Barre Gran Prix/Criterium Announced in Central Vermont

Barre Criterium and Bike & Fitness Festival, Barre VT

Organized by Magic Wheel Community Bike Center, the Festival starts on Friday evening with a presentation on five European countries’ bicycle and pedestrian facilities bike paths and cycling in Europe; free yoga and jazzercise classes at local studios in Barre.  On Saturday,the Festival continues in the Magic Wheel Community Bike Center venue behind the Restore on Granite Street with a tent sale of used bikes and sports equipment, a climbing wall, yoga and jazzercise and a CrossFit fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.  Students at Studio Place Arts will be creating a large piece of art in the shape of a bike on North Main Street and there will be kids activities at Magic Wheel.  There are also mountain bike rides at Millstone Hill and on the Cross Vermont Trail in East Montpelier.

On Sunday, the Festival brings professional cycling to Downtown Barre with the Barre Gran Prix,  Charlie Semprebon Memorial bike race – actually 8 races around an oval course in Downtown Barre that will last all day.  In addition to a Foot Race, walk and parade at Noon, jazzercise and yoga classes continue as well as a daylong CrossFit competition sponsored by the Confluence Sports Center.  The bike races are organized by Onion River Racing and sanctioned by USA Cycling. Registration for the races is already open on BikeReg.com

For more information, check the Festival webpage, www.barrebikeandfitnessfestival.com which will be launched during the first week in May.  The Festival is being sponsored by the City of Barre, Charles Semprebon Fund, Onion River Sports, Onion River Cycling, Confluence Sports Center, Ben & Jerry’s, Magic Wheel Community Bike Center,  Copy World, Northfield Savings Bank  and a number of other private sponsors.