Two September weekends, two different kinds of van gathering. Adventure Van Expo finishes 2026 at The Village at Palisades Tahoe in Olympic Valley, California — Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 12–13. Five days later, VanWILD opens at The Camper’s Hub in Montrose, Colorado: four days built around using the van, not walking a parking lot.
Adventure Van Expo, Palisades Tahoe
Saturday, Sept. 12, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Olympic Valley, California, at The Village at Palisades Tahoe.
The field is mostly built-out Mercedes Sprinters and 4×4 rigs, plus accessories. Doors open. You walk through, talk to the builders, and sit in layouts you have only seen in listings. Vendors set up gear. There are talks — solar is the example they name.
Saturday has the DIY buildout contest: homemade vans, on display, judged by people who build them for a living. Acoustic music both days. Local food trucks.
On-site camping is sold in advance. It is not sold at the gate. Sunday the show closes at 3 p.m.; campers leave by 5. Private sellers can park a van in the venue for the weekend.
Tickets are on Ticketleap, linked from the official page.
VanWILD, Montrose
Sept. 17–20, 2026. Montrose, Colorado, at The Camper’s Hub. Fifth annual. Four days.
Adrenaline HQ calls it an immersive gathering, not a parking-lot expo. The point is using the van: trail drives, camping, meals, and one booked experience a day.
General admission is $700 per person. That covers four nights of camping, breakfast Friday through Sunday, dinners, drinks, live music, a wine tasting, a limited-edition shirt, and one experience per day — trail runs, off-road driving, fly fishing, mountain biking, moto, and the rest of the published menu. Electric-only and full-hookup sites are add-ons.
You do not need a van. The page says trail runs are also open to INEOS Grenadiers and other capable 4×4s.
This is not the weekend for touring forty interiors. If you are still deciding what to build, Tahoe is the denser look. VanWILD is for people who already have a rig and want four days in the Uncompahgre Valley with the logistics handled.
Highlights
- Adventure Van Expo, Palisades Tahoe — Sat–Sun Sept. 12–13, 2026; Sat 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
- Olympic Valley, CA, at The Village at Palisades Tahoe
- Open-house vans (mostly built-out Sprinters and 4×4s), vendors, talks, Saturday DIY contest, acoustic music, food trucks
- On-site camping sold in advance, not at the gate; Sunday campers leave by 5 p.m.
- Tahoe tickets: Ticketleap from the official page
- VanWILD, Montrose — Sept. 17–20, 2026, at The Camper’s Hub; fifth annual; four-day immersive gathering, not a parking-lot expo
- General admission $700 per person: four nights of camping, meals and drinks, one experience per day, live music, wine tasting, limited-edition shirt
- Van not required; trail runs also listed for INEOS Grenadiers and other capable 4×4s
Learn More
Adventure Van Expo, Palisades Tahoe — Official page · Tickets · Instagram @adventurevanxpo · Contact · neil@adventurevanexpo.com · Jack@adventurevanexpo.com
VanWILD, Montrose — Official page · General admission · Instagram @adrenalinehq_usa · Contact · sales@adrenaline-hq.com
Explore More
- Adventure Van Expo: Three Stops Left on the 2026 Tour
- VanWild Colorado: An All-Inclusive Van Gathering in Montrose
- Van Life Gatherings: What’s Left in 2026 and What’s Ahead in 2027
- Every Tiny House Festival and Workshop Left in 2026
- A Cab-Over Pickup Sleeper
- He Converted a Honda Pilot Into a No-Drill Camper
- Van Dwelling
- Van Life
- Van Conversions
- RV Living
- Events
What do you think?
Open-house weekend at Tahoe, or four days in Montrose? Have you been to either? Tell us in the comments.
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Alex
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