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Join your neighbors and 1,200 bicycling guests Wednesday, Oct. 4 for a free concert in Womble Park as Holly Springs hosts Cycle North Carolina.
The cyclists begin arriving late Wednesday morning in Holly Springs, their only Triangle destination. Most will sleep in tents before heading out Thursday morning. "We want to showcase Holly Springs," said Scott Barnard, manager of Bass Lake Park & Retreat Center. Half of the cyclists come from out of state. Some are from other countries. Bike riders will take N.C. 751 to New Hill-Holleman Road and enter town on Avent Ferry Road. Most are expected to arrive between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Oct. 4. A local band, GB4, will take the Womble Park stage by 5:30 p.m. The Craig Woolard Band will play beach tunes from 7 - 9 p.m. Holly Springs Rotary Club will sell beverages from Holly Springs' own Carolina Brewing Company. Event sponsors will host welcome and information booths. Ride your bike to Womble Park for the event if you'd like. You can also take advantage of free Coach USA shuttles running continuously from 3 - 10 p.m. They'll stop at sponsoring businesses La Dolce Vita next to Town Hall , Bass Lake Draft House and Java Divine on Bass Lake Road, and Homegrown Pizza at 4928 Linksland Drive. The week-long mountains-to-the-coast bike tour starts in Banner Elk and ends Oct. 7 at Emerald Isle. This is the eighth year for the Cycle North Carolina event and the first for Holly Springs. The tour includes overnight stays in six towns between Banner Elk and Emerald Isle, including Burlington the night before Holly Springs and Smithfield afterward. The shuttle service will enable bike riders to patronize Holly Springs' restaurants and shops. Barnard estimates they'll spend about $120,000 here. "The towns that roll out the red carpet really reap the benefits," he said. Red carpet treatment requires months of planning. Parks and Recreation staff have been preparing for the bicycle tour since February, coordinating with N.C. Amateur Sports, the event organizer. Eight hundred tents will go up in Womble Park on Wednesday night. Traveling with the riders are a 50-member support staff for services such as first-aid, massage and 24-hour bike repair. Three trucks carry riders' gear, including 800 tents. "It is a mobile town," Barnard said. Serving as a host community for Cycle North Carolina gives Holly Springs' Parks and Recreation and Economic Development staffs additional experience in putting on large events. "We're working on the logistics of how to handle a crowd this size, show them a good time, and not have to shut down our town," Barnard said. Contact Scott Barnard Park
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Town of Holly Springs - PO Box 8 - 128 South Main Street - Holly Springs, NC 27540 - (919) 552-6221 - Holly.Springs@hollyspringsnc.us |
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