Festivals & Events
Guest Appreciation Festival (GAF)
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Welcome to GAF, the famous end-of-season festival. 2010 GAF details are still evolving, so be sure to visit often for updates. |
2010 GAF Events All Weekend
NOC's Used Gear Sale: GAF's centerpiece, this end-of-the-season inventory clearance from our rafting operations, Paddling School and staff is the year's best opportunity to find a bargain. The Used Gear Sale is located on river right.
Gear Marketplace: While we'd like to think we're the only ones with cool gear to sell, it just isn't true. That's why we have a gear marketplace where guests can barter and haggle with each other. Click here to download the 2010 Marketplace Vendor Application (PDF). The Gear Marketplace is located on river right.
Blowout Deals in the Outfitter's Store: At GAF we price to sell, and we even work with our vendors to blow out their extra inventory. Expect 10-50% off throughout the store, and even bigger deals out front. The Outfitter's Store is open for the following hours: 9am–8pm Friday, 8am–8pm Saturday and 9am–5pm Sunday. The Outfitter's Store demo fleet goes on sale at 8am Saturday.
Rafting and Paddling: Our events are fun, but they can't beat the Nanty! Call now for a trip reservation, or reserve when you get here at the Wesser General Store.
Games and Clinics: Set up across NOC property are games, local organizations and clinics that anyone can participate in all weekend long. We'll have the cornhole-toss game, climbing wall slide, paddling video premieres, fishing programs, water-cannon battles, a bouncy house, foamykayak building and racing, throw bag clinics, a big American Whitewater raffle and much more.
Live Music at The Pourover
The Secret B-Sides: The B-Sides pay homage to American music in its most popular and urban styles. From church, way out to the club, and back to church again, the B-Sides preach a gospel all about love. What the world needs now is flowers and chocolate, and a good band to dance to, and the B-Sides never fail to deliver.
The Trainwreks: Voted number one alt-country band in western NC two years in a row, the Trainwreks bring "dirty tonk" music to the show on Saturday night.
Jen and the Juice: Headling GAF this year is Asheville's own Jen and the Juice. If you missed them at The Pourover this summer, this is your chance to boogie down to a singularly hip mix of swingy, bluesy, refreshingly original funk and folk.
2010 Tentative Schedule
| Friday Schedule of Events | |
| NOC Used Gear Sale | 9am |
| Outfitter's Store Sidewalk Sale |
9am |
| Rock Wall/Attractions Open | 11am |
| NOC Paddling School Surf School | noon |
| Canoe Club Challenge Practice |
3pm |
| Appalachian Storytelling | 3pm |
| Dagger Dash | 5pm |
| Special Alpine Tower Sampler | 5pm |
| Live Music: SW3 Jazz Trio |
5pm |
| Head to Head Climbing Competition | 6pm |
| Live Music: The Secret B-Sides |
9pm |
| Saturday Schedule of Events | |
| NOC Used Gear Sale Resumes |
8am |
| Outfitter's Store Opens |
8am |
| Rock Wall/Attractions Open |
9am |
| Book Signing: Leland and Andria Davis | 9am |
| Trail Running Event | 9am |
| Pyranha Varun Debut |
10am |
| Appalachian Storytelling |
10am |
| Bike Trials with Doug White | 11am |
| Hometown Throwdown |
noon |
| NOC Paddling School Surf School | noon |
| Deuter Trail Event |
1pm |
| Reptile Show |
2pm |
| ShredReady Wakeboard Spectacular |
3pm |
| Emotion SUP Surf Challenge |
5pm |
| Canoe Club Challenge Practice |
5pm |
| LiquidLogic Headhunter Race |
6pm |
| Live Music: The Trainwreks |
7pm |
| Live Music: Jen and the Juice |
9:30pm |
| Sunday Schedule of Events | |
| NOC Used Gear Sale | 9am |
| Outfitter's Store Opens | 9am |
| NOC Canoe Club Challenge | noon |
Event Information
Book Signing with Leland and Andria Davis: The owner/operator/author/publishers behind two very popular whitewater guidebooks--North Carolina Rivers and Creeks and The River Gypsies' Guide to North America--and the popular Yoga Ventures video series will be in front of the Outfitter's Store to discuss paddling, books, the great outdoors and more.
Hometown Throwdown: Freestyle kayakers of all skill levels are welcome to compete at the site of the 2013 International Canoe Federation Freestyle World Championships. The anticipation for the 2013 event combined with the large turnouts characteristic of GAF, mean that this competition could be huge! See event details and register online at World Kayak's blog, and read about the HTTD hosted at the same feature in July. On-site registration is from 11am to 12pm on Saturday at the wave.
Parking GAF Weekend
Because GAF is so popular, and because we'll still be running normal rafting operations GAF weekend, our on-site parking won't accommodate all of Saturday's turnout. Please plan on the possibility of parking at a satellite lot and/or riding a free shuttle to and from the event. NOC will have additional parking located approximately a half mile up Silvermine Road (across from the Outfitter's Store) that won't require a shuttle, and NOC will also have other parking lots east of the main campus (on US 19/74) that will be clearly marked on the event weekend. These lots are close by and will have ongoing shuttle access throughout the day.
Click here for a blog post regarding parking GAF weekend.
Restaurant Event Weekend Hours
River's End Restaurant: Friday 8am-9pm, Saturday 7am-9pm, Sunday 8am-7pm
Slow Joe's Cafe: Friday 11am-12am, Saturday 7am-12am, Sunday 10am-10pm
Relia's Garden Restaurant: Friday through Saturday, 5pm-10pm
