Fun Events for Summer Road Trips 2022
RV trippers are extremely lucky in the U.S., since the country boasts a huge variety of destinations from coast to coast. Looking for a beer festival? Live music? Arts? Sports? We’ve got some ideas for you below, spread across North America. Many have designated camping areas or suggestions on where to stay locally to make things easy. Whether you make the activity your destination or just a fun stop on a bigger trip, here are ideas to get your juices flowing.
For art fans, the Ann Arbor Art Fair is a Midwest tradition that boasts nearly half a million attendees each year during its three-day course. The largest juried art fair in the nation, Ann Arbor Art Fair will be July 21-23, 2022, and features nearly 1,000 artists spread across 30 city blocks in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan. This art fair is comprised of three independently juried, nonprofit fairs that run consecutively - Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original; Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair; and Ann Arbor State Street Art Fair.
If you find your stomach growling, consider a trip to the northeast for the Maine Lobster Festival, August 3-7. Originally a local marine festival to revive Midcoast Maine communities, it has morphed into an internationally recognized event full of local seafood. The annual event brings in visitors from around the globe, looking to feast on fabulous Maine coast seafood.
There’s a seafood cooking contest, parade, children’s activities, even a Maine Sea Goddess Coronation event, so you won’t be bored. There are nearby campgrounds, and if you choose to stay in a nearby town, you can take a free shuttle bus downtown to the festival.
In Portland this summer, you’ll find the Oregon Brewers Festival, July 28-30. As one of the nation’s longest-running craft beer festivals (founded in 1988), the Oregon Brewers Festival offers a beer (or several!) for every palate. Sip independent craft beer and cider along the banks of the Willamette River with Mt. Hood in the distance.
Don’t worry, there are six food trucks at the festival, so you won’t go hungry. Minors are welcome at the event too (parents need to sign a form), so this can be a fun family event.
While RV parking isn’t close, the area has a vast public transportation light-rail system, so brewfest-goers can park outside the city and catch a ride to Portland. This way you can enjoy the natural beauty of Oregon and also experience a fun event.
Check out the Calgary Stampede in Canada, July 8-17, for an iconic rodeo experience. Billed as the world’s largest outdoor rodeo, the Calgary Stampede features the world’s toughest competitors. After you watch cowboys and cowgirls ride bucking horses, rope calves and run barrels, stay for the evening doubleheader, a show on the grandstand. Just announced, Blake Shelton will perform; other music acts will be announced soon.
The Calgary Stampede is a not-for-profit community organization that preserves and celebrates western heritage, culture and community spirit. While at the Stampede you can also take in fun activities like freestyle motocross, the Dog Bowl (highly-trained animal athletes), and the Stampede Powwow, one of Canada’s largest competitive powwows. And of course, don’t forget the midway and tons of food options.
If you want to head even further north, consider the Copper River Salmon Jam in Cordova, Alaska, where you’ll find fishy, artsy fun. There are musical performances from local and regional acts, fun activities for kids, specials offered by local eateries and more. The Salmon Jam is a fundraiser to support art and cultural performances for Cordova, and college scholarships for local graduates, plus summer art camp scholarships for teens.
As part of the Copper River Salmon Jam, the Alaska Salmon Runs are dedicated to the five species of salmon native to the area, and Cordova has a thriving wild salmon migration. Experience the scenery on a local running course, with everything from a 1-mile fun run/walk to a full marathon.
The U.S. and Canada are brimming with fun activities for summer 2022 at every turn. For additional ideas on fun summer activities, search the Chambers of Commerce in communities you’d like to or are planning to visit. You never know where your next adventure might be!
And with desirable destinations across the country be sure your RV is ready for the differing conditions at every locale. Aqua-Hot’s new 125 Hydronic Heating System (with gas and diesel models) is high altitude ready up to 16,000 feet with no add-ons needed. Whether you’re fishing for lobsters at sea level or exploring the Alaskan Chugach Mountain Range, you won’t have to worry about the performance of your Aqua-Hot system.
With the longer hours of daylight in the summer you’ll also want to be sure your RV window shades are ready to provide extended hours of light-control and privacy. United Shade now offers a Dark Out Kit that lets RVers transform their ordinary pleated shades into blackout window treatments. They’re easy to install and enhance both the light control abilities of your existing shades and the level of privacy they provide.