On August 29th, Barkeater Trails Alliance hosted two community events in Wilmington: the Hardy Kids MTB Race and Pedal & Potluck. Events like these bring our community together around a shared passion for mountain biking, the outdoors, and adventure. They offered a chance to catch up with familiar friends, meet new folks in the local riding community, get some miles in, and celebrate mountain biking's impact on our region.

Hardy Kids MTB Race
Nine years after Hardy Kids MTB Race began and as the founding kids head off to college, the families who started it all passed the torch to BETA.

We hosted the 2026 Hardy Kids MTB Race on August 29th and the kids, sponsors, and volunteers did an awesome job keeping this community event alive and thriving. Thank you to everyone who made it such a great day!

Special thank you to Bridgett and Loren Allen for volunteering so much time and energy to plan and host this fun ride/race. We're already looking forward to next year!

Pedal & Potluck
For our first time hosting this event, we wanted to offer a little bit of everything: a mountain-bike-themed scavenger hunt around Wilmington, intermediate and advanced group rides, and a potluck. Thanks to everyone who helped make this shindig happen — especially those who brought a dish to share. Great to see everyone there!

Pedal & Potluck pictures taken by Eric Adsit of Adsit Media Works.

​Last SYRR of the season!

Great crew for the Slow Your Roll Ride at Fowler's Crossing, Saranac Lake last night. Thanks for an awesome season of group rides, everyone!

Wow, what a ride! Thank you so much to everyone who came out for 1000 Animals Social Athletic Club Group Ride last week, it was such a great time seeing everyone and sharing the trails. We don’t host many big group rides like this one so 1000 Animals is extra special to us. It’s always such a treat to see the trails taken over by costume-clad compatriots, whooping and hollering, smiling ear to ear. Not to mention, the BBQ was a great way to finish the evening.

Special cheers to the two folks whose very first mountain biking excursion was 1000 Animals – honored to be part of your mountain biking journey. Glad you both had a stellar time, looking forward to seeing you on the trails again.

A great big thank you to our ride leaders: Patrick, Tat, and everyone who volunteered to assist for leading us through the woods; to our event sponsors Placid Planet Bicycles and West Shore BBQ for giving us a great place to start/stop; and to each and every person who came out for the evening. Until next time – see you on the trails!

​After careful consideration, we have decided not to hold BETA’s Wilmington Mountain Bike Festival this year. 

One important reason that led us to make this decision is that Crankworx -- a massive international mountain biking festival -- is coming to Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec over Labor Day weekend which is when we have always hosted Bike Fest.

There are a number of other factors we considered, including a busy calendar of mountain biking events around the northeast, that made this the right call.

Bike Fest holds a special place in many people's hearts. It’s created a lot of good days, great memories, and connections that have lasted well beyond a single weekend. While we will not host Bike Fest this year, we remain committed to hosting events that build community around our shared love of trails and riding. We are planning other events across our region that do just that. For the latest updates, please visit our events page. 

Thank you to everyone who has been part of Bike Fest over the years, and to the volunteers, ride leaders, and partners who helped make it possible. It has been a joy to host it and we are excited to bring that energy to more events this season.

Even the youngsters who hadn't brought their bikes were in luck: the Lake Placid Elementary School generously lent us a portion of their bike fleet.  Those bikes were in use from start to finish.  They were in such high demand that on occasion, someone walking a bike back to the rack would be intercepted by a hopeful rider.  It reminded me of asking someone who is putting on their coat if you could have their table when there are no other empty seats in the coffee shop.  High demand, indeed. 

Imagine: a little after 6:30pm, the sun low in the sky, the Oval grass busy with kids of all ages looping around one another to take their turn on the feature(s) of their choice.  Some do wheelies, some are just trying to stay upright.  Adults peruse the booths set up by BETA, Bike ADK, Placid Planet Bicycles, High Peaks Cyclery, and the Regional Official of Sustainable Tourism.  People stand in groups at whatever distance from the features feels comfortable, enjoying a pleasant evening, when suddenly...from the area under the row of flags at the northern crest of the Oval, a dramatic and thundering drumbeat.  Just one, and then two, and then many, many more.  

Fogo Azul had arrived.

This woman-led samba drumline descended the steps into the Oval and marched around the bike features.  They curled around, creating a face-to-face drum-off between two sections of the band.  People linked arm-in-arm danced down the aisle separating the two groups of drummers.  Kids took the opportunity to ride through as well, toothy grins galore.  We heard from the musicians that this was the first time they'd ever had people ride bikes through the drum-off and it was quite the experience for them, too.

After sufficient drumming, oohing and aahing, Fogo Azul retreated, still playing, to their starting point before bringing their music to an end.  While the action seemed to ebb, the lull didn't last long.

The announcer for KRUSHER BMX fired up their speakers and jumped on the mic, informing the crowd (which had grown significantly during Fogo Azul's playing, drawing in folks who had originally planned to just walk by the Oval) that the show was about to begin.  The stunt team had warmed up sufficiently and were ready to get to flipping.  With a soundtrack of fan favorite classic rock tunes and energizing ballads, the team executing trick after trick -- flips, 180s, tailwhips, and so many more (whose names elude me) -- now under the brilliant Oval floodlights since the sun had fully and truly set.  The crowd of at least 300 watched from either side of the series of ramps and quarter pipes, some standing along the galvanized barriers and some seated on the hill between the High School and the Oval, cheering and clapping with each expertly executed stunt.  "Really enjoyed the BMX show (my daughter loved it). Would come again," one person attested.