History:
As early as the 1980's river and nature enthusiasts created a festival in Index, Washington to celebrate what they named the Sky Festival. River enthusiasts, rafters, kayakers, and residents of the area put together a local river festival that was centered around the love and wonders of the Skykomish River. This event attracted over 600 participants and spectators in the river events located between Skykomish, WA and Gold Bar, WA.

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In 2003, to recognize and celebrate the vision of the Wild Sky Wilderness, the festival was renamed the Wild Sky Festival which also was centered around river events, incorporating education and environmental issues of the area. In 2008 the Wild Sky Wilderness was approved by Congress as one of the nation’s newest Wild and Scenic Wilderness Areas, securing the future of the river, mountains, and watershed for future generations.  During this time Outdoor Adventures worked with original proponents, nationally-recognized associations such as American Whitewater, and Washington paddle clubs to rejuvenate the festival into a celebration of the Wild Sky Wilderness and the unique features of the Skykomish Watershed. The vision and goals for the Wild Sky Festival were to incorporate all of the outdoor activities that are unique and special to this geographical area. Along with celebrating the river opportunities, Outdoor Adventures invites partnerships with area residents, businesses, schools, clubs, and organizations to create an event that draws participants and spectators to the Snohomish County recreational corridor for a weekend of experiences that we like to call Mild-to-Wild events and festivities.
 

Our vision for the future of the Wild Sky Festival is to continue to increase participation by offering a wide range of quality activities, competitions, and exhibits - making this one of the west coast's largest outdoor festivals.