Menomonie, Durand join to host National Trails Day events Saturday
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 9:46 AM CDT
Bicyclists, skaters and walkers will be hitting the Red Cedar and Chippewa River State Trails on Saturday, June 7 to celebrate National Trails Day and experience the festivities being held in the cities of Durand and Menomonie. Trail fees are waived for the day to encourage participation, and, a free shuttle service between the two cities will be provided.
National Trails Day events are being planned by the Friends of the Red Cedar State Trail (FRCST) from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Depot Trailhead at Riverside Park in Menomonie. Events will include a butterfly exhibit, predatory owl presentation, music by Jude Marion, a garlic mustard walk and nature hike. Bike mechanics from Simple Sports and Bad Cat Bikes will be on hand to do bike tune-ups. Food and beverages will be available, and, door prizes will be given away.
Meanwhile in Durand, the bike ride coincides with Durand Funfest, the community’s annual early summer celebration which features a carnival, children’s games and kiddie-pet parade, chicken stand, beverage tent, open house at the Old Courthouse Museum, and numerous other events throughout the day.
Mayor Dennis Kropp will lead out a group of riders from Riverside Park at 11:30 a.m. An early morning ride will leave Memorial Park at 8 a.m.
Free shuttles will run between Riverside Park at Menomonie, the boat landing at Downsville, and Memorial Park in downtown Durand. Four departures are scheduled from each location.
Participants will have the option of riding round-trip between the two cities or riding one-way and catching the shuttle for the return trip for riders and bikes. Departure times from Menomonie to Durand are scheduled for 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Departures from Durand to Menomonie are 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 4 p.m.
The mayors of Menomonie and Durand were brainstorming last winter and hit on the idea of getting folks from the two communities to experience the trail and to become better acquainted with each other’s city. They then approached FRCST and the Friends of the Pepin County Trail (FPCT) to help with the planning and execution.
A roundtrip ride between Menomonie’s Riverside Park and Durand’s Memorial Park is about 42 miles; one-way is 21 miles. It is just under eight miles from Riverside Park to Downsville and about 13½ miles from Downsville to Memorial Park at Durand. |
Archives