2023 Vanlife Events And Gatherings

Winter Vanlife Events

Escapar a la Baja (TJOLT)

February 1-6 | Playa El Tecolote, Baja California

Cost: FREE (RSVP required)

Our friends at The Journal of Lost Time (TJOLT) are kicking off the event year in style in sunny Baja. This free event (RSVP required) is open to all styles of vans, campers, skoolies and adventure rigs. The breathtaking location is located just 30 minutes outside the city of La Paz, and features white sand beaches and stunning views. Start the year off right by joining like-minded travelers for a week of community, creativity, and fun in the sun.

The Florida Vanlife Gathering

February 3-5 | Dade City, FL

Cost: $15 per day pass, $75-$200 per weekend pass + camping

Escape winter with this three-day vanlife festival featuring workshops like DIY electrical training from Victron, yoga, live music, open van tours and a DIY van contest.

TinyFest California

March 11-12 | San Diego, CA

Cost: $20-$87, kids are free

Come out and experience a variety of tiny living options at the first TinyFest of the year, where tiny home builders and van conversion companies will come together for a weekend of sharing and learning. Talk with tiny homeowners and full time vanlifers to find out what it’s really like to go tiny.

A Roam of Our Own – Secret Solo Female Vanlife Event (TJOLT)

March 17-19 | Palm Springs, CA

Cost: $100

A Roam of Our Own (AROOO) is a womxn-only (and those who identify as a woman) vanlife and overlanding gathering. Submit your idea for a workshop or apply to be a speaker and help build a safe space for solo life on the road!

Spring Vanlife Events

RendezVan Mt. Bachelor

April 19-23 | Mt. Bachelor, OR

Cost: TBA

The stoke is real for this four-day Spring skiing and vanlife gathering. Artists, skiers, road dwellers and vendors come together to celebrate the amazing local culture, outdoor recreation and all things camper van in the lot of Mt. Bachelor.

Back to Baja

April 20-23 | Baja, California

Cost: $299-$599 per vehicle

The team at Flarespace sure knows how to throw a party. Back to Baja is a three-day, four-night vanlife community extravaganza. Adventurous excursions, daily happy hours, nightly bonfires and local cuisine make this event a great place to meet new friends and get a taste of the caravan community.

Weird Wild West (TJOLT)

April 20-24 | Bisbee, AZ

Cost: $30 General Admission, $60 per camping spot

This is the second annual Weird Wild West. The hosts call Bisbee, AZ “Mayberry on Acid” and say it’s a hub for creative, free-wheeling, free spirits. If you’ve been waiting all year to get weird with a bunch of vanlifers, this is your chance.

Adventure Van Expo – NorCal

May 13-14 | Sonoma, CA

Cost: $10 per day pass, camping passes – TBD

The Sonoma County Fairgrounds will host over 50 vendors this year. This family-friendly event will showcase builders, conversion van products, a DIY van competition, food trucks, local brews and live music. Come for the day or stay for the weekend. Camping is available this year, and expected to sell out quickly.

Overland Expo – West

May 19-21 | Flagstaff, AZ

Cost: $20-$40 per day pass, $230-$490 per weekend pass + vehicle camping, $170 per weekend pass + moto camping

The Overland Expo series is one of the largest in the industry and starts off in Flagstaff. There are over 400 exhibitors representing all types of overlanding vehicles, from vans, to motorcycles, to multimillion dollar truck conversions. They have a full list of classes and activities, and encourage camping so that you can learn from the community. What else could you want from a weekend?

Descend on Lost Sierra

May 26-29 | Lost Sierra, CA

Cost: $185.99 per person, 15 and under free

Camp on private land, enjoy live music, morning yoga, and a daily makers market at Descend on Lost Sierra. This is a community campout and all vehicles, pets, and children are welcome. If you are less interested in the vendors and vehicles, and more interested in the community and connection, this event is definitely worth a look.

Adventure Van Expo – Wisconsin

June 10-11 | Hayward, WI

Cost: $20 per day pass, $10 per dog pass

The Adventure Van Expo series is heading to Wisconsin for the first time. Come out and meet builders, network with vanlifers, and check out some fantastic rigs and products. The focus of this event will be 4×4 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter builds, but expect to see a little bit of everything.

Adventure Van Expo – Hood River

June 17-18 | Hood River, OR

Cost: $20 per day pass, $10 per dog pass, $90-$200 per weekend pass + camping

AVE Hood River features 50+ vendors, live music, local brews and loads of vans. Camping is expected to sell out early, so get your tickets soon.

Summer Vanlife Events

Overland Expo – PNW

July 7-9 | Redmond, OR

Cost: $25-$38 per day pass, $180-$405 per weekend pass + vehicle camping, $155  per weekend pass + moto camping

The biggest overland trade show in America is heading to the Pacific Northwest this summer. As with all of the Overland Expos, you can expect hundreds of vendors and thousands of visitors. Want to check out an incinerating toilet or the newest solar technology? This is the place to be. They have classes, demonstrations, and community events planned all weekend long. You can rub elbows with industry experts and learn from full time nomads, but don’t forget your event map because these shows are huge.

Adventure Van Expo – Evergreen

July 8-9 | Evergreen, CO

Cost: $10 per day pass, TBA – weekend pass + camping

AVE is heading back to Colorado for the sixth year in a row. Builders, vendors, overlanding products, vans for sale, live music, and a DIY van contest are some of the things you can expect to find this year in Evergreen. Walk through open house vans and stay for the food and brews. Camping this year will be on green grass near the river, so keep your eyes peeled for tickets to go on sale this spring.

Holy Toledo! (JOLT)

July 13-16 | Toledo, OR

Cost: TBA

Join fellow vanlifers, car campers, and overlanders for a weekend rendezvous on the banks of the Yaquina River. This community campout brings together all walks of life for a celebration of community and the caravan lifestyle. Share food, stories, and experiences at this intimate and inclusive event.

Adventure Van Expo – Topsfield

July 29-30 | Topsfield, MA

Cost: $10 per day pass

For the first time ever the AVE series is headed to Massachusetts. This will be a family-friendly event to welcome all those interested in vanlife and overland products. Expect van open houses, vendors, live music and lots of great products. Enter the DIY van build contest where winners will be crowned for best “Fit-n-Finish”, most creative build, and best layout.

Adventure Van Expo – Utah

September 2-3 | Ogden, UT

Cost: $10 per day pass

As with all AVE’s this is a family-friendly event where you can meet a variety of camper van builders from all across the country. Check out some cool products, listen to live music, and tour vans for sale this summer in Utah.

CampNation Expo

August 10-13 | Hollister, CA

Cost: $7.50 early bird pass, $10 at the door (cash only), TBA – camping

The CampNation Expo is open to all. In fact they didn’t leave anyone off their invite list with this proclamation, “We welcome all RVs, vintage and newer trailers, teardrops, fun runners, motorcycles, pop-ups, tents, fifth wheels, boondockers, expedition, earth roamers, stealth campers, adventure vans, buses, overlanders, and whatever else you camp in!” Join your fellow travelers for a weekend of learning, sharing, and outdoor fun. There will be workshops, vendors, and even a swap meet for recycled gear.

Adventure Van Expo – Tahoe

August 17-18 | Olympic Valley, CA

Cost: $10 per day pass

Fall Vanlife Events

Overland Expo – Mountain West

August 25-27 | Loveland, CO

Cost: $25-$38 per day pass, $155-$255  per weekend pass + vehicle camping, $135 per weekend pass + moto camping

VanWild

August 14-17 | Montrose, CO

Cost: $500 for 4 nights of camping, dinner, and beer

Adrenaline Vans is hosting a three-day, four-night campout. Make memories with like minded outdoor enthusiasts and enjoy a wide range of activities including wine tasting, river surfing and kayaking, a 4×4 overland driving clinic, fly fishing, and mountain biking excursions. Adrenaline Vans will even host a shop tour on Friday to answer all of your van build questions.

Rocky Mountain Adventure Rally

August 22-24 | Grand Junction, CO

Cost: $250-$350 per vehicle

Formally known as the Revel Van Rally, this event brings together vanlife, overlanding, adventure motorcycling, and mountain biking communities. There will be community workshops, professional training focused on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, vendors, and lots of stories around the fire. Pack up your rig and head to Grand Junction, CO for a weekend of adventure.

Overland Expo – East

October 6-8 | Arrington, VA

Cost: $25-$38 per day pass, $195-$405 per weekend pass + vehicle camping, $170 per weekend pass + moto camping

Hundreds of vendors and thousands of overlanding enthusiasts will come together this fall in Virginia for the Overland Expo East. Their motto is “Get Outfitted. Get Trained. Get Inspired. Get Going.” If you want to check out all things adventure vehicle related, the Overland Expo series is the place to be.

Adventure Van Expo – Chattanooga

October 7-8 | Chattanooga, TN

Cost: $10 per day pass, $90-$150 per weekend pass + camping

Moonlanding (JOLT)

October 12-15 | Sky View, NM

Cost: TBA

Gather with The Journal of Lost Time for their final event of the season! Last year’s Moonlanding included events like the Van Olympics, dog friendly yoga, dancing, drop in tattoos, vegan cook offs, local Navajo talks, pottery lessons and much much more. Spend a weekend on the moon with likeminded travelers and learn something new.

Adventure Van Expo – Big Bear

October 14-15 | Big Bear Lake, CA

Cost: FREE (RSVP required)

The AVE series ends its 2023 tour in Big Bear and you can attend it for free. Come out and celebrate the vanlife and overlanding communities with over 50 vendors and brands. Ask questions from builders and vanlifers, check out the latest camper van products, and enjoy live music and local beer. Come one, come all, let the good times roll.

Vanfest

October 27-29 | Hurricane, UT

Cost: $120 per three-night camping tickets; $30 for a day pass. Use discount code “GOCAMP” for 20% off!

Born out of the majestic scenery of Southern Utah, Vanfest is a one-of-a-kind festival for the nomadic at heart. The creators of this event saw the need for people to get real, tangible ideas and inspiration for their own vanlife journey in a physical venue, and thus “the ultimate vanlife experience” was born! They’re not picky – they believe vanlife is for everyone, and want to help introduce you to this amazingly fun and supportive nomadic community. Each Vanfest event sees hundreds of vans and other rigs, open van tours, live music, amazing food and drink, and community-building events & activities. Whether you’ve just started scrolling past those beautiful van builds on social media or have been living the nomadic life for years, we can’t wait to see you at Vanfest!

TinyFest – Southwest

December 2-3 | Scottsdale, AZ

Cost: TBA

Come check out tiny homes, van conversions, and school bus conversions at this final event of the year. Talk with builders and homeowners about what it’s like to go tiny and stay for the live music and entertainment. They truly have a little something for everyone.