Southern Gap Elk Fest

Join us for our fourth annual Southern Gap Elk Fest which features music, mountain games, elk tours, a mountain arts showcase and more, October 26-28, 2023 at Southern Gap Outdoor Adventure.

The festival opens Thursday, October 26 with the traditional Wild Game Dinner sponsored by the Buchanan County Chamber of Commerce. The event is a hot ticket item so you are advised to get your tickets to the dinner early!

The overall event is hosted by Buchanan County Tourism, Southern Gap Outdoor Adventure and the Visitor Center, SWVA Sportsmen and the SWVA Coalfields Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Guided elk tours, bonfire storytelling, a youth archery tournament, wild game calling demonstrations, a mountain arts showcase, the Great Pumpkin ATV Hunt, mountain games, a petting zoo, a rock wall, an inflatable obstacle course for kids, pond fishing, a BB Gun range, hoverball, chain saw carving, basket weaving, music and more will be featured.

Educational workshops will be offered on beekeeping, photography, birding, basket weaving and more.

All of the events will be held at indoor and outdoor locations surrounding the Southern Gap Visitor Center.

Admission to daily festival events is free, however, there are fees for guided elk viewing tours, the Great Pumpkin ATV Hunt and the wild game dinner. Sign-ups for the elk tours are limited and are first come, first serve in advance on site at the visitor center. Lodging and camping are available on site, as well as in the nearby Town of Grundy.