Jamie Cathey, Visit Bentonville’s Outdoor Recreation Sales Manager, gives an overview of the 40+ cycling events taking place in Bentonville this year. She shares thoughtful insight on how Visit Bentonville, along with its partners, successfully welcomes visitors and hosts flagship & grassroots events like Square 2 Square, Big Sugar Classic, and Bentonville Bike Fest.
Events in 2024 across multiple disciplines include social rides, fundraisers, women-specific events and clinics, expos, races with globally recognized professional athletes, an adaptive rider summit, and much more.
You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, CastBox, Podcast Casts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Podcast Addict.
Don't forget, Visit Bentonville is here to assist you in finding things to do, where to eat and stay, and find out what's going on in the city. Visit our website visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our enewsletter here.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Jamie Cathey, Visit Bentonville’s Outdoor Recreation Sales Manager, gives an overview of the 40+ cycling events taking place in Bentonville this year. She shares thoughtful insight on how Visit Bentonville, along with its partners, successfully welcomes visitors and hosts flagship & grassroots events like Square 2 Square, Big Sugar Classic, and Bentonville Bike Fest.
Events in 2024 across multiple disciplines include social rides, fundraisers, women-specific events and clinics, expos, races with globally recognized professional athletes, an adaptive rider summit, and much more.
You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, CastBox, Podcast Casts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Podcast Addict.
Don't forget, Visit Bentonville is here to assist you in finding things to do, where to eat and stay, and find out what's going on in the city. Visit our website visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our enewsletter here.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Hello and welcome to Visit Bentonville's, A New American Town podcast. I'm your host, stevie, and today's episode is sponsored by AusTrails. Joining me is Jamie Cathy, outdoor Recreation and Events Manager at Visit Bentonville. Hey, jamie, thanks for being here. Hi, thanks for having me. So our listeners know by now that Bentonville is huge on bikes from events to a bikeable building to bike-themed restaurants, and so today we're going to talk about cycling events happening in Bentonville. This year We'll cover events like races, social events, expos and more Listeners. Buckle up. We have a lot in store to talk about for 2024. So, jamie, let's get started. Couple background questions for you first what is Visit Bentonville and what do visitors' bureaus do?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we are the Tourism Bureau for the city of Bentonville. At our core, what we do is promote Bentonville as a top tourism destination, but we also have a really strong community focus. So we work from the leisure perspective at promoting cycling, outdoor recreation, art, food, music, aviation and film. We also host over 180 events and, with the community focus, it's important for us to build not only just a great experience for the visitors who come into Bentonville, but also for the people who live here, to make it a great place to live, work and play.
Speaker 1:And so how do you personally tie into that? What is your role at Visit Bentonville?
Speaker 2:So I am the outdoor recreation events manager, so the majority of what I do is recruit cycling events here, but I also focus on trail running, paddle sports, climbing and some outdoor road running and triathlons.
Speaker 1:And all of those extra kind of categories you just listed are starting to really take off here in Bentonville and the region I've started to notice Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and we work to strengthen the existing relationships with all the great events that we have that we're going to talk about today. But we're also, you know, I spend a lot of time looking for new events and recruiting things that fit within our vision and within the goals and the amenities that we have and try to get people to come to Bentonville and then, once they're here, I work as a concierge service really of trying to help a new event director navigate the waters in Bentonville and put on a really great event for our community.
Speaker 1:Yeah, jamie, you've kind of teed us up really well and given a great overview of Visit Bentonville and the role as an organization and yours personally, so why don't I just kind of hand it off to you? We have a lot of events to talk about today, so I believe we're going to talk about all the bike events, broken down by categories, such as kids rides, women's specific rides, mountain bike rides, gravel rides, you name it. We're going to cover it today, so I'm going to hand it off to you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, we do. We have a little bit of everything and for me you know my site my background is in cycling and triathlon and running, so I personally have experience with going to lots of different events and going to lots of different communities, so I understand the value that they bring. So, with what we have to offer and the amount of different types of events that we have and demographics, and if you want to do something here in Bentonville that is related to cycling out to recreation, we definitely have it for you, and so we had 38 events in Bentonville last year cycling specific events last year. We're looking at over 40 and that number continues to grow, I feel like almost daily. But we have kids rides, you know. If you want your daily dose of cuteness, you can go to the Strider Cup, which is one of my favorites.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's adorable, oh my gosh, this was my first year going and I had so much fun just sitting there watching. I don't even have kids, but just sitting there watching and taking pictures like I was just enjoyed that so, so much. But we also have the Oz Kids Crit and that happens during bike week in October and that both of those start as young as two, so you can be out there on your Strider bikes. And then the Oz Kids Crit did laps around Blake Street this past year and that was super fun to watch as well Also equally as cute and then you can go over and watch the Big Sugar Race as well.
Speaker 2:So, and then we have women's specific rides. So those, of course, are really important to me because I am a new mountain biker. I was a road cyclist, so I have learned to mountain bike since I've been here and I've had the bad experience with cycling. So having groups like Ladies All Ride and the Women of Oz is really really important for just making women who are coming into town. And, like I said, I was on the road.
Speaker 2:I was a road cyclist, so to be able to have a place where I can go and learn how to do some mountain biking and build my skills as well is really important. So the Ladies All Ride is a clinic that's happening at the end of April. Women of Oz, of course, have their monthly flagship ride and that registration opens for that the 20th of every month and it's usually the first Saturday of every month. And then, of course, their big event in the fall is the Sunset Summit where women are coming together and all of these events just are a good place, breakdown barriers for women of all different skill levels and all different backgrounds to come in and really get started in the mountain bike world.
Speaker 1:That's something I love about Women of Oz. There really is something for everybody, no matter your skill level. Whether you are on a mountain bike for the very first time, or you're out there riding blue and black trails and you're a technical, fast rider, there's something for everyone. They do a really fantastic job.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I agree. I mean, for me it was the place where things just started to click. I have a background, so I wasn't new to cycling by any means, but it was the place where I learned how to be a mountain biker. I'm still not a great one, but it was the place that I learned.
Speaker 1:What a testimonial. The place where I learned to be a mountain biker. Wow, well done Women of Oz. That's amazing. I'm happy to hear that.
Speaker 2:And then we also if you want to be a racer, we have those options too. Right, Not everybody wants to be, but if you want to be, we do have those options. One that's coming up in April the Ledger Town Series. So a time trial up to the top of the Ledger. How fun is that going to be to be able to zigzag your way up to the top of that? Super fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a word for it.
Speaker 2:And then noon to moon. That's put on by the Pule Compton Foundation over in Kohlers, so that's an Enduro ride. You have your option of a six or a 12 hour race there.
Speaker 1:Let's clarify real quick endurance race, not Enduro, yes.
Speaker 2:Yes, and then we have the unique rides. April of three is coming up in May and that's a really unique ride. Right, it's gravel, it's tarmac, it's single track. They actually were just voted as one of the top 10 must-do gravel races in the country for 2024. So that's a huge honor for them. There's a 100 mile option and a 50 mile option, but they're offering 200 miles. So if somebody's feeling real crazy this year and wants to do a 200 mile option. It's going to be out there. There's an ultra category.
Speaker 2:Man count me out for that one Count me too, I'm like I've done it a couple of centuries, but 200 might just be a little bit much for me.
Speaker 1:I'll go watch and cheer Mon.
Speaker 2:Registration for that one is going to open February 5th at 8 am and that one sells out fast because it's a big, very popular ride and it's open to 1600 riders and it usually sells out in a day. So if you're thinking about rule of three, you better get out there and get registered quick. But something that has been added to the rule of three families, the rule of 399. So that is their way that they give back to the community. So it's coming up here in January. It's going to be a little cold based on what the weather is doing these days, but the 399 on that one comes from basically your registration fee. So this is a fundraiser. Last year they were able to give back over $8,000 to pedal it forward here in Bentonville and so you pay your 4609 registration upfront. You come, you check in that day, your option is to have your registration be refunded back and they keep the 399 to cover the bike reg fee and then everything that's donated or for people that don't show up, it's automatically donated, and then they raise money for whatever organization. They're going to Give that money to you again this year. So another kind of unique race that we have coming up that's not purely cycling, but cycling is a component of it is the expedition Ozark and that's coming up here in April and it actually is going to coincide this year with the eclipse. So they're gonna have some really cool things associated with that as well. If you're not a racer don't want to be a racer, but you want to be on your bike and you want to go do some cool rides and have them, I mean something or raise money for something. We've got several options for that as well.
Speaker 2:Knew, this year the ride to defeat ALS is coming. So ALS in the past has done Several walks and they do several other events, but this year they're adding a gravel ride. So they're gonna do that on June 22nd. On On June 1st is tour to barbecue and then tour to tacos. Those both benefit dress for success in WA and they're food theme rides. So who doesn't, like you know, riding your bike and eating some food along the way?
Speaker 2:Bike of Palooza is coming up. That's the bike clubs in Northwest Arkansas kind of get together in September and do a fundraising ride. That's gonna happen here in Bentonville this year and then the festival of MS. So there's two rides now associated with MS and it's gravel fest coming up in April. This is the third year of that ride. It's the only Overnight gravel ride to this point we got. The Arkansas gravel are coming up, of course, but the gravel fest is the overnight gravel ride here in Northwest Arkansas. They start in Bendville, they go up to Missouri, they stay the night in Missouri and they come back, and it's just a ride that encompasses Food and encompasses music. Community cycling puts everything kind of in one. And then, of course, tri-fest is a longtime existing event. I think this is the 13th year of that event and it's the largest Fundraising triathlon in the US for MS. Wow, yeah, so it's a good one. In fact, those two rides combined last year raised $91,000 for research funding.
Speaker 1:That's incredible yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. Cool note about tri-fest Also is a triathlon that offers a pair of triathlon. So for our adaptive riders we also have plenty of opportunities for them as well. Fantastic. So there's the pair of triathlon. But we also have Ozarca adaptive off road cycling adventure. That happens in the fall, gonna happen again this year. Last year they hosted nearly 50 riders For the weekend and it was the opening of the new adaptive mountain bike trail at the castle. That was a really, really cool event.
Speaker 2:But Ozarca adaptive also hosts weekly rides. They do them on a paved and a soft surface. Paved surface kind of rotates around Northwest Arkansas so they go to different locations each week but the soft surface is usually at the bend. So we also have our big events right, the events that bring thousands of riders in, starting with square to square. So those happen two times a year. Over 2,000 riders attend the square to square.
Speaker 2:May 4th we're going from Fayetteville to Bentonville. October we reverse that and we go from Bentonville down to Fayetteville. That one is a partnership between us and the city of Bendville Parks and Recreation Department and then also the city of Fayetteville. So that's a really fun way to just ride down the greenway. It's a point-to-point ride, open to anybody, good for families, good for friends, good for anybody that wants to make that trip. And then Bike Fest, of course, is coming up in May. That one is Memorial Day weekend and there are lots of events that are associated with that, because it is a true cycling festival that encompasses all styles of riding, all types of bikes and all types of people that want to participate. I think last year they saw 25,000 people coming through the gates.
Speaker 1:That's incredible.
Speaker 2:It's amazing, and it's so much fun and talk about watching things that I would never, ever want to do the tricks and the the jumps and the trials are amazing to watch.
Speaker 1:And also at Bike Fest. They'll have racing, they'll have an expo, and is it still free? Again this year.
Speaker 2:It is still free. They do ask you to register just so that they can have a ticket when you get there. And there's group rides, there's workshops, there's the bike shows, the expo, like you said, the meet and greets, the Enduro race, live artists, shreds, demo bikes, I mean you name it. It's gonna happen at Bike Fest and it's such a really amazing festival and amazing thing that we have for our community and the visitors that come in. And then Bike Week in October. So Bike Week is composed of little sugar.
Speaker 2:That's gonna be on October 13th, that's the mountain bike race.
Speaker 2:Big Sugar is on October 19th, that's the gravel race, and then People for Bikes will have some events that are in the middle of that week.
Speaker 2:And then Outer Bike, of course, is happening at the same time as Big Sugar, so you can leave downtown with Big Sugar and go over to the Applegate property and check out some cool bike demos over there as well, and then the last kind of ride that we've got are just our community rides and partnerships, things that are just really amazing things that we have in town for people that are here locally, like the bike and brew, the chamber bike and brew. That one's gonna happen again on September 6th, and then not a ride that is open to the public, but USA Cycling has their national team camps here for mountain biking and those, although they're not open to the public, I think they really speak to the value of our trail system here and what we've built in Bentonville, because there is truly something for everybody, the beginner riders like me all the way up through the advanced future Olympians that are coming into Bentonville to train.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's right, Team USA. Their mountain biking squad is very active here and we see a lot of Olympic development riders come through several times per year. So it's always awesome to see those people and always give them a wave, say hello, ask them how they're doing. They love it Absolutely, Absolutely Well. Jamie, you have just covered so many events. I want to reiterate to our listeners they can find all of these on the Visit Bentonville website, correct, they can? Okay, perfect. So if you heard anything that sparked your interest, just be sure to go to VisitBentonvillecom. They have an events calendar where you can see all of these linked to event pages and websites and all the info you can need. So a couple closing questions for you. What kind of lodging options are available to travelers coming to town for these events?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we have hotels of all different kinds right, and most of them in Bentonville are going to be bike friendly. Some of them are going to have amenities like bike washes and storage lockers and bike filings and mechanical stations. We have a lot of short-term rentals as well. If you want to go the Airbnb or VRBO route, we also have camping available. We have some good campgrounds that are here, local, that will be right there by the trails, and then, if you want to have a truly unique bike experience, we have the bike in as well, over on Long Boulevard.
Speaker 1:Well, it sounds like there are lots of options for people, and if someone is interested in hosting a bike event in Bentonville, much like any of the ones we talked about, whether smaller or larger scale, how can they get in touch?
Speaker 2:You can email me directly. It's jamie J-A-M-I-E at VisitBentonvillecom. You can also go to our website. There is a submit and event page. It's just a drop down menu and you can put it in there.
Speaker 1:Perfect. Well, Jamie, thank you so much for your time in joining us on today's episode of Visit Bentonville. It's a new American town podcast and thanks to you, our listeners, for tuning in. Be sure to follow us trails and visit Bentonville on social media. We'll see you out on the trails.