It's more likely you've heard the news, but have lots of questions.
Either way, you've come to a great place to get started on the topic of GeoWoodstock XVIII!The reason for that is I am one of the four lead planners who have been working on this since summer 2018. We have been growing a super team of volunteers (PS: we will be calling for MORE volunteers shortly), and are extremely excited to be welcoming Geocachers from around the world to the first GeoWoodstock hosted in Canada.
Why is it in August?
Traditionally, GeoWoodstock events have occurred primarily in May or July, on US long-weekends. This time, GeoWoodstock XVIII will be hosted on August 22, 2020, exactly one week after the August 15 "20th Anniversary Celebration" event in Seattle.It's pretty cool to consider that the Pacific NorthWest will be hosting a week-long GeoExtravaganza unlike anything that has occurred here before.
Geocachers can travel to Seattle for an unprecedented party at Seattle Center (home of the Space Needle!) and then the next day head east to the Going APE mega event and enjoy the cool summer walk through the 2 mile long Tunnel of Light to claim the APE cache there!
If that isn't enough, detour south on Monday and stake your claim on the Original Stash (don't forget to ask the GPS spirits for increased battery life!) and then make your way northwards for the events leading up to GeoWoodstock XVIII on Saturday, August 22.
Why is it in Canada?
The honour and responsibility of hosting a GeoWoodstock event is sought out by those interested in taking that on through a bid process, which is well defined on the GeoWoodstock.org website.Our team decided we would take the chance of putting our "hat in the ring" and put together a bid, following the processes. Being Canadians, our intention was to host it at home, and we built a working relationship with TRADEX, a fantastic event venue in Abbotsford, BC.
At the end of the bid review process, our team was awarded the opportunity to host, on the date and in the location we had proposed.
As mentioned earlier, the location also makes this a fantastic opportunity for geocachers to experience the GeoExtravaganza week of events and possibly make their first visit to British Columbia, Canada (that's 2 souvenirs if you haven't been here before!). This is made really easy by our venue proximity to Seattle, Vancouver, and several international airports.OK, So How Do I Find Out More?
This blog was intended to give you a taste of what's coming and some key info, but what I really want to do is point you to the key resources that will give you timely information on-going for GeoWoodstock XVIII.Here's the four "pro tips" I can offer you!
- Are you thinking you'll come? Start by logging your "will attend" at GC86VDF.
- Want to make sure you don't miss ANY important info? Sign up for the newsletter!
- Looking for a comprehensive source of all event, travel, regional, and geocaching information? Visit the GeoWoodstock website (active starting June 20, 2019)
- Want to get regular audio updates? Follow the Caching in the NorthWest podcast; the official podcast of GeoWoodstock XVIII!
Want to get exclusive inside scoops on geocaching in the Fraser Valley and the Pacific NorthWest? All kinds of amazing perks are available to LANMonkey patrons - check it out on our Patreon site.
