(Courtesy, Pack Rat Outdoor Center)One of the coolest outdoor events in the state is coming up this weekend not too far from Fayetteville.
The annual Brewha Bushwack outdoor adventure challenge and outdoor festival is set for this Saturday, April 1 at Byrd’s Adventure Center, located at 7037 Cass Oark Road along the Mulberry River in Ozark.
The event, organized by Pack Rat Outdoor Center, includes a team-based outdoor skills challenge, testing competitors skills on things like fire building, canoe paddling, knot tying, climbing, rappelling, animal track identification, local plant identification, and more.
“What you know is more important than how fast you are,” reads a description of the event on the website. “Physical challenges will test your endurance, but the goal is to push the limit of your team’s diversity of skills, and ability to work together. Make your own path, and set your own pace – the Brewha Bushwhack is a challenge based on points, not time.”
The team competition for this year is already full, but there are several other activities to check out at the event.
In addition to the challenge, the event also includes several educational clinics throughout the day, hosted by survival and bushcraft instructors, along with a festival featuring beers from local breweries, live music, equipment demos from vendors, and other festivities. Local breweries scheduled to bring brews include Fossil Cove, Crisis, Bentonville Brewing, Ozark, Core, and Point Remove.
(Courtesy, Pack Rat Outdoor Center)Experts expected to lead the survival skills clinics include Teal Bulthuis, Correy Hawk of Organic Archery, Phillip Liebel of Primitive Wilderness Survival, Jen & Keith Syers of Ramshackle Homestead Survival, Jonathan Burton , Amy Valerious of Warlander Enterprises and Tim Coddington the Wildernut. Topics for the clinics include archery and bowmaking, survival skills, primitive techniques, and more.
There’s also a Kid’s Quest, which is like a mini-version of the main skills challenge for kids 8-12 years old to learn skills like map & compass navigation, knot tying, emergency shelters, fire starting, signaling, nature identification, off trail hiking, and others.
Tickets to the festival are $35, and come with a drinking vessel for the local brews, access to the clinics and local vendor booths, three beverages, and live music.
Entry into the Kids Quest is $30, and includes access to the festival. Kids who attend will need weather appropriate clothing for 1-2 hours outside, a small backpack, a 1L water bottle full of water, a baseplate compass, and snacks.
The competition begins at 10 a.m., and the festival kicks off at noon. A schedule of the day’s events is below.
Proceeds from the event benefit Snake Mountain Pack Goats.
For a bit more information, visit brewhabushwack.com.
Brewha Bushwack Schedule
Friday, March 31
5:00 p.m. – Competitor Packet pick up begins
*Possible last minute training opportunity with our special guests. You won’t want to miss this!
Saturday, April 1
8:00 a.m. – Late Passport Pick up
9:00 a.m. – Pre-Bushwhack meeting
10:00 a.m. – The Competition begins
12:00 p.m. – Festival Activities start
1:00 p.m. – Kid’s Quest starts
5:00 p.m. – The Bushwhack is over
6:00 p.m. – Festivities & Awards
This article is sponsored by First Security Bank. For more great stories of Arkansas food, travel, sports, music and more, visit onlyinark.com.
