September 27, 2025
What is the 2025 Community Celebration Event & GCHR 23rd AP you ask?
We are making our annual picnic a dual celebration this year. 25 years since the switch was thrown to make GPS technology more accurate for everyone allowing the developement of this game/hobby/addiction and 23 years since the first Geocaching Hampton Roads Annual Picnic (I ran out of room in the title)
When: Saturday, September 27th
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Lunch: 12 noon
Where: Newport News Park Shelter 8
Parking: Nearby parking is available at the Ranger Station or large parking lot to the left of the shelter/ranger station.
Who: Open to all geocachers, families, and anyone interested in geocaching.
What:: A social get-together to meet fellow cachers, exchange stories, learn about different aspects of caching, swap TB's, oh yea, and some caching thrown in there too!
23 years! In the summer of 2003 Jeanine of The Cacheola Crew decided to hold an event to meet other cachers in the area. GCGMX3 was held September 19, 2003 in Waller Mill Park. There were about 40 people in attendence. We grew steadily for several years until 2012 when we reached Mega status with a little over 500 attendees. In 2016 Tropical Storm Hermine decided to visit the area the day of the the event. We still had a little over 200 in attendence but lost our Mega status for the following year but have continued the tradition each year since. Several years a hurricane or tropical storm threatened or caused challenges in the days leading up to the event but with the exception of 2016 most events have enjoyed warm sunny weather. We went from burgers on the grill and pot luck to a catered meal organized by the picnic committee during the Mega years and back to fried chicken and potluck. We persevired through the COVID with a "bring your own picnic" for a few years. Now we're back to chicken and potluck!
Tropical storms or beautiful weather, we've had a picnic the last 22 years, most on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. Do to travel plans we've moved this years event to the end of September. Still a risk of late season tropical weather visiting but it should still be warm enough for the outdoor venue.
Once again we'll be at Newport News Park. We've reserved picnic shelter #8 behind the Ranger Station just off Constitution Way in Newport News Park. (Same shelter we've been at the last few years)
We will have fried chicken available so please post a "Will Attend" with the number of people in your party so we know how much to order. If you want to partake. Please bring a dish to share. Add in your "Will Attend" what you plan to bring and I'll try to keep a running list on the cache page. If you are not comfortable joining the pot luck you can of course bring your own picnic. No judgements here. Just include that in your "Will Attend" so you are not counted for chicken.
We will have the usual chance auction and 50/50. Drawings will begin at 1 PM
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Things cachers have stated they are bringing as of 9/17/25
GCHR: Fried chicken
Green veggie
Pasta Salad
Potato Salad
Mac & Cheese
Assorted Chips
Desserts
Fruit Tray
Sodas/Water
Cole Slaw
Banana Pudding
Chana Masala (yeah, I had to google it 
)
Community Celebration Events - 2025
This Event is part of a limited release of Community Celebration Events to celebrate 25 years of geocaching. Geocachers hosted events between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. Learn more about Community Celebration Events on the Geocaching Blog.