Here’s what you need to know about this year's Outdoor Wellness Extravaganza.
The event is hosted Saturday at the Lakewood Boathouse at 2410 Lake Whatcom Blvd, in Bellingham, Washington from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
"It's one of the biggest events of the year," said Parker Eckardt, marketing and resources coordinator for Western Washington University's Outdoor Center. "I am really excited to be able to continue this."
Trained staff members will take students on the water to kayak, canoe, paddleboard and sail.
"People really love going out in sailboats," Eckardt said. Of all the events offered, water activities are the most popular.
A lot of students fail to use the outdoor resources that Western offers and part of her job is to encourage people to get outside and take advantage of the opportunities, Eckardt said. The Lakewood Boathouse is far from campus so students don't know they can use it.
"It's a really great resource and a super awesome spot," Eckardt said.
Aside from being out on the water, the event will provide activities for the more creatively oriented. A big event is the tie-dye, Eckardt said. Participants are encouraged to bring their own clothing to dye, but shirts and tote bags will be provided.
"People find out about the outdoor center through events like this," Eckardt said.
The first extravaganza was held in the 2020-21 school year and was organized mostly by the counseling, health, and wellness services at Western. During the coronavirus pandemic, it was incredibly important for students to connect with one another and the outdoors.
"Being able to balance getting outside with personal wellness is important," Eckardt said.
Another big draw of the event is the live music. According to Eckardt, past extravaganzas had a festival style, which they felt took away from the original purpose of the event.
"This year, we are trying to keep it more acoustic," Eckardt said.
The first extravaganza was very casual, Eckardt said. There were around 300 students who attended, and in the following year, that number jumped up to over 800.
“Once students attend events and start knowing more about the Outdoor Center they start coming on excursions and interacting with the different offerings that we have,” said Ben Crandall, assistant director of the WWU Outdoor Center, in an email.
Crandall said the extravaganza will hopefully continue as a yearly event.
“We believe that getting outside in any capacity is an integral part to wellbeing,” Crandall said.
Kazmyn Zercher, a Western alumna and folk singer-songwriter, will be one of the performers at the event. She will perform a two-hour set covering 2000s country and alt-rock while mixing in her originals.
“It's really fun to just add to the ambiance of an environment,” Zercher said.
Being in a safe, beautiful outdoor environment with students her age interacting is rewarding, Zercher said. The outdoor engagement seen at Western is a big reason students enroll.
Both Zercher and Crandall said that transportation to the event was complicated in prior years. There is a $10 charge for on-site parking at the boathouse, space permitting, and a shuttle to pick up students in front of Western’s Performing Arts Center.
“Use the shuttle," Crandall said. "It'll be picking up from [the Performing Arts Center] and running every half hour with a capacity of 20 students per ride."
Ozzy Konez is a sports and recreation reporter for The Front. He is a third-year Visual Journalism major and a member of the Western Tennis Club. Outside of school, you can find him working at the local tennis club, cooking, hiking or at the student rec center. The best place to contact him is at ozzykonez.thefront@gmail.com.
