Bridge Day
Bridge Day isn't really a holiday of sorts, but for West Virginians it's a big deal. The event is a festival held on the third Saturday of October , and people come from far and wide to celebrate New River Gorge Bridge . Oh my word, it's a beautiful area out there, and the bridge is pretty too. I like arch bridges. At one time New River Gorge Bridge was the world's longest single-span arch bridge, and it's still the longest one here in the U.S. It's also the third highest bridge in the country, behind only Royal Gorge Bridge (located in Colorado), and Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (Arizona-Nevada border). During Bridge Day road traffic is closed and pedestrians are allowed onto the bridge. It is legal to BASE jump and rappel from the bridge during the festival, though you'd never catch me dead doing either one. The more rural Tunney Hunsaker Bridge also sees a lot of foot traffic during the festival, for those who hate heights ...