FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Thousands of visitors gathered at the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayette County on Saturday, October 17, for Bridge Day 2026, despite chilly temperatures and windy conditions during the morning hours.
The annual event, which ran from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., drew large crowds throughout the day as visitors walked across the New River Gorge Bridge, watched BASE jumpers leap into the gorge below and visited numerous vendors.
Weather conditions were particularly chilly and windy as the event got underway Saturday morning. However, the sun eventually made an appearance, bringing some relief to visitors.
Despite the cold start, the weather did little to discourage attendance, with the bridge remaining packed with visitors from the opening of the event until its conclusion at 3 p.m.
This year’s celebration featured approximately 290 registered BASE jumpers from 43 states and four countries. Organizers had anticipated between 750 and 800 jumps throughout the six-hour event, although final jump totals were not immediately available.
Approximately 170 vendors and food trucks were also expected to participate, offering food, merchandise and other items to visitors.
Bridge Day is one of West Virginia’s largest annual events and provides the public with a rare opportunity to walk across the 3,030-foot-long New River Gorge Bridge, which normally carries vehicle traffic along U.S. Route 19.
The bridge stands approximately 876 feet above the New River and is known internationally for its BASE jumping activities.
The event is organized by the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce and has been held annually since 1980, with some exceptions.
Admission to Bridge Day was free, although visitors using designated park-and-ride shuttle services were charged $5 per person.
The event also required the temporary closure of U.S. Route 19 across the bridge, with traffic diverted through surrounding routes.
Bridge Day 2026 officially concluded at 3 p.m. Saturday, marking another year of the popular fall tradition in the New River Gorge.
Bridge Day 2027 is scheduled for Saturday, October 16, 2027.
