Hayley Benton

hbenton@citizen-times.com

Buckle up and head down the river: The hippie buses are coming.

Functioning as a pre-party for the 5Point Adventure Film Festival, held Oct. 6-9 at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, the Oct. 6 Van Life Rally will celebrate the unsung heroes of the cross-country adventure: the live-in vehicle.

Ever since "On the Road" hit bookshelves in 1957 (and, clearly, even before), America's been obsessed with gasoline-fueled living. Every day, a new state — a new landscape, a new crowd. And, by the dawn of the hippie era, the introduction of the Volkswagen Bus (and similar vehicles) made adventuring all the easier. Why spend money on a hotel when you can sleep in your Bus?

Fast-forward to present day and look up the hashtag "VanLife" on any social media site to find that America's obsession with the road hasn't died.

"It’s become kind of a thing," said Micah Pulleyn, Asheville 5Points festival director. "People take old, crappy vans, busted up VWs, retired cargo delivery vans and even old ambulances and convert them into camping rigs, really just kind of turning them into adventure vehicles."

On Oct. 6, 50 of those adventure vehicles will be parking at the Salvage Station on Riverside Drive, showing off all the cozy customization in their living spaces-on-wheels. The chance to tour custom vans isn't the only draw to the rally, though. The event will also feature paddle board yoga (which is exactly what it sounds like — "one of the trickiest things in the whole world," said Pulleyn), music from rock 'n' blues band Pleasure Chest, lawn games, beer and food, an outdoor gear giveaway and fee-free tickets to the film festival later that weekend.

"Really we’re just letting everybody show off and geek out, drink beer and enjoy the live music and be together," Pulleyn said.

The Van Life Rally is free and kicks off at 4 p.m. Beforehand, the French Broad Litter Floatilla crew will begin a river cleanup with MountainTrue, launching from the Salvage Station at 3 p.m. The cleanup volunteers will meet back at the Salvage Station at 5 p.m. to show how much trash they've collected and to hang out until the party ends at 10 p.m.

The film festival begins Oct. 7 and showcases more than 50 short films and world premieres focusing on not just adventure but emotion and the human experience too.

Each film program over the weekend will begin at 7 p.m. and last about three hours.

Money made on film festival ticket sales goes "into the pot of money that we pull from to underwrite film projects," Pulleyn said. "Right back into our ultimate product, which is quality film."

Connecting the dots between vans and adventures is easy: "It's easy access to the wild," she explained. "You've got your comforts along for the ride and a place to lay your head after a long day of shredding. You can wake up the next day and hit the road — to the next trailhead or canyon or beach spot. It's a home on wheels that lets you extend your adventures."

Have a van and want to show it? There might be a spot left for your tricked-out bus. Email micah@5pointfilm.org. For more information or a full schedule on the film festival, visit 5pointfilm.org/asheville.

IF YOU GO

What: Van Life Rally (ahead of the 5Points Adventure Film Festival)

Where: Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Drive in Asheville

When: 4-10 p.m. Oct. 6

Tickets: Free