Three great events, one wild Saturday

This Saturday, three of the River City’s most popular spring events — XtremeFest of the Blue Ridge, Public Works Day and the Main Street Muscle car show — will come together under one banner for a day of community celebration, billed as Wild Weekend in Waynesboro. Saturday’s happenings have been coordinated by organizers so no one has to miss a single thing.
“Two years ago, when we started, we picked a day for Main Street Muscle, not realizing that XtremeFest and Public Works Day were already on the same day,” said Rick Moyer, events coordinator for Waynesboro Downtown Development Inc., the organizer of the muscle car show. “So this year we all got together. All three events have something different to offer, and they’re all great family events. We moved Main Street Muscle back later in the day, since Public Works Day kicks off in the morning and XtremeFest takes place all day. Since Main Street Muscle is now in the afternoon, people can make a whole day of it with all three events.”
In fact, visitors who complete the full Wild Weekend trifecta will have a chance to bring home something extra. Participants can pick up a map at any of Saturday’s events and get it validated at each location, then turn the map in for the Wild Weekend drawing. The winner, to be announced that evening at the Ridgeview Park amphitheater, will receive an as-of-yet unannounced grand prize, which Moyer has promised will “be a great package, with something in it for everyone in the family.” That’s in addition to a full day of entertainment, education and recreational activities — all totally free.
“It’s been a real pleasure to work together with all the other departments,” said Deana Desjardins, office manager for the Public Works Department. “It’s nice to have that cohesiveness, something much needed in Waynesboro — cooperative events. It’ll be a nice full day in Waynesboro, no matter what you’re into. We’ve got it all on Saturday.”

‘A whole different view of their city’

Kicking off at 10 a.m. Saturday morning will be Public Works Day, now in its ninth year at the city’s public works operations location at 900 Essex Ave. The goal of the event, according to Desjardins, is to give visitors first-hand interactive knowledge of the role Public Works plays in the community.
“We consider it a grassroots event,” Desjardins said. “We’ll have a live bluegrass band and interactive educational exhibits, so our citizens can experience Public Works first-hand.”
Public Works Day will include two brand-new activities — the infrastructure treasure hunt, featuring interactive maps that help participants explore the different sections of public works; and the locate and excavate competition, when parents and kids can team up to discover buried “utility lines,” simulating a city work crew experience.
The celebration will also include the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a backhoe with a seasoned driver and to go up in a bucket truck and get a view of Waynesboro from 40 feet in the air.
“They get to go up and take a look around,” Desjardins said. “It’s a whole different view of their city. It’s a very, very popular event.”
Food vendors will be on site to provide refreshments. Public Works Day will wind down around 2 p.m. Saturday. For more information, visit http://www.waynesboro.va.us or call the Public Works office at 942-6624.

‘Hike it, bike it, paddle it, climb it’

Also beginning at 10 a.m. and lasting until dusk, XtremeFest of the Blue Ridge will return to Ridgeview Park for the third consecutive year. The event focuses on the four major outdoor recreation opportunities available in the Waynesboro area — hiking, biking, paddling and climbing.
“The biggest thing is really promoting a healthy active lifestyle in the outdoors,” said Dwayne Jones, superintendent of Parks and Horticulture for the city of Waynesboro. “Not every kid wants to play soccer, and this is a chance for kids and families to experience something more. They have the opportunity to experience these activities on a small scale.”
New this year is the Zorb, a huge inflatable ball that can take the lucky winners of hourly drawings on a ride down a hill in Ridgeview Park. Everyone will have the opportunity to see the Zorb and climb inside the structure; XtremeFest is the first place outside the Zorb Park where people can experience the Zorb.
Back for this year’s XtremeFest are popular activities like the King BMX Stunt Show, the 25-foot mobile climbing wall, the extreme bungee jumper and obstacle course, the pull-up competition and the opportunity to test out a variety of kayaks on the South River. Experts will be on hand to ensure the safety of all participants and provide information and guidance for anyone who wants to learn more about any activity. Talks and classes taking place throughout the day will give attendees more information on safety, equipment use and more.
“We’ve teamed up with Rockfish Gap Outfitters and Blue Ridge Mountain Sports, plus a bunch of clubs and organizations,” Jones said. “They pack up years and years of experience in the area with places to go hike and paddle and climb. We’re in between two great hiking areas, two miles from where the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive meet.”
Plenty of equipment and food vendors will be stationed at the event, and attendees can enter to win raffles and door prizes. The activities will end around 5 p.m., and XtremeFest will close with a showing of the movie “King Lines,” featuring world-renowned rock climber Chris Sharma, at the park’s amphitheater at dusk. The winner of the Wild Weekend in Waynesboro grand prize will also be announced at the movie.
For more information about XtremeFest, visit http://www.waynesboro.va.us or call the Parks and Recreation office at 942-6735.

‘Really fast cars in a really safe environment’

Opening at 2 p.m., with registration for car owners beginning at noon, will be Main Street Muscle, the third annual car show taking place on Main Street downtown between Wayne and McElory streets. According to Moyer, the number of car enthusiasts who bring their muscle cars to display at the show has increased each year — as has the number of attendees who come to get a closer look at the classic vehicles.
“The main draw is obviously the cars,” Moyer said. “We line the cars up on both sides of Main Street, so people can walk by and see. They can look inside the cars, talk to the car owners who are right there. It’s also a chance for the parents to bring their kids who may not have seen these kinds of cars before.”
The event will include a vending area, live music by the band No Boundaries and karaoke during the band’s breaks and food, car and beer vendors. There will also be a 50/50 drawing, raffles and giveaways throughout the day. Main Street will be closed from Wayne to Arch and again from Arch to McElroy, so attendees can walk the street and take a closer look at all of the classic cars in safety.
“You won’t have to be dodging cars,” Moyer said. “It’s a good way to see really fast cars in a really safe environment.”
Registration for car owners is $12 in advance and $15 the day of the show. Fifteen trophies will be awarded, including trophies for best in show, best club participation, best Mopar, best GM and best Ford.
For more information or to register, e-mail Moyer at or visit http://www.waynesborodowntown.org.