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• SBVC - Lake Lopez California: Arroyo Grande Harvest Festival Weekend!

  • Start
    Thu, September 24, 2026
  •  
    4:00 PM
  • End
    Sun, September 27, 2026
  •  
    12:00 PM
  • Location
    6800 Lopez Drive, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
  • Spaces left
    35
  • Registered
    5 registrants

  Register

  
  

  

  Lake Lopez - Arroyo Grande Harvest Festival
  
  The Arroyo Grande Harvest Festival is a local favorite event that features everything from entertainment to food, scarecrow and baking contests, games for the kids, movie night, and so much more! This family-friendly event highlights the best of Arroyo Grande and its neighboring communities. Harvest festival not your thing? Lake Lopez has lots to offer as well, with fishing, boating, zip-lining, water slide activities, hiking, and more! Also the Arroyo Grande area has several wonderful wineries minutes from Lake Lopez for touring and tasting! The village of Arroyo Grande is sprinkled with antique shops galore as well! 
  Your weekend is only limited by your imagination folks! 

  So come join us for a four day weekend of fun, friends and relaxation! 
  
  When: Sept 24 - 27, 2026 @ Lopez Lake Recreation Area-El Jardin Group Site
  
  Thursday-Check-in starts at 3pm-come on in, set up, settle in, meet your fellow campers and enjoy some snacks after all that set up work! 

  Friday-Harvest Festival starts in the afternoon at 4pm, so that gives you the whole morning to explore Lake Lopez itself, or the surrounding areas. 
  Saturday-Today's got a lot going on, with the Harvest Festival Parade from 1000-1130AM in town. Followed by the Harvest Festival Wiener Dog Races from 2pm-3pm. 

  Sunday-A mellow morning of breakfast with your fellow campers and packing up, as check out is at 1100AM. 
  So come on out to this central coast location and enjoy your Great Outdoors folks! 

  PARKING LIMIT-As always, there is a limitation of how many vehicles (ANYTHING with a license plate {car, truck, travel trailer, motorhome} counts!) of 10 vehicles for this trip. So please please please, carpool if you can, and if there's any question, please touch base with your trip leader:
  Joe D-805-588-1142
  [email protected]

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• LA - Hike & Party in West Hollywood

  • When
    Sat, October 03, 2026
  •  
    11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Location
    1000 Kings Rd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
  • Spaces left
    17
  • Registered
    18 registrants

  Register

  
  

  West Hollywood Urban Hike &

  Election/ Volunteer Party

  Includes a Free Mediterranean Lunch

  We have reserved the community room in Kings Road Park for our election party and to acknowledge our volunteers. Everyone is welcome but you must register and be a Great Outdoors member. A free Mediterranean lunch will be provided after our walk.

  Registration: The event is FREE for GOLA members.  However, a refundable $20 deposit from members will be required during registration. Refunds will be made in cash when members arrive. This helps to ensure we order the correct amount of food.

  Volunteers needed! If you can help with setting up, organizing, serving, and cleaning up please contact:  Russell Hammerl   

  Agenda:

  • 11:00 AM: Pre-Party Hike, Gather in the Park for a walking tour of pocket parks in West Hollywood. These are very interesting little parks with fascinating histories and enchanting designs,
  • 1:00 PM: A delicious Mediterranean buffet lunch with vegan options
  • 1:30 PM: Election results, Volunteer Acknowledgement, Upcoming Events, etc.  
  • 2:00 PM: Dessert and socializing 
  • 3:30 PM: Put away chairs and tables, cleanup, hugs and goodbyes.

  
  

  Directions: Kings Road Park, Just south of Gelson's.

  Address: 1000 Kings Rd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
  

  Nominations and Voting:  Please nominate your officers by clicking here prior to Sep. 15. You must be a member of LA Chapter to vote. 

  Cancellations:  No refunds will be made for cancellations. 

  Parking: Easiest option is the Kings Road Parking Structure, 8383 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood. 

  Nominations and Ballots will be emailed before the party.
  

  
  

  Congratulate our new officers, thank volunteers, celebrate a new Great Outdoors calendar year with other G.O. members, and make new friends!

  Enjoy a delicious Mediterranean buffet of kabobs, hummus, chicken, salads, vegan options and more. Dessert will be after the presentations.

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• SD - Education - Great Outdoors: The Beginning of the Queer Outdoors Recreation Movement

  • When
    Sat, October 10, 2026
  •  
    10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
  • Location
    Virtual Sign Up Here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/oneinstitute/2371870
  • Registered
    15 registrants

  Register

  Great Outdoors: The Beginning of the Queer Outdoors Recreation Movement

  Saturday Oct. 10th, 2026 at 10am via Zoom 

  In Dedication of Great Outdoors Founder Paul Breton, who passed on Sept 13th, 2026 at 7:05pm PT. Rest in Peace Father Paul.

  "May we all remember him not in sadness due to his passing, but in all of the wonderful memories we were blessed to make with him." -OCLB President Daryl Arthur

  

  The Beginning of the Queer Outdoors Recreation Movement is a presentation by California Great Outdoors journeying through the decades of the queer outdoors recreation movement, with the SoCal outdoors LGBT+ community being at the heart of the movement. Great Outdoors is the longest running queer outdoors organization in the United States with a rich history. We will travel through the decades, starting from when Great Outdoors was ideated in 1977 by founders Greg Carmack and Paul Breton to today’s thriving national and global queer outdoors recreation movement.

  Join Great Outdoors Archivist Tyler Roosden as they set the stage with a historical account of The Beginning of the Queer Outdoors Recreation Movement through the archives of California Great Outdoors, ultimately culminating into a modern Leadership Studies approach to creating queer belonging in community. Our program will discuss themes like culture, technology, pride, recognition, and core values. Specific topics will include leadership training, awards programming, event planning, organizational design, gender equity, language, global pandemics, arts, access, and community collaboration. Our history is highlighted by the stories of BIPOC and queer trail blazers including volunteer-members Patrick McCollum, Darlene Bjork, Mack Gerighty, Dixie Paradise, Greg Carmack, Rowena Muldavin, Paul Breton, and Jamie Charles.

  The virtual presentation, including 30 minute Q&A, will take place on Saturday October 10th from 10:00am to 11:30am PT.

  This project was made possible thanks to the Lambda Archives of San Diego staff and ongoing archival support of ONE Archives at the USC Libraries (California Great Outdoors’ official archives).

  
  

  Costs involved: Free! Register here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/oneinstitute/2371870

  Note: You will not receive the Virtual presentation link until you sign up with the URL above. Signing up for this event will only provide you reminders before the virtual event on 10/10 at 10am PT.

  Who to Contact with Questions: GO Archivist Tyler Roosden at [email protected] 

  
  

  Great Outdoors San Diego EDI Statement

  Great Outdoors San Diego and our members enjoy the privilege of using the outdoors for recreation. We strive to include more of our community, especially those historically not included. Please encourage your friends, neighbors, and community members to come out and join us! If something is holding them back, please contact GOSD to explore accommodations including equipment available for lend or sponsorships for events.

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• SBVC/CORP - 48th All Chapter Conference and Campout

  • Start
    Fri, October 16, 2026
  •  
    3:00 PM
  • End
    Sun, October 18, 2026
  •  
    1:00 PM
  • Location
    Cachuma Lake Recreation Area, 2225 CA-154, Santa Barbara, CA 93105

  Register

  ~~Into the Woods with the Great Outdoors~~
  Join Us for the 48th Annual All Chapter Conference
  and Campout Hosted by GO-SBVC

  WHEN: Friday, October 16
  WHERE: Cachuma Lake, Santa Barbara
  TIME: Arrive at 3:00 PM
  

  
  

  The Great Outdoors 2026 All-Chapter Conference and Campout
  Hosted by GO-SBVC at the beautiful Cachuma Lake

  Into The Woods with the Great Outdoors—A Weekend Full of Adventure

  Hello and welcome. Our story begins Friday afternoon as we welcome friends from every Great Outdoors chapter to beautiful Lake Cachuma. After settling into camp, join us for a GO-SBVC hosted Tea, a casual opportunity to enjoy light refreshments and to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. Dinner is on your own. As the evening falls, we'll gather for a special guest presentation in the spirit of celebrating the good nature of the Great Outdoors.

  Saturday morning we wake to a hearty breakfast provided by GO-SBVC before the day's adventures begin. Great Outdoors Officers and Core Group members will gather for their annual corporate meetings, where the business of our organization is conducted. Anyone interested in learning more about how Great Outdoors operates or seeing the process firsthand is welcome to attend.

  For those not attending the meetings there are several ways to enjoy the day. Local GO-SBVC members will lead you on a scenic guided hike through the beautiful Lake Cachuma area or guide you through an excursion into the nearby Santa Ynez Valley wine country. If you'd rather explore on your own you can visit the beautiful new Chumash Museum and Cultural Center to learn about the rich heritage of the area's original inhabitants or try your luck at the nearby Chumash Casino Resort, both just a short drive away.

  
  

  Saturday afternoon brings a little friendly competition as the chapters square off in our spirited Horseshoe Tournament. Whether you're aiming for a perfect ringer or simply cheering from the sidelines, it's all about fun, laughter, and chapter pride.

  As evening falls, we'll gather once again for one of the weekend's highlights—a fantastic GO-SBVC provided Loaded Baked Potato & Salad Bar accompanied by the Bring & Cook Your Own Meat on the BBQ. We've got two large BBQ grills and we'll be there to help for those unsure around the grill-just be sure and bring your meat. Enjoy a delicious meal while sharing stories around the campground before celebrating together at our annual Awards Ceremony, recognizing the volunteers and chapters that help make Great Outdoors thrive.

  Then, as every good fairy tale deserves a musical ending, we'll enjoy a special live musical presentation to include audience participation. Raise your voice around the campfire as we celebrate another memorable year together.

  Before everyone heads home on Sunday morning, we'll share a GO-SBVC provided continental breakfast, exchange hugs and goodbyes, and bid farewell until our paths cross again on another trail.

  No magic beans are required—just your sense of adventure. We can't wait to welcome you Into the Woods with the Great Outdoors!

   

  We have 6 RV spaces available (no hookups) for our RV travelers, along with parking space for 24 vehicles. RV spaces do not include a towed vehicle and there are no hookups. Whether you're driving, riding along as a passenger, a guest, or simply want to join for part of the weekend adventures, we welcome you to register in advance so that you can be a part of our 2026 All Chapter Conference and Campout.

  If you are an RV traveler and require hookups there may be available sites, but you will need to check with the park https://www.countyofsb.org/cachuma-lake.

  We have reserved the Lanford Memorial Grove Group Campsite at the north end of the park.

  Link to camp map https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/499e2bb7-b3bb-4a3e-a635-cd4cd5aec544

  Everyone attending must be a member and register for the conference. Not a Great Outdoors Member yet? No problem. Join Here: https://greatoutdoors.org/join

  Don't forget your 10 essentials - The 10 essentials are a collection or system of items that significantly increase your safety on any hike or outdoors trip. This is not an exhaustive list of anything you could ever need. You can visit the link included Here.

  Tentative ITINERARY
  
  FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16
  3:00 PM    Arrive and check in 3 o'clock and after
  5:30 PM    Meet-n-Greet w/ Afternoon Tea
      Introduction to Corp Board and a word from OE
  6:30 PM    Bring Your Own Dinner
  7:30 PM    Entertainment Event
  
  SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17
  8:00 AM    SBVC Hosted Breakfast
  9:00 AM    Business Meetings (see schedule below)
   TBA           Hike
   TBA           Bring Your Own Lunch
   TBA           Wine Tasting Trip
   TBA           Horseshoe Contest
   TBA           Happy Hour
  5:30 PM    SBVC Hosted Dinner
  6:30 PM    Awards Ceremony
  8:00 PM    Entertainment
  
  SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18
  8:00 AM    SBVC Hosted Continental Breakfast
  1:00 PM    Clean-up, pack and depart
  

  Approximate SATURDAY BUSINESS MEETING SCHEDULE
  9:00-11:00     Outgoing Board Meeting, Standing Committee Chairs and Chapter Reports, Elections Meeting
  11:00-11:30    Incoming Board Meeting, scheduling next year’s board meetings    
  11:30-12:30    All-Chapter Outings Calendar & Trip Planning    
  
  

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