Bikes, Blues & BBQ is an annual motorcycle festival in Fayetteville, but a much quieter bike summit is set to kick off in Bentonville on Thursday.
The International Mountain Bicycling Association is holding its biennial World Summit in downtown Bentonville, and organizers said the event has sold out its 500-ticket allotment and has a waiting list. Hans Rey, a renowned mountain biker, will give the summit’s keynote address on Thursday.
IMBA chose northwest Arkansas as the site for the three-day event on the strength of its underpublicized trail system and the influence of the Walton Family Foundation, which gave the IMBA a $275,000 grant to provide maintenance for the state’s five Epic-designated trails.
Whispers shouldn’t have to tell you, but an Epic trail is one that is at least 80 percent single track, at least 20 miles long and is a technical and physical challenge. Only California has more Epic trails than the five in Arkansas.
“Arkansas’ secret is getting out,” IMBA spokeswoman Eleanor Blick said.
Bentonville officials predict the summit will generate approximately $500,000 in economic activity. Blick said there will be 60 vendors at the expo, which will be open Wednesday to the public, a day before the official start of the summit.
“This is the first time we’ve sold out, and it’s also the biggest venue we’ve used,” Blick said. “It’s a win-win for us.”
Blick said the local community has stepped up to make the IMBA feel welcome, with Bentonville putting in temporary bike lanes and bike racks. The summit’s events, keynote speeches and breakout sessions aren’t open to the non-ticketed public, but there should be plenty of activity since the venues for the event are spread out at different locations in downtown Bentonville.
“If you come down to Bentonville, we’re kind of taking over Bentonville,” Blick said. “The local community made this work for us. Northwest Arkansas is an example of a community invested in trails. They know what trails can do for communities.”
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