Red Wing Climbing Festival

The purpose of the Red Wing Climbing Festival is to celebrate and protect this extraordinary space by bringing climbers together through stewardship, recreation, community engagement, and competition. The festival aims to foster a deeper connection between people and place while helping ensure that Barn Bluff remains accessible, respected, and cared for for generations to come.

The goal of the event is to host an all-day team climbing competition in which participants earn points based on the total volume and difficulty of climbs completed throughout the day. At the conclusion of the competition, the teams with the highest cumulative scores will be recognized as the winners. The format is intentionally designed to encourage climbers to explore a wider variety of the more than 200 climbing routes at Barn Bluff rather than focusing solely on the area’s most well-known classic climbs.

Following the competition, participants will be encouraged to continue enjoying the climbing experience into the evening through recreational night climbing utilizing spotlights and headlamps. In addition, the City of Red Wing has graciously allowed camping at Memorial Bluff, where attendees will be able to enjoy bonfires, live music, raffles, food, and continued community festivities throughout the evening.

The Red Wing Climbing Festival is still in its early stages, and community involvement will play a critical role in helping shape the event into something truly special. We are actively seeking volunteers who are passionate about climbing, stewardship, outdoor recreation, and community building to help support all aspects of the festival. Whether you are interested in event organization, logistics, music, photography, route support, registration, or simply lending a hand where needed, we would love to hear from you. Anyone interested in getting involved is encouraged to reach out through the contact information provided at redwingclimbingfestival.com