On a cool, early April evening in Slade, Kentucky, the back lawn of Miguel’s Pizza is littered with a rainbow of tents. Rock climbers—some in George Washington wigs or Little Mermaid bikinis—mingle, drink beer, and scarf pizzas topped with pineapples and sweet potatoes to the thrum of a DJ’s bass.
The Red River Reunion is an annual tradition in which Miguel’s current and former employees and patrons gather to celebrate the sport and the community around it. In 2025, the party is bigger than ever—but there are also indicators of just how much things have changed. Hardcore climbers still live out of tents for the summer, stretching their budgets for maximum time in the crag. But they now share the lawn with weekend adventurers arriving in luxury vans or on their way to rented cabins with hot tubs. Amid the usual vendor booths selling chalk bags and harnesses, one now offers tracts of land.
