The Midwest Climbing festival
The Quartzite Classic is a grassroots climbing festival dedicated to celebrating the past, present, and future of climbing at Devil’s Lake State Park. Our homegrown event brings climbers together for education, connection, community, and stewardship.
Hosted by the Wisconsin Climbers Association, sponsored by climbers, and fueled by passion, the second year of our climbing festival features educational clinics, expanded community and affinity gatherings, stewardship, product vendors, and lively discussion that supports climbing at Devil’s Lake State Park and the Midwest. We were thrilled to sell out this event last year, so we’ve heard your demands and increased capacity and offerings!
With this annual festival, we honor the past, look towards the future, strengthen our community, and give back to the park that has given us so much.
Get psyched - space is limited! Registration is open! Purchase tickets here.
Festival Details
When & Where
October 9 - 11, 2026
Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Devil’s Lake State Park
Skillet Creek Campground
Registration
The Quartzite Classic offers four options for registration on a sliding scale.
Standard registration is $75, which includes on-site parking, access to tent site camping, and admission to the festival. This rate represents the "true cost" at which we would break even after paying our expenses.
Participants who are able to afford an additional $25 are encouraged to upgrade to a Steward registration for $100, which also includes an annual WCA membership. This rate supports the WCA in our mission to make the festival accessible to the community and helps offset for individuals who pay the Supported rate.
This year, we’re introducing the Sustaining registration for $125. The sustaining registration includes an annual WCA membership as well as a t-shirt. Show your support of Midwest climbing wherever you go!
We offer Supported registration at a cost of $50 for participants facing financial challenges. We recognize that the Supported rate may also be inaccessible to some; please get in touch for a "pay what you can" option. If you would like to volunteer during the festival in exchange for a free registration, please email us.
Thank you for investing in the Wisconsin climbing community!
Camping & Festival Grounds
All camping and festival events will be held at Skillet Creek Campground, just a stone’s throw from Devil’s Lake State Park.
Tent camping and cabins are available at Skillet Creek Campground. Please email us to reserve an accessible cabin at qc@wiclimbers.com.
Cabins
A limited number of waterfront cabins are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Each cabin sleeps 6-8 people and includes air conditioning/heating, a private bathroom with shower, fridge, microwave, stovetop and oven. Booking a cabin for $600 includes festival registration for one participant who is welcome to share the cabin with up to 7 other festival participants (all of whom must register separately using one of the above registration rates).
Please note that the cabins will be next to the festival and vendor tents, with potentially some tent campers in the grass around the cabins. Important: if you are a wheelchair user, or have other mobility/accessibility needs - especially if tent camping will not work for you - please email qc@wiclimbers.com so we can work to accommodate you.
Climbing Clinics
Please note: to sign up for a clinic, you must first add it to your festival registration on Eventbrite; after completing your registration, you will receive an email with instructions on how to pay for your clinic through the sponsoring guide service’s website.
Please email us if you would like to request a scholarship.
Vendors & Sponsors
If you or your business would like to join the festival as a vendor, please email qc@wiclimbers.com.
Community Gatherings
This is what climbing festivals are all about! The Quartzite Classic will include:
Vendor Village
Find-A-Partner Meet-Up
Friday Night Potluck
Campfire Circles and Storytelling
Climbing Games
Silent Auction & Raffle
Local Legend Award
Guided Yoga
Saturday Night Expert Panel Discussion & Q&A
Sunday Stewardship
& various other festival shenanigans!
Meetups
More information coming soon! If you represent an affinity group that would like to host a meetup, please email qc@wiclimbers.com
Stewardship
Join us for a stewardship event on Sunday, October 11 from 9 am - 1 pm. Help us improve climbing access at Devil’s Lake! We’ll spend the morning giving back to the climbing community with a hands-on workday on the East Bluff climbing trails. Equipment and training will be provided. More info coming soon!
