Outside Festival attendees pose behind a makeshift magazine cover. Photo: John Frank/Axios
The need to diversify the faces and voices of the outdoor industry emerged as the key message from the two-day Outside Festival in downtown Denver.
Why it matters: The theme permeated a series of panel discussions and film screenings, as well as events at the festival in Civic Center park, and added a greater meaning to the outdoor fair.
What they're saying: The event is "anchored in that theme of inclusion in the outdoors," Conor Hall, the state's outdoor industry leader, told us.
Case in point: Quannah ChasingHorse, a climate justice activist and fashion model, challenged the audience at an event Saturday to consider the most impacted populations of climate change, such as her rural Alaskan village.
Across the way, Adaptive Adventures helped people with disabilities on a climbing wall. "It's cool that people can come out and see there's a lot of stuff for people with disabilities," said Gary Verrazono, an outreach coordinator with the Westminster-based group.
