NEMBAfest to celebrate all things mountain biking at Sugarloaf

Sugarloaf. (Jamie Walter/Sugarloaf Mountain Resort)

What started as “FlowState” in Ascutney, Vt. late last month will blossom into “NEMBAfest” this weekend in Carrabassett Valley, Maine. 

Along the way, and across three states, the New England Mountain Bike Association’s “Flow2Fest” links the two mountain biking festivals with a number of group rides and socials along the way. Among the stops were Waterbury and Kingdom Trails in Vermont, Gotham, N.H., and Saddleback Mountain. 

It all builds up to NEMBAfest, a celebration of all things mountain biking, featuring a selection of ride routes throughout Carrabassett Valley, as well as vendors, camping, and clinics. 

NEMBA is “a community of mountain bikers committed to creating epic riding experiences, preserving open space, and guiding the future of mountain biking in New England.” There are 31 chapters with more than 7,000 members throughout the region. NEMBA leads nearly a thousand mountain bike rides a season, put on various skills clinics and trail building schools, and advocates for mountain biking and recreational trails.

Tickets for this weekend are $99, adults, for the weekend; $30 per adult for a weekend camping pass. Youths are $25 each (8 to 15 years old).  Tickets include daytime entertainment, demo bikes, group rides, skills clinics, and access to concerts on Friday and Saturday nights. Teton Gravity Research’s new mountain biking movie, “Esperanto,” will also be shown both nights. 

The main expo area will be held at Sugarloaf Outdoor Center; concerts at the Sugarloaf base lodge. For more information, and to register, visit www.nembafest.com.