Registration underway for the inaugural Brunswick Heritage Riverside Ride

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — If you enjoy biking and learning about the past, there’s a really cool ride taking place in October that will offer great views of the Cape Fear River and allow participants to connect with Brunswick County’s history.

The Brunswick Heritage Riverside Ride features a 16-mile bike ride along northern Brunswick County’s Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor from Phoenix Park in Navassa to Brunswick Riverwalk Park in Belville.

“This is the first year of this ride, its an inaugural ride, so there are lots of unknowns about maximum capacity or how smooth its going to go with lots of cyclists on these roadways so we are capping capacity at 100 individuals,” said Nick Cannon who serves as an Associate Transportation Planner with the Wilmington Urban Metropolitan Planning Organization (WUMPO).

The ride, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 23, is being organized by WUMPO which also plans the hugely popular Annual River to Sea Bike Ride in Wilmington.

“Our partners in Brunswick County wanted to host a bike ride on the west side of the Cape Fear River that highlights portions of the future Gullah Geechee Greenway,” said Cannon. “The route ride features several points of historical and cultural significance for Brunswick County, specifically Navassa, and it includes areas like Reaves Chapel and hundreds of acres of land that were once plantations.”

Reaves Chapel was built in the late 1800’s by former slaves who worked at the Cedar Hill Plantation. The historic church is the oldest landmark of the Gullah Geechee heritage in southeastern North Carolina.

Various age groups and experience levels of cyclists are welcome to participate in the ride but participants must be able to bike 16 miles at a casual pace.

Helmets are required and cyclists should give their bicycle a thorough safety inspection prior to the event.

“This is also a great opportunity to display the increased need for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, parks, shared spaces and community areas that are key point in development as more of this area in northern Brunswick County continues to be built up and developed,” Cannon said.

While there is no cost to register, participants should only sign-up if they intend to take part in the ride.

Participants will depart from Phoenix Park at 7:30 am. There will be a 15- to 20-minute break at Brunswick Riverwalk Park before beginning the return half of the ride.

Registration is open until Wednesday, Oct. 20 or when the 100-person capacity is reached. No day-of registration will be offered. Click here to find out more and to register.