More than 7,000 people expected to participate in the annual GeoWoodstock XVI

During the week of May 20 and culminating on Memorial Day weekend, more than 7,000 visitors will make their way into Greater Cincinnati for GeoWoodstock XVI, an outdoor geocaching festival where participants use Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and devices to find “caches,” waterproof containers with log books, trinkets, or other items inside them.

GeoWoodstock XVI is an annual event that travels to a new destination each year. This year, the event was awarded to the Clermont County Convention & Visitors Bureau and AFK Geocaching, who are cohosting the event in Clermont County and throughout the entire Greater Cincinnati region.

“The GeoWoodstock organizing committee was impressed with the quality of the proposal to host and Clermont County CVB’s long history of successful events,” said Brad Simmons, spokesperson for GeoWoodstock.

“We enjoyed exploring the wide variety of cultural offerings in Clermont County and the surrounding Cincinnati region. Geographically, the east side of Cincinnati gave us a great opportunity to bring the event to a new part of the country that was easy to reach by road or air and would allow a new population of geocachers to make the trip.”

Due to the event’s popularity and Cincinnati’s convenient Midwest location, GeoWoodstock XVI is the first geocaching event in the United States to achieve “Giga-Event” status, which means that more than 5,000 households are expected to participate in the event. Only five geocaching events in the world have attained Giga-Event status – four in Germany and one in the Czech Republic.

Currently, 5,030 households have registered for this event with additional family members, children, and friends expected to join the trip, far exceeding event attendance expectations. These visitors will come from diverse geographic locations, including all 50 states and international destinations, including Germany, Italy, Egypt, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada.

“We are excited to co-host this truly global event,” said Jeff Blom, President of the Clermont County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “It has been in the planning stage for a long time, but our staff, the geocaching groups and our many volunteers are going to make this a very fun and memorable event for all the GeoWoodstock attendees. We look forward to hosting all of our domestic and international visitors attending this wonderful event.”

Main geocaching event will be held at Coney Island Amusement Park on May 26

The main event will take place on Saturday May 26 at Coney Island Amusement Park and will comprise a number of events, including a packed schedule of speakers, geocaching presenters, live music, food and lunch buffets, vendors and exhibitors, and a family-friendly kids’ area. In addition, event attendees will have full access to the park’s rides, pool, and waterpark.

While GeoWoodstock XVI itself is only a one-day event, visitors are expected to start arriving as early as the Monday before the event and stay through the Memorial Day weekend. Thousands of visitors will seek lodging in Clermont County and throughout the entire Greater Cincinnati region, including Northern Kentucky and Hamilton, Warren, and Butler counties. In addition, many visitors are expected to camp at the Clermont County Fairgrounds, East Fork State Park, Stonelick State Park, and other locations.

“For our Clermont County and Greater Cincinnati communities, the visitor spending of thousands of guests during GeoWoodstock will have a very positive impact on lodging, dining, shopping and many of our regional attractions,” Blom added.

Free and discounted family-friendly entertainment attractions throughout the week

The Clermont County Convention & Visitors Bureau is providing visitors with entertainment opportunities throughout their stay. Starting on Wednesday, May 23, the Bureau has arranged for discounted family entertainment at the Cincinnati Zoo, Newport Aquarium, Kings Island, and Scene 75 Entertainment Center. This will allow families the opportunity to check out some of Cincinnati’s biggest family-friendly attractions at discount prices at any point during the week.

On Wednesday, May 23, the streets of New Richmond will be shut down, where GeoWoodstock visitors will enjoy a street party on Front Street along the Ohio River. This event will include live music, food trucks, beer vendors, games, and entertainment for the whole family to enjoy. This event is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend.

Thursday, May 24, will feature an outing to Great American Ballpark for a Reds game followed by an Evening Mixer at Mt. Carmel Brewing Co.

Aside from GeoWoodstock’s main event on Saturday May 26 and arranged side events and entertainment, geocachers are expected to explore the Greater Cincinnati region during their stay and hit as many geocaches, tours, and trails as possible.

For more information about Geowoodstock XVI, please visit www.geowoodstock.us.