Looking to make your next great memory outdoors? Check out the annual Gateway Outdoor Expo & Summit, November 14–16 at St. Charles Convention Center (1 Convention Center Blvd., St. Charles).
The event is geared toward a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and skill levels. “We probably skew a little bit more toward the novice, just because those are the folks who we want to reach to attract them to the outdoors,” says Brad Kovach, deputy director of River City Outdoors, which organizes the event. “If you are already an outdoors person, we want you there, because your community will be there.”
Discover your next outdoor adventure
Subscribe to the St. Louis Outdoors newsletter to get smarter about hiking, biking, paddling, climbing, and camping within the St. Louis region and beyond.
The event kicks off Friday with the summit, which is aimed at industry professionals. Then, the expo takes place from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday. Attendees can expect 150 booths that highlight gear, outdoor destinations, and info about nonprofits, outreach programs, and outdoor advocacy groups.
During Basecamp presentations, experts will also share about such topics as land stewardship, equity in the outdoors, and backcountry trekking. Author, filmmaker, and keynote speaker Eddy L. Harris will also share about his experiences as an outdoor explorer and storyteller.
Visitors can also try such activities as a climbing wall and small mountain bike course. “We don’t want the event to be just a trade show—we want it to be an active experience,” Kovach says. “We want you to try your hand at stuff that you may want to go out and pursue after the expo.”
To that end, organizers have added two activities: On Saturday at 9 a.m., a 10k with the St. Charles Runners Club will take participants from the expo center to Frontier Park and back. Then, on Sunday beginning at 9 a.m., there will be a bike ride along the Katy Trail, as well as a mountain bike ride on nearby Bangert Island.
“We hope the run and rides will be a nice way to build engagement, let people have some fun, and get a taste of the outdoors,” Kovach says, “before coming in and continuing their journey at the convention center.”
