Jun. 12—GOSHEN — The 24th annual Pumpkinvine Bike Ride is this Saturday. It’s part of a week of celebrations surrounding the completion of the original Pumpkinvine plans.

The ride is the final event of the week of festivities.

“What was originally imagined is now done,” said Brittany Short, Initiative Director for Connect in Elkhart County and current Executive Director for Friends of the PumpkinVine.

A total of 17 miles of original Pumpkinvine was finally completed over the course of 33 years.

‘Current,’ because it was recently announced that the Connect in Elkhart County initiative of the Community Foundation of Elkhart County and Friends of the PumpkinVine are merging to become a single entity, the Pumpkinvine Trails Coalition.

Historically, the Friends have focused solely on the Pumpkinvine Trail, but now, combined with the initiative, the coalition will focus on all trails across the county. The transition will occur incrementally over the next year.

The ride, through Friends of the Pumpkinvine, has raised as much as $30,000 in a single year to cover the costs of maintenance and , and this year, over 450 people are signed up to participate.

Short explained that funding for the trails is collaborative in nature, between municipalities, the community foundation, and the Friends, such as in the case of the incoming section at Ind. 4 and C.R. 28.

“The project has been highly collaborative — the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail is a major transportation corridor and it’s important that surfaces are consistent across that network,” she said. ” Our city and county elected officials, and staff, are working together to solve issues like, trail maintenance, that affect the broader community. It’s an exciting time to be doing this work.”

The city of Goshen contributed roughly $150,000 for the new stretch, the Friend contributed $75,000, and the community foundation $55,000. The Elkhart County Commissioners are managing the project but did not provide in capital dollars.

“We’re really working together collaboratively to get some of these projects done because we all care about it,” Short said.

In continuation of future trail projects and maintenance, the community foundation has set aside $2.5 million to care for trails in Elkhart County.

“There’s still a lot more to do and a lot more projects to complete across the county,” Short added.

This year’s Pumpkinvine Bike Ride also adds another ride to the mix.

There are four routes to choose from: 24-mile, 37-mile, 50-mile, and 100-mile. Check-in times vary by route.

The 24-mile route and 37-mile route are 2% grade most of the way.

The 50-mile route is 40% multi-use trail, 60% country roads, and mostly flat with some rolling hills.

The 100-mile route is 85% country roads, with 1,400 feet of elevation gain. It will venture into parts of southern Michigan.

Friends would also like to remind participants to prepare ahead of the ride by having bikes serviced including brakes, gears, calves, wheels, tire pressure, spokes, axles, handlebars, seats, and bike lights. Bring a water bottle and reservoir pack.

Also bring a bike bag with tools, spare tires, a small bike air pump, a plastic bag for trash, and extra snacks for between stops, as well as a change of clothing. A roving sag will perform emergency repairs.

The ride will still take place in the event of light rain so be sure to also have a windbreaker or rain jacket. Wear biking shorts, a shirt, a helmet, biking gloves, sunglasses, and sunscreen.

The Pumpkinvine Bike Ride is the Friends of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail’s biggest fundraising event of the year. All proceeds support the development and maintenance of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail.

Children under 17 must be accompanied by and signed for by a legal guardian or parent. All riders are required to wear a CPSC or SNELL helmet and respect traffic laws.

Routes may change based on feedback from local highway departments.

Rider check-in begins at 7 a.m. at the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds, 17746 C. R. 3.4. Gate 1, Goshen. For the 50 and 100-mile route check-in, registration is from 7 — 8 a.m. For the 37-mile bike ride and 24-mile bike ride, check-in begins at 8 a.m.

The cost is $65 for adults, and free for children.

There is also a Friday Thresher’s Dinner Ride at 4:30 p.m. It is a 20-mile ride to The Carriage House for an authentic meal at an Amish home. Tickets are $35 for adults and $25 for children 12 and under. Space is limited to 100. The minimum ride pace will be set at approximately 10 miles per house.

Participants can receive $5 off the Pumpkinvine Bike Ride when they sign up for the Thresher’s Dinner Ride. To qualify, registrants must register for the Thresher’s Dinner Ride before the Pumpkinvine Bike Ride and use the emailed promo code. Visit pumpkinvine.org/pumpkinvine-bike-ride for more information.

Dani Messick is the education and entertainment reporter for The Goshen News. She can be reached at dani.messick@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2065.