What to Expect at Joe’s Valley Fest 2024
What can you expect from this year’s Joe’s Valley Fest? Incredible climbing. Fun events where you’ll get to know fellow climbers and the local community. And the opportunity to help with service projects to protect and improve Joe’s Valley.
There’s a reason about 15,000 climbers representing six continents come to Joe’s Valley each year to tackle the thousands of sandstone boulder problems. With a variety of climbing styles and great climbing at various grade levels, there’s something for every boulderer. And at the family-friendly Joe’s Valley Fest 2024, you’ll experience that and a whole lot more, from stewardship and educational activities to a rodeo, raffle, and hoedown you won’t soon forget.
Read on for important info for ticket holders and some cool history about this premier climbing event.
Joe’s Valley Fest 2024 Schedule Highlights
The 10th annual Joe’s Valley Fest kicks off on Thursday, October 3rd. Once you arrive, your first stop should be registration at the Castle Dale Visitors Center to pick up your festival tickets and event swag. We’re kicking off the festivities with a volunteer project in Orangeville to give back to the local community, followed by a new addition to our schedule, the Orangeville Olympics. Sign up for the pickleball or cornhole tournament, do some craft projects with the kids, and enjoy food from local vendors—a ghost tour and night bouldering meet-up round out the first night.
On Friday, you can enjoy a morning yoga session, learn about Joe’s Valley geology and fishing, and check out local artisan clinics before the evening’s big event, the Rodeo Games. Sign up for steer riding and hide racing, or just come to cheer on fellow climbers and locals. We’ll end the night with a bonfire with s’mores.
Saturday highlights include climbing clinics, a guided tour of the canyons, a raffle featuring unique products from our sponsors and donors, and a dance party Joe-down to end the night. Spend your last day, Sunday, learning about the Joe’s Valley Coalition, our stewardship organization, helping out at our service day, working on the trails, or picking up trash around town. Check out the Joe’s Valley Fest 2024 schedule for all the details.
Important Info on Joe’s Valley
For information on where to climb, including some of our favorite spots in the three main climbing areas, head to our Guide to Joe’s Valley. This helpful resource also covers the basics of places to stay, where to eat and drink, local showers, and water-fill stations.
During the festival, you are allowed to camp and sleep overnight in your vehicle at the Emery County Recreation Center (75 South 400 East in Castle Dale). There are also vacation rentals, cabins, motels, and campgrounds in the area if that’s more convenient for you. We’ve recommended some in the guide.
For detailed maps, approach info, and beta videos of the climbing area, all available offline, download the digital guidebook on the KAYA app. The Joe’s Valley Bouldering Guidebook was created by Steven Jeffery, a key developer and steward of the area. Proceeds from your subscription support the work of the Joe’s Valley Coalition.
History of the Fest
The first Joe’s Valley Fest was held on Thanksgiving weekend, 2015, and has grown into one of the top climbing events in the country. In 2017, it became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to further its mission of enhancing the local economy, building community, and driving sustainability by bringing rock climbers and locals together around our shared enthusiasm for the outdoors.
In addition to running this annual event, the Joe’s Valley Fest nonprofit organizes year-round stewardship and youth programs. The Joe’s Valley Coalition has dedicated itself to the preservation and sustainable development of Joe’s Valley while supporting the local community. As part of our youth programs, we run weekly day camps in the summer for kids ages 9-16, where they learn all about bouldering from trained instructors.
Join the Fun at the Fest
Tickets for Joe’s Valley Fest 2024 are available now. The money raised goes back into the local community and supports our year-round stewardship and youth programs. We offer a limited quantity of pay-what-you-can tickets for those who can’t afford a regularly priced admission ticket, or you can attend for FREE in exchange for volunteering at the fest.