Kingdom Bike Fest takes over our lawn August 8-9, 2026: two days of races, kids events, adventure rides, live music, and a bonfire, right where Kingdom Trails crosses Darling Hill. Here's the plan for the whole weekend, whether you're racing, spectating, camping, or sleeping in a real bed thirty steps from the start line.
This is the first-ever Kingdom Bike Fest, co-organized by us, New England Youth Cycling (NEYC), and Hired Hand Design, and it's built for families, fun-seekers, and anyone who doesn't like sitting still. Registration is open now at bikereg.com/kingdombikefest, and day-of registration is available but costs more.
Friday, August 7: roll in and settle down
Camping and parking open at noon. Claim your spot (there's a strictly "quiet" side and a "normal" side, so choose honestly), get a shakeout ride in, then bring your camp chairs to the tent at Trailside for an 8:30pm screening of Life Cycles, the 2010 mountain bike film shot over five years in Ultra HD. The bonfire lights the same time. Quiet time at 10.
Saturday, August 8: the everything day
There is no way to do all of Saturday. Pick your battles:
For the kids. NEYC's free Fun Zone, an obstacle course and skills challenges, runs 9am to 8pm, open to all kids. Games and shenanigans with the NEYC crew go 12:30 to 2:30. Then the racing: the Lil' Rippers Strider Race at 4pm (push bikes only, every racer gets an award and a podium photo), and the Kingdom Shredders Grom Race at 4:30 for ages 5-13, about 30 minutes on a compact 1-mile lap with great spectator sightlines and adult sweepers riding along.
For the riders. The Kingdom Adventure Ride is a token hunt: five buckets placed at popular Kingdom Trails checkpoints, including Heaven's Bench. Ride any routes you like, collect tokens through Sunday at 1pm, and every token earns a raffle ticket toward the grand prize. The East Darling Super D is a timed 1.5-mile, mostly-downhill Strava segment you can run as many times as you want before 6pm. And Sunday's XC course is open for pre-ride until 6, including a free women's pre-ride at 11am and a guided pre-ride for everyone at 11:30.
For everybody else. A vendor expo with demo bikes and local artisans, a $5 flex-schedule disc golf tournament you can play any time all weekend on our courses, and Vermont Adaptive ride lessons at 10am and 1pm both days (sign up at least two weeks ahead so they can have the right equipment ready).
Saturday night. The Whip Off at Sean's Showdown at 5:15, bike limbo and bunny hop contests, then the "Ridiculous Relay" at 7:30: teams of three, 1.6-mile laps, family teams encouraged, shenanigans required. The Pete Downing Project plays at 8, the bonfire lights at 8:30, and the Trailside Beer Garden sits right above all of it.
Sunday, August 9: race day
The MTB XC Race runs four waves on a roughly 5-mile lap of hand-built and machine-built flow: Novice at 8:30am (2 laps), Sport at 10:30 (3 laps), Elite and Expert at 12:30 (4 laps), and E-Bike at 3pm (3 laps). Top five in every field take awards; top three Elite men and women take cash. There's a drop/jump line right under the spectator zone at Trailside (cameras ready), and the beer garden deck is the best seat in the Kingdom for watching people send it. Awards with a valley view behind the podium.
Where to sleep
Camp. Primitive on-site camping runs Friday noon through Monday 3pm: $30 per vehicle if you pre-register, $50 day-of.
Or don't. Our rooms and suites put you steps from the start line with a hot shower, a real bed, and the only saltwater pool in the Northeast Kingdom waiting after your ride (heated, outdoors, open through Labor Day). Suites sleep 4-10, so one booking covers the whole team, and the restaurant serves breakfast and dinner 365 days a year, so there are no cooler logistics required.
Book your Bike Fest stay here, and if the weekend is spoken for, late August midweek is the Kingdom at its quiet, empty-trail best.
Full schedule and event details live on our
Kingdom Bike Fest page, and times are still being finalized, so check back before you drive up. We're 10 minutes off I-91 at Exit 23, about 3 hours from Boston and 2.5 from Montreal.
One housekeeping note: per town ordinance, no alcohol in the venue or campground. It is welcome in the designated areas at the Trailside Beer Garden and the restaurant, pub, and beer garden, which, conveniently, is where the music and the views are anyway.
We can't wait for this one. See you on the hill.
— The Wildflower Team
Kingdom Bike Fest FAQ
Do I have to race to come to Kingdom Bike Fest?
Not at all. The kids Fun Zone is free, spectating is set up all over the course, the vendor expo and demo bikes are open to everyone, and the live music, disc golf, and bonfire don't require a number plate. Register at bikereg.com/kingdombikefest for the events you do want to enter.
Is Kingdom Bike Fest good for young kids?
Yes, it's built for them. The free NEYC Fun Zone runs all day Saturday, the Strider race is for push-bike-riding littles, and the Grom Race covers ages 5-13. Family teams are encouraged in Saturday night's relay.
Where do I stay for Kingdom Bike Fest?
On-site: primitive camping is $30 per vehicle pre-registered ($50 day-of), Friday noon to Monday 3pm. Or book a room or suite at The Wildflower Inn and sleep steps from the venue. Suites sleep 4-10, and the saltwater pool and 365-day restaurant are included in the deal.
How do I get to Kingdom Bike Fest?
The Wildflower Inn is at 2059 Darling Hill Road, Lyndonville, VT, 10 minutes off I-91 at Exit 23, about 3 hours from Boston, 2.5 from Montreal, and 3.5 from Hartford.
