Outdoor enthusiasts getting hyped to watch movies inside might seem like a bit of a contradiction, but the La Crosse Adventure Film Festival is leaning all the way into the irony for its fifth anniversary. 

Mike Crawford and Paige Manges with La Crosse Adventure Films, along with La Crosse SOUP’s Kyle Petrashek stopped in studio to lay out a packed lineup spanning four venues from Oct. 13–17.

We overview the four-day La Crosse Adventure Film Festival, what it represents, and how it brings the community together through family-oriented shorts, outdoor storytelling, local conservation spotlights, and a final cinema showdown at the Rivoli. 

And, as sort of the opening act, Petrashek is quizzed about SOUP at Myrick Park, where four local nonprofits make their pitch to the community to win what was raised that night. The four competing this quarter include Mount La Crosse Ski Patrol, Outdoor Recreation Alliance Trails, Horse Sense, and the Coulee Region Humane Society.

Conversation Highlights:

• LAF's Origin: How an excuse to gather friends, watch outdoor movies, and get pumped to go outside grew into a massive multi-day local festival.

• Why Not La Crosse TACOS? Pitching the idea of secretly serving tacos when people show up expecting soup—and Kyle confessing they actually pulled a similar trick with summer pop-up beer events.
• SOUP’s Gold Standard: Kyle explains how one legendary batch of Marge’s chicken dumpling soup completely ruined every future SOUP event for his kids.
• A Classic Car Show, LAF Style: Mike and Paige break down the adventure rig show-and-tell at Mount La Crosse—from converted minivans to massive Unimogs—before joking about racing them up the ski hill.
• Family-First Outdoors: Focusing on real-life stories of non-traditional families, kids, and four-legged companions getting outside together for the kickoff screening at the Pump House. 
• Wiscor Takes the Screen: Highlighting how local public lands and conservation efforts take center stage at Coulee Region Arts with a premiering short documentary.
• Playing Film Critic Over Pizza: How Saturday’s big-screen finale at the Rivoli turns the audience into judges, handing out votes (and eating pizza) to pick the festival winners.