Township History Museum.
What do I do if I have questions, need directions, etc.?
Please stop by or call the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center at 219-395-1882.
Do I have to register?
Yes. All participants must complete the registration process. Last year, many events sold out. Day-of registration will be available at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center.
How do I register?
You can register for the Outdoor Adventure Festival by clicking on the "Register" tab above.
Is there a fee for the festival?
The Indiana Dunes Outdoor Adventure Festival fee is $10 for adults (18 and over). The fee covers all three days and is good for as many events that you can pack into the weekend. Kids 17 and under are free. Please note that there are a few events that have an additional fee. These are clearly noted during the event selection portion the registration process.
The festival fee will be used to cover certain unavoidable administrative costs such as the registration website. All funds will be collected by the Friends of Indiana Dunes. Any excess funds will be used by the Friends of Indiana Dunes to support their mission of aiding the Indiana Dunes National Park and State Park.
We will not be offering refunds of the $10 festival fee if you cannot make the festival or if an event is cancelled due to the weather.
Where do I meet for my events?
Please check the program description for the meeting location. Although the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center is the main hub for information, almost no programs will start from there. It is important to be at the meeting location of your event 10 to 15 minutes early.
Do I get anything for registering?
Every person who registers for the event can come to the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center during the festival for a festival magnet or sticker. There will be clinics, presentations, food trucks, and more at the visitor center.
Tell me about the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center?
The visitor center is located at 1215 North Indiana State Road 49, Porter, IN, approximately one mile north of interstate 94 and just south of U.S. Highway 20. State Road 49 can also be accessed from the Indiana Toll Road (Interstates 80/90) and U.S. Highway 12.
The hours of the visitor center during the festival will be 8:30 am to 4:30 pm each day. The phone number of the visitor center is 219-395-1882. There will be clinics, presentations, food trucks, and more at the visitor center during the festival.
Where do I go for questions?
The best sources for information are staff at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center (219-395-1882 or stop by) and the festival’s website https://www.dunesoutdoorfestival.com.
Do you have festival t-shirts for sale?
Unfortunately, we do not have t-shirts for the festival. However, the Eastern National bookstore at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center does have several t-shirt designs that celebrate the Indiana Dunes.
Where do we go for food?
We will have great food trucks at the Visitor Center around the lunch hour on Saturday and Sunday. The closest concentration of restaurants and stores is on Indian Boundary Road in Chesterton, about one mile south of the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center.
Do I need a festival name badge?
You do not need a name badge. However, we will have name badges printed out for those want to wear one or need to gain free admission into the Indiana Dunes State Park for one of the specific events being held in the State Park.
Will the Indiana Dunes State Park charge an entry fee?
The Indiana Dunes State Park will charge a per car entrance fee the weekend of the Outdoor Adventure Festival. However, for festival registrants of events that are taking place within the state park, your printed registration confirmation email or name badge (which can be picked up from the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center), will provide free admission into the state park for your specific event.
Do you need an accommodation to participate in an event?
If you have a disability and require an accommodation in order to fully participate in an event, please contact Rafi Wilkinson at 773-573-6414 or rafi_wilkinson@nps.gov. For Deaf or hard of hearing individuals, please call 711 or 800-743-3333. Requests should be made as soon as possible, but no later than September 27..
Do I need anything special for the birding events?
The birding hikes are greatly enhanced with binoculars. If you own a pair or can borrow some, please bring them. We will have a couple of pairs to share during the event.
What do I bring for the yoga classes?
Please be prepared for the yoga classes to be either indoors or outdoors depending upon the weather. Please bring a yoga mat, beach towel, and water. No experience or training is required.
What if the weather is bad?
This is the festival for outdoor adventures, so we will hold the event unless there is active lightning or torrential rainfall. Check the "Schedule" page on the this website or call the visitor center 219-395-1882 for the latest event information. We will relay information back to the visitor center and update the following web resources.
https://www.dunesoutdoorfestival.com/schedule.html
Will you reschedule an event if it is cancelled due to the weather?
Possibly. Check the resources listed in the previous question.
Will you offer a refund of the $10 festival fee if an event is cancelled due to the weather?
No.
Will there be an Outdoor Adventure Festival in 2020?
Yes! Next year’s festival will be held on October 2-4, 2020.