



NEMBAfest 2020 Will Not be Held on Kingdom Trails





In a combined decision, the New England Mountain Bike Association, Kingdom Trail Association, and

Wildflower Inn, have chosen not to host the 2020 NEMBAfest on the Kingdom Trails network.

The NEMBA organization has chosen to take a year off from producing the festival in order to find a more



suitable location for 2021. The difficult decision came after much discernment and careful consideration

of a variety of factors and the impacts of holding the event again on the Darling Hill Ridge





NEMBAfest is a three-day celebration of all things mountain biking. Festival goers have experienced

over 100 miles of unique trails and terrain, enjoyed a fun-filled, family-friendly weekend of riding,

camping, demo-ing the latest mountain bikes, checking out new gadgets and gear, great music, and local

food & drink from around the region. The event was created to encourage the sport of mountain biking in

order for future generations to enjoy the unique benefits of the sport and trail experience, as well as an

annual fundraiser for KTA and NEMBA, both nonprofit organizations.





A number of factors determined the decision to not host the 2020 NEMBAfest on Kingdom Trails. Last

year the event experienced 4,000 attendees, the largest MTB festival in the Northeast. Although the

contribution to the regional economy was significant, the event was too large for the surrounding

communities. The impact of the event over the 3 days placed much stress and pressure on the rural

Vermont infrastructure and roads. The partners understand this was disruptive to neighbors and the

community as a whole and apologize for the unmanaged growth and size.





Also, as many are aware, there are trails with restricted access to mountain biking on Darling Ridge.

These trails are neighboring the festival location. With the negative impact that the festival had on area

residents and the community, combined with limited access to MTB trails, the partners felt cancelling the

event was in everyone’s best interest.





NEMBA, Kingdom Trails, and the Wildflower Inn wish to thank all the festival goers, industry sponsors

and partners, families, community members, volunteers, the Town of Lyndon, and especially the KTA

Landowners for understanding this decision. It has been an honor to host this incredible event, a privilege

to have the opportunity to welcome all from across the Northeast and beyond to experience these amazing

trails and the beautiful landscape of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.





Sincerely,

Philip Keyes, Executive Director NEMBA

Abby Long, Executive Director, KTA

Jim O’Reilly, Owner, Wildflower Inn

NEMBAfest Statement 1.17.20