Plans being finalized for the 30th Bridge Day celebration

By Courtney D. Clark

West Virginia will host the one of the world’s largest extreme sporting events again next weekend in Fayetteville.

Bridge Day will shut down traffic Saturday along New River Gorge Bridge as an anticipated 80,000 spectators walk across it legally.

The New River Gorge Bridge opened Oct. 22, 1977, and Bridge Day began a year later. The annual event, in its 30th year, has taken place every year with the exception of 2001. It now acts as the state’s largest single-day gathering.

Visitors to Bridge Day 2009 will have the opportunity to watch in awe as 350 BASE jumpers plummet from the word’s second-longest single arch bridge, shop at 200 vendor booths lined up along U.S. 19 and absorb the breathtaking autumn scenery that paints the perfect backdrop for “one of the smallest cool towns” in the nation.

“With all available vendor spaces sold out and jumpers traveling from India and all over the world, it is guaranteed to be another great year,” Bridge Day chair Cindy Dragan said.

On each side of the 876-foot-tall bridge, booths will be set up selling crafts, souvenirs and clothing. Also at each end will be a Bridge Day welcome booth, a bike check provided by the Fayette Plateau Ministerial Association and 50/50 ticket sales from West Virginia Blazers professional basketball team members. The tickets are $5 each and the drawing will take place Monday, Oct. 19.

Dragan, of the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, said they will be selling SustainU official commemorative Bridge Day T-shirts.

“Bridge Day, SustainU and Goodwill Industries will be teaming up to offer a unique ‘One Shirt’ campaign,” the organizer said. Anyone wishing to participate can bring a clean, used shirt or item of clothing to the chamber’s booth at either end of the bridge and receive a $5 discount on SustainU’s shirts. “All clothing donations will be collected by Goodwill,” she added, “to support the mission of providing employment, education and training for people with disabilities.”

A few additional booths of interest include booths 4 and 5, where visitors can watch the BASE jumpers as they pack their chutes and get ready for the jump of their lives; an LED large screen, sponsored by Little General, in booths 1 through 3, where spectators can catch a glimpse of jumpers as they land nearly 900 feet below; highline and rappel information in north booth 6; and a baby-changing station at the New River Episcopal Ministries south booth 145.

Suddenlink will give away Bridge Day certificates in south booth 75.

“Bridge Day is the perfect venue to show the rest of the world what New River Gorge has to offer,” Dragan continued. “But there are plenty of events going on in connection with Saturday’s main event.”

Friday and Sunday will offer a plethora of events and entertainment, including chili cook-offs in downtown Fayetteville and Montgomery, live music and a car show.

Dragan said she wants to remind visitors that no backpacks will be allowed on the bridge this year. “It’s a security thing,” she explained. “We just want to make sure we keep everyone safe.”

Bridge Day is sponsored by Little General Stores and is planned by the Bridge Day Commission. The commission is made up of individuals from the Fayette County Commission, Chamber of Commerce, town of Fayetteville, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, the West Virginia Division of Highways and West Virginia State Police. The National Park Service has an advisory position on the Bridge Day Commission, was established in 1991 by the West Virginia Legislature.

For more information, visit Bridge Day’s official Web site at http://officialbridgeday.com/.

— E-mail: cclark@register-herald.com