Whether you love to walk, run, bike or just enjoy the outdoors, Trailfest 2015 is the perfect way to celebrate Woodstock’s trails this Saturday, May 2. Greenprints Alliance and SORBA teamed up again this year to put on a day-long festival with live music, race events, mountain biking, a rock climbing wall, food and drinks.
Trailfest will kick off at 8 a.m. with a 5-kilometer race on the Greenprints Noonday Creek Trail segment, starting at Elm Street and Main Street in downtown Woodstock. With a fun run for kids, a time trial bike course at Rope Mill Park, and music all day long, the festival has a range of activities for anyone looking to enjoy the weather this weekend.
Trailfest goes from 8 am. to 8 p.m., rain or shine, and generally attracts about 2,000 people. Admission to the event and performances is free, and donation are encouraged on-site or online at the Trailfest website. Trailfest is the largest fundraiser for the nonprofit Greenprints Alliance, which helps fund and advocate for projects that are part of the Greenprints Master Plan of trails. Free public parking is available throughout the downtown area.
Schedule
8 a.m. – 5K Race
9 a.m. – Fun Run
9:30 a.m. – Race awards
10 a.m. – SORBA Time Trial
10 a.m. – The Shetlands perform
11:15 a.m. – Jonathan Peyton performs
12:30 p.m. – The Highbeams perform
2 p.m. – Reuben’s Bell performs
4 p.m. Davin McCoy & The Coming Attractions perform
6 p.m. – Headlining band the Dirty Guv’nahs perform
5K and Fun Run
The Trailfest 5K race will kick off at 8 a.m., and will follow the Noonday Creek Trail segment in and back out. The race costs $30 to participate, and awards will be given to the top three men and women finishers. The 1-mile Fun Run is a kid-friendly race for children under the age of 12 that happens at 9 a.m. after the 5K, and it costs $10 to participate. Both races are being managed by Natural Strides, and those wishing to join in can register at the Natural Strides website.
SORBA Time Trial
New for 2015, the Southern Off-Road Bicycling Association of Woodstock, better known as SORBA, is hosting a time trial event at Rope Mill Park at 10 a.m. The 3.6-mile mountain biking course will take riders along a new off-road track, which isn’t officially opened yet. The time trial event is free to participate in, but organizers have asked for a $10 donation to benefit trail building initiatives by the Greenprints Alliance. Those wanting to do the time trial can sign up on-site before the event starts.
Other attractions
The official craft beer supplier for Trailfest is the local Reformation Brewery, and several vendors are expected to offer food during the event. Escalade Rock Climbing Gym will bring a rock wall, and there will be mountain biking on the trail beside the Elm Street Event Green.
Entertainment
After the races end, the entertainment begins. Live music will start at 10 a.m. on the Elm Street Events Green, located next to the Noonday Creek trailhead downtown. The headlining band will be the Dirty Guv’nahs, a six-person band from Knoxville, Tennessee, currently on a national tour. Opening for the Dirty Guv’nahs will be Davin McCoy and The Coming Attractions, who also performed at last year’s Trailfest.
The trails
For more information on the Greenprints trail network, check out this article and video on the Path & Post blog. Need help finding a trail? Check out the interactive map below to find a trailhead, park, or mountain biking location.
