Outsiders Anonymous to host countywide recovery festival

HAYS COUNTY — Outsiders Anonymous is gearing up to host the largest recovery event in the Hays County area this weekend.

Established in 2022, Outsiders Anonymous offers free fitness training focused on encouraging healthy living and providing a supportive, sober community. The idea of the organization was spearheaded by owner Adam Holt, who wanted to bring a 100% free gym to Hays County while also giving community members a chance to enter into a life of recovery.

“We treat substance use and PTSD [for] anyone in the area. We do that through fitness and community. So, we have an open weight room [and] free fitness classes; we do community events and we're also going to start doing peer counseling,” said Holt. “Think of like a normal therapist, except instead of educational experience, your peer counselor has lived experience that they're able to sort of help you navigate your recovery journey with.”

People are oftentimes forced to travel to Austin, San Antonio or even farther to find a recovery community, but Holt wants to raise awareness that there is a local place that they can call home.

“There's very little to no recovery capitals, organizations or groups that do recovery here in San Marcos and Hays County. We are trying to create that because fentanyl, especially in kids, is a huge problem right now. If people don't have access to a recovery community, or if they don't have access to supportive services, then the odds are they're going to stay where they are,” he said. “We decided to bring that down here to Hays County where people need it so that we can fight fentanyl, so we can give people a leg up and things. There's nothing like this around here and people are hurting because there isn't.”

The 501(c)(3) is hosting Recovery on the Plaza from 5-9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30, at San Marcos Plaza Park — which is something that Holt and his team are excited to bring back for a second consecutive year.

“It's the largest substance use and mental health music festival in all of Hays County. Mental health and substance use recovery are often so heavy and weighty. And it's just hard,” Holt said. “We just wanted to have a celebration at least once a year where people can come out and meet people and just have a good time without having to worry about going to a music festival with alcohol and drugs. Recovery doesn't have to be as hard as everybody makes it. And so we want it to be fun.”

Holt said that they plan to have three local bands and artists — who use their music to tell their stories of substance use and mental health — at the festival. Currently, Vance Loggins will be performing, but they are working on securing the other two artists.

Community partners of Recovery on the Plaza include Cenikor, River City Rehabilitation Center, Hill Country Celebrate Recovery, Student Recovery Alliance and Hope Faith Courage. RecoveryATX, which has a mission of strengthening the recovery community by providing educational opportunities and support services, is one of the event’s sponsors.

For more information about Outsiders Anonymous and Recovery on the Plaza, visit www.outsidersanonymous.org.