Berlin, NH - The Androscoggin Valley
north of Pinkham Notch will be the center of the universe for off-road vehicle
riders and passengers Friday and Saturday, July 26-27, as locals and visitors
converge at Jericho Mountain State
Park in New
Hampshire for
the annual Jericho ATV Festival.
It'll
be a muddy good time, as organizers report that after three years they've
refined their recipe for the mucky wet stuff that fills the 200- by 50-foot mud
pit. The state park, with 7,800
acres and
more than 75
miles of
scenic trails for every riding ability, is located off Route 110 west of
downtown Berlin.
"This
year's Jericho ATV Festival is shaping up to be the best one yet. With the help
of the collaborative marketing effort of the Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce,
New Hampshire Grand, Berlin Main Street Program and the Citizen's Bank
Foundation, the Androscoggin Valley ATV Club is excited to present the 4th
Annual Jericho ATV Festival and we are expecting a record number of attendees,"
said Paula Kinney of the chamber.
The
gates open at 8
a.m. on Friday, with a poker run from 9
a.m. to 2 p.m. (first prize is a 3,000-pound winch) and
mud pit grudge runs from 1 to 4 p.m. Can-Am and Arctic Cat Wildcat will be
offering demo rides and an obstacle course from 9
a.m. to 3 p.m. both days.
This
year downtown Berlin welcomes riders with a "Mud Music Main Street"
block party Friday from 4 to 9 p.m. The downtown street will be closed to
regular vehicle traffic, with ATVs and pedestrians ruling the road for the
night. The band Straightaway will rock the night away. Dining, shopping, and a
beer garden will be available on Main Street.
On
Saturday, riders get down and dirty as they compete in the mud pit races, with
four-wide racing for ATV and UTVs. Registration is from 8 to 10
a.m., elimination heats from 10
a.m. to noon, and finals from 1 to 3 p.m.
During
the two-day festival the streets of Berlin within the Urban Compact
Zone are open to ATVs. Food and other vendors will offer goods and services at
the festival.
Jericho Mountain State
Park campground is already
booked for the event, but that doesn't mean visitors can't come back another
time and stay there. Be sure to check out the new sites, located a stone's
throw from the Robert Danderson VisitorCenter.
For
more information, check out Facebook or email info@southendmedia.com or
kurt@southendmedia.com.
