Second Outside Festival in Denver reports 35,000 attendees

If the goal is South by Southwest for the outdoors, the Outside Summit and Outside Festival last week in Denver is a solid step in that direction.

Attendance at the four-day event — two days of an outdoor industry gathering and two days of a festival in Denver’s Civic Center park — drew 35,000 people, nearly doubling attendance from the debut event last year .

A two-day Outside Summit preceded the two-day festival. The summit featured speakers and panels for 950 outdoor industry business leaders, policymakers and athletes. In the days around the event, the Adventure Travel Trade Association held its annual meeting, the seventh annual Elevate Conservation gala gathered 20 outdoor advocacy groups, national and local politicians held meetings, Trout Unlimited held its annual Troutfest at