The festival scene is not all flower crowns, flash tattoos and über-Instagrammable boho-chic outfits. While music festivals may dominate your social feeds, fitness festivals are all the rage right now. Think sun salutations overlooking an oceanic backdrop, running paths with breathtaking mountain views and bike trails leading to the best microbreweries. So forget Coachella and Fyre Festival (well, definitely forget Fyre Festival), and consider hitting up one of these summer fitness festivals — floral headpieces not included.
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9 Summer Festivals for Fitness and Fun
1. Mountain Sports Festival
Location: Asheville, NC
Dates: May 26–28, 2017
Cost: Free
Why you should go: Because it’s run by people who seriously love Asheville. Now in its 17th year, the Mountain Sports Festival is all about celebrating the great outdoors in Asheville’s stunning Blue Ridge Mountains. Whether you’re a professional mountain bike rider or you’ve got your eyes on a 5K, there’s something on the lineup that’ll excite you. The Memorial Day Weekend event spans the entire town, from the mountains to the river. You’ll see musical guests, sample local beer and food vendors and check out the latest outdoor gear. Community-oriented Asheville locals organize the festival, so you know you’re getting the best the area has to offer.
2. Telluride Weekend of Wellness
Location: Telluride, CO
Dates: June 8–11, 2017
Cost: $175–$1,500
Why you should go: You’ll get to exercise more than just your body. WOW has been called “a weekend-long TED Talk for the fitness industry.” If you’ve ever wanted to chase your CrossFit workout or dance cardio class with a Q&A session with a sports psychologist or professional trainer, WOW has you covered. It’s filled with in-depth Behavioral Learning sessions, so your mind will get a bootcamp, too. You’ll also get to create a customized program based on your needs and goals. But sign up now: WOW likes to keep things intimate and only accepts a limited number of guests.
3. Wanderlust Yoga Festival
Dates and locations: June 9–11, 2017 (Snowshoe, WV), June 22–25 (Stratton Mountain, VT), July 20–23 (North Lake Tahoe, CA), August 3–6 (Whistler, BC), August 24–27, 2017 (Mont Tremblant, QC)
Cost: $15–$460
Why you should go: Wanderlust is the OG of fitness festivals. It takes place in more than 20 cities across the U.S. and Canada throughout the summer. But don’t let the name fool you: The super popular event isn’t just for yogis. The weekend-long festivals include daily yoga classes, group runs, sunset hikes, stand-up paddle boarding and chill nighttime vibes (think farm-to-table cuisine, organic wine and hanging out by a campfire).
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4. Pacific Crest Triathlon & Weekend Sports Festival
Location: Sunriver, OR
Dates: June 23–25, 2017
Cost: Varies by event
Why you should go: If you’re an endurance sports junkie, this is the festival for you. Whether you want to run a family 5K, marathon, triathlon or all of the above, you can do it at the Pacific Crest Weekend Sports Festival. The event brings more than 5,000 athletes to central Oregon, where they can choose from 15-plus events in multiple disciplines. So if you’re a runner, but your significant other’s a cyclist, you can hit up the same festival. (Don’t forget to sign the kids up for the children’s races!) And once you’ve all crossed your respective finish lines, find each other in the beer garden and enjoy the live entertainment.
5. Maine Yoga Fest
Location: Portland, ME
Dates: July 7–9, 2017
Cost: $15–$160
Why you should go: Head to the northeast to spend two days doing yoga in as many forms as possible. From beginner-friendly classes to paddleboard yoga and aerial workshops, there’s something for everyone at any level. Throw in a few music sessions, hula hooping classes, meditations and lectures in the mix to enhance your practice. We promise you’ll leave feeling refreshed, limber and tempted to take up permanent residence on a yoga mat. And you’ll never do the same thing twice: The festival has 44 teachers ready to help you get your down dog on.
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6. Virgin Festival of Sport
Location: Westminster, England
Date: July 9, 2017
Cost: Approximately $58.27 (£45)
Why you should go: As the brainchild of Virgin head honcho Richard Branson and former New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg, the festival is in its debut year. This summer it’ll set up shop in London for a 10K race around the city. Runners will have a royally good time zooming past Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Westminster and more. The race culminates in a massive finish line festival. Bonus: Free race photos! Can’t make it to the UK? Virgin Sport comes stateside for a San Francisco festival in October.
7. Telluride Yoga Festival
Dates: July 20–23, 2017
Location: Telluride, CO
Cost: $140–$450
Why you should go: It’s the most popular yoga festival in America. The four-day event offers more than 100 classes and workshops including yoga, meditation, music, hiking, dining, SUP yoga and social events. And if you have some downtime, ride the town’s gondola to check out the local shops and galleries, or #treatyoself to one of Telluride’s award-winning spa experiences.
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Photo: @AllCommunityEvents
8. Fitness for America Sports Festival
Location: Hoffman Estates, IL
Date: July 22, 2017
Cost: Varies by event
Why you should go: This festival is all about fun for the whole family. There’s a 250-meter dash for the kids, a 10K and half-marathon for the adults, and professional inline skating for the adventurous types. The festival is all about promoting health, fitness, family and community involvement — smiles mandatory.
9. SeaWheeze Half Marathon & Sunset Festival
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Date: August 12, 2017
Cost: $158 for the race, $45 just for the Sunset Festival
Why you should go: This Lululemon-sponsored festival kicks off with an oceanfront half-marathon and culminates with a sunset yoga party. Because what better way to celebrate a 13.1-mile race than by doing sun salutations as the sun sets with a bumpin’ soundtrack. This year’s festival headliners are Young the Giant and the Cold War Kids. NBD. (There are also additional yoga classes and a runner’s brunch to keep runners limber and well-fed before and after the race.)