Celebrate our 50th Anniversary all year in 2026!

Seventeen Anniversary events throughout the country!

Special 50th Anniversary Commemorative Passport Book for those who attend all 17 featured events, or who can attend 8 of them. See info here.

View List of Events

January 9-11 – Boulder City, NV (Pacific Region)
– AVA Chairman’s Anniversary Celebration

Carl Cordes, Chair of the AVA Board, has planned a three-day kickoff celebration in Boulder City, NV, 25 miles south of Las Vegas, and home of Hoover Dam. Sponsored by the Las Vegas High Rollers and Strollers, there will be a mix of self-guided and group walks, as well as two socials. Walks include the Historic Railroad Tunnels Trail in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, part of the Rails to Trails Conservancy; Bootleg Canyon, and Veterans Memorial Park. The fajita group dinner is sold out Friday night. Saturday evening, the city is sponsoring the Best Dam Wine Walk through historic Boulder City, which counts as a 5K (and we get a discounted price of only $15). The block of rooms at the host hotel, the Best Western Hoover Dam Hotel are sold, but you can find lodging options at Hotels in Boulder City, NV and Motels in Boulder City, NV. Walk-up registration will be available at the Best Western. Get information on all the walks and socials here.

 

February 20-22 – San Antonio, TX (Southwest Region)
– 6th Annual Texas Trail Roundup IML

The annual IML Texas Trail Roundup returns in 2026 to San Antonio, TX, one of only two IML events in the United States. Friday will be the 50th Anniversary Walk in Fredericksburg, TX where the first volkswalk took place in 1976. The walk will take you through this beautiful hill-country town of German heritage, with many shops and restaurants. Buses will take you back and forth for this milestone event. Saturday the IML kicks off in San Antonio with 42K and 21K events, along with 12K and 5K events. Sunday choose walks of 21K, 10K and 5K. Get information on registration, all walks, and socials here.  Get a special hotel rate of $125 at the Springhill Suites by Marriott Downtown/Riverwalk

March 20-22 – Williamsburg, VA (Atlantic Region)
– Atlantic Regional Conference

The Virginia Volkssport Association is sponsoring the 2026 Atlantic Regional Conference in Williamsburg, VA to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route. A pre-walk will be in Fredericksburg on March 19th. Other walks will take place in Colonial Williamsburg, the Civil War Redoubts, and the New Town section of Williamsburg, along with Jamestown, the original English settlement, and Yorktown, the site of the surrender of the British forces to the Americans and French. Two bike routes will be available, one in Williamsburg and one in Yorktown. There is also a swim available at the hotel all three days. Details are being planned now. A special hotel rate is available at the Best Western Historic District, 351 York St. in Williamsburg, for $130 per night Friday and Saturday, $94 for Thursday and Sunday. Get information on registration, hotel reservation, all walks, and socials here.

April 17-19 - North Central Region
– Memories on the Mighty MO

Join the Nebraska Trailblazers for Miles of Memories Across the Mighty Missouri Friday, April 17th – Group walk on Council Bluffs First Avenue Trail at 5 p.m. on Friday evening to help celebrate Rails to Trails 40th anniversary. First Avenue Trail is part of the Great American Rail Trail that spans 3,700 miles between Washington, D.C., and Washington State and traverses through Council Bluffs! This portion of the trail is lined with trees, native prairie plantings and a series of murals.

Saturday, April 18th – Traditional event starting from 9-11 a.m, finish by 1 p.m. at Rivers Edge Pavilion, walking the newly opened Tree Top Trail, the Bob Kerrey Bridge, an award-winning pedestrian bridge connecting Iowa and Nebraska, and the beautiful downtown Omaha RiverFront Parks. Lunch will be available at the Rivers Edge Pavilion. This walk is sponsored by Council Bluffs Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

Saturday, April 18th afternoon museum tours in Council Bluffs-Tour the Squirrel Cage Jail, a rare three-story rotary jail designed for maximum security with minimal staff. Now a museum, it offers a glimpse into a unique chapter of penal history and is known for its intriguing architecture and reported hauntings. After visiting the Squirrel Cage Jail, walk next door to the Union Pacific Railroad Museum. Housed in a historic Carnegie Library you can explore 150 years of our nation’s westward expansion history.

Sunday, April 19th – Group walk at 10 a.m. in Nebraska City, walking the trails through Arbor Lodge State Historical, a beautiful 72 acre arboretum and home to the estate which was the original home of J. Sterling Morton of Morton Salt fame, the founder of Arbor Day. The walk will include a visit to Arbor Day Farm, the Lied Lodge and traverse tree-lined streets in the historical downtown.

For more information, visit our website at nebraskatrailblazers.com.

May 16-20 – Northeast Region
– Walk the Story that Changed the World: A Multi-day Event on Revolutionary War Battle Sites

Empire State Capital Volkssporters invites you to “Walk the Story that Changed the World: A Multiday Event on Revolutionary War Battle Sites” from May 16-20. The first walk in historic Johnstown, NY on Saturday, May 16 includes a parade and an historic reenactment. Sunday, May 17 offers up to 3 options, Crown Point, with a scavenger hunt, Ft. Ticonderoga and Ticonderoga Village, home of Trekonderoga, the Star Trek Museum and Ticonderoga pencils. Monday takes us to Schuylerville, the surrender site for the Battle of Saratoga, the Turning Point of the Revolution. On Tuesday walk Lake George Village, showcasing the strategic waterways for military movement and operations during the Revolution. Wednesday, ESCV’s regularly scheduled Wednesday walk series, is in Round Lake, a former 19th century Methodist Camp, now listed on the National Historic Register. Two bike rides are offered, one from Lake George on a rails to trails path, the other through Saratoga National Historic Park and Gerald B. Solomon National Cemetery. Due to an early enthusiastic response, we have relocated our host hotel to a larger property that can accommodate our entire group, and where our social events/meals will take place. The new location is the Georgian Lakeside Resort, (518) 668-5401, booking code WALKNE26. Courtyard rooms cost $119 + tax, Lakeside rooms $169 + tax, no elevators for the upper level. The Galley will serve a hot & cold buffet breakfast for a special $15 p/p on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. On other days breakfast can be directly purchased there or in town. Earlier registrants can remain at the Quality Inn, a half mile away, or transfer to the new location. Get Information on registration, hotel reservation, all walks, and socials here. An exciting innovation this year is the opportunity to register and pay online.

June 6-7 – Black Hills, SD (North Central Region)
– 40th Annual Crazy Horse Memorial Volksmarch (Saturday Only) and Black Hills Walk

Join the Black Hills Volkssport Association for the 40th Annual Crazy Horse Memorial Volksmarch at the world’s largest mountain carving in progress. This is a delightful hike to the top of the mountain to walk on the arm of the Crazy Horse Memorial. Bring 3 cans of food, and only pay $4 fee to walk to the top. On June 7 we will do a morning Volksmarch at Outlaw Ranch outside of Custer. There are more than a dozen yr round or seasonal walks available in the Black Hills area with physical start boxes.

June 19-21, 2026 - Indiana and Illinois
- Mid-America Regional Conference

Come join us for the Mid-America Region’s Conference in June. Start off your adventure at a city walk in the vibrant and exciting town of Terre Haute, Indiana. Then head on across the border to Illinois. Your next stop is for an evening social at the Stix Bar & Grille in the new, growing section of Mattoon, Illinois easily assessable to Interstate 57. The next morning head down the road to historic Charleston, Illinois home to the fighting Panthers of Eastern Illinois University. The 10KM walk will take you on a walk to the downtown square of Charleston passing through parks and up a few hills and finishing on the campus of Eastern Illinois University. The 5KM walk is a campus walk through EIU past several beautiful and historical campus buildings and over to the campus pond and on a portion of the Woodall trail. Eastern is one of the most easily walked and user friendly campuses in the United States. Take a quick breather and head a short distance over to Fox Ridge State Park. We will spend Saturday afternoon and evening in this wonderful Illinois State park. We will meet at the Stone Shelter built in 1936 by the Civil Conservation Corps for a picnic lunch ending with a piece 50th anniversary cake. The afternoon walk will take you through the park on paved and some short trails. Stick around after the walk for an evening of pizza and fellowship under the stars far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. On Sunday before heading home join us for one more walk in the wonderful state of Illinois. More details to follow. You know what they say – the midwest has some of the friendliest people in the world. So come join us for fun, fitness and friendship. Get information on registration, all walks, and socials here.

July 24-25 –San Francisco, CA
– 50 Works of Art for 50 Years of Walking

The San Francisco Bay Bandits will prepare a walk that features the city’s public art. This includes art from the Great Depression’s New Deal to the 1985 1% for Art program and the recently announced Big Art Loop. 1% for Art requires sizable projects (new buildings or large additions to existing buildings) to invest 1% of their budget to art that’s accessible to the public. Walkers will see outdoor pieces as well as indoor installations. Big Art Loop provides large, existing pieces to be placed around the city, for pre-determined amounts of time.


The same walk will be available for two days – Friday and Saturday, July 24 & 25 – to ensure that some of the indoor pieces will be available to view as not all buildings are open on Saturdays.

July 28 - August 1 – Colorado Springs, CO (Rocky Mountain Region)
– Rocky Mountain Rendezvous

The Falcon Wanderers in Colorado Springs will highlight one of the most beautiful areas in the state – Garden of the Gods. It sits beneath Pike’s Peak, and within its environment, there are grasslands, stunning red sandstone formations, and mountain forest. It is a Natural National Landmark and free to the public. Additional walks will explore the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in NE Denver; the high-plains equivalent of Bryce Canyon: The Paint Mines in eastern El Paso County; the gold-mining town of Victor; The American Black Forest north of the Springs; and Stratton Open Space – a foothills walk away from traffic.

August 28-29 – Boston, MA (Northeast Region)
– AVA 50th Anniversary Walk in Boston

Plans are being created for a cruise from Boston (more info later), but in the meantime, the Walk ‘N Mass Volkssport Club is working with Rob McDaniel for two walks in the Boston area. More info to come.

September 7 – Mackinaw City and St Ignace, MI (Mid-America Region)
– Annual Mackinac Bridge Walk

The walk across Mackinac Bridge is a huge opportunity to promote America’s Walking Club in 2026. We will help the Mid-America RD with all aspects of the event. This is the only day a year when the Mackinac Bridge is closed to traffic until noon so pedestrians can walk across and enjoy the views of the Straits of Mackinac. The total walk across the entire bridge and back is 20k but people can choose to walk as far as they want, then turn around. Get information on registration, all walks, and socials here.

September 24-27 – Astoria, OR (Northwest Region)
– NW Regional Conference “Walking in the Footsteps of Lewis and Clark”

The Oregon Trails State Volkssport Association is planning their Regional Conference for the Northwest in Astoria, OR. The event is called Walking in the Footsteps of Lewis and Clark, and will feature daily walks, meet and greet and a dinner. Located at the mouth of the Columbia River at the Pacific Ocean, Astoria is Oregon’s oldest city, and the first permanent U.S. settlement west of the Rockies. Get information on registration, all walks, and socials here.

October 16-18 – Arlington, VA (Atlantic Region)
– 25th Annual FreedomWalk Festival IML

2026 is the 25th FreedomWalk Festival in Arlington, VA and Washington D. C. This will be a great year to enjoy these events through America’s history in Washington D.C. celebrating our 25th, AVA 50th and America 250th. Arlington will be bustling with excitement on Saturday after the walk with live music and an International dinner that evening. 3 days with different trails each day offering 5K, 10K, 1/2 & Full Marathon along with bike, swim, and so much more! Save the Date for this special IM/ AVA event. We will be offering a special challenge for those who with experience all the US FreedomWalk has to offer! Be sure to check our website starting after November 1 for 2026 updates. www.USFreedomWalk.org

October 28 – November 1
– South Central Roundup “Halloween Klicks on Route 66”

Route 66, the most famous highway in the U.S., celebrates 100 years in 2026. The Sunflower Sod Stompers and other South Central clubs will host 5 days of walks celebrating AVA’s 50th, and Rte. 66 100th birthdays. The events are a collection of walks called “Hoofin’ It On Halloween Along Route 66”. More details to follow.

November 6-8 (tentative dates) – Tampa Bay Area (Southeast Region)
– 35th Walk Around Florida

The Suncoast Sandpipers, Mid-Florida Milers, and the Happy Wanderers will celebrate their 35th Walk Across Florida. Soon they will be scouting the best locations, hotels and venues for walks and socials. More details to follow.

November 14 – Dayton, OH (Mid-America Region)
– OWF Honors Veterans

The Ohio Wander Freunde will celebrate Veteran’s Day with a special event in Dayton. Save the date. More details to follow.

December 5 – Helen, GA (Southeast Region)
– Weihnachten Lights Spectacular

Hosted by the Alpine Helen Volksmarch Club, the Weihnachten Lights Spectacular is the first annual “Bavarian Style” walk through an extensive array of Christmas lights, decorations, and an old fashioned Christmas market, all in the Appalachian Mountains. An “A Award” pin will be available, plus discount coupons to restaurants and attractions. Special prize drawings will take place after the walk. More information here.

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