Deep Roots Festival Charity Ride

On Oct. 20, the Bicycling Club of Milledgeville will take a charity ride through historic central Georgia to raise money for local charity groups.

The groups include: Café Central Soup Kitchen, Georgia Cancer Support, the Milledgeville Community Garden Association and Live Healthy Baldwin.

The ride will go on rain or shine, beginning in downtown Milledgeville and progressing into the Baldwin County countryside.

Benny Watson, president of the Bicycling Club of Milledgeville, wants more people to be aware of his club.

“We knew that Deep Roots was a big deal,” he said. “So we thought it would be a good idea to tie in the biking club with it. Hopefully, this will bring more attention to our club and this charity ride can become an annual event.”

For the charity ride, bicyclists will have an array of trail options to sign up for. The options range from a 15-mile ride to Bartram Forest and back, a 30-mile ride through Wilkinson County, a 50-mile loop through Baldwin and Wilkinson counties and finally a 75-mile trek.

“The 75-mile ride is for avid bicyclists,” Watson said.

Fellow bicyclist and Georgia College alum Victor Pulizzi agreed.

“The long ride should take all day, but that’s all the more reason to join it,” he said. “It will be a great way to really experience the road and your bike.”

Participants are invited to enjoy breakfast and lunch provided by Chick-fil-A, Piggly Wiggly, Jackson’s on Sinclair and other sponsors after the ride. Participants will also earn free entrance into Milledgeville’s award-winning music and arts festival, Deep Roots, and receive a collectible, multi-colored Deep Roots T-shirt.

Deep Roots is Milledgeville’s largest and most popular downtown festival.

Roads are blocked off as far as The MAX and the center of downtown, and the block surrounding intersection of West Hancock and North Wayne Streets is host to the actual festival.

Events include a vintage car show, arts and craft vendors, a barbecue cook-off, a kids zone and music well into the evening. Headlining this year is GIVERS, a group that is currently on tour with pop sensation Gotye. Also on the music schedule is Dangermuffin, The Eclective, Mayview Road and multi-Grammy winning blues artist Chris Thomas King.

“I’m so excited for Deep Roots,” senior Brandon Landreau said. “I love listening to the live music; everyone always has a blast. I’d have to say that the annual barbecue contest is probably what I’m most looking forward to, though.”

To get into Deep Roots, sign up to participate in the Deep Roots Festival Charity Ride. Registration begins at 8 a.m. on October 20: $40 with T-shirt and $30 without. The ride sets off from 131 N. Irwin St. in Milledgeville at 9 a.m. that day.

Posted by Sarah Wilson on Oct 18 2012. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.