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As part of its continuing efforts to make Brunswick a more bicycle-friendly destination, the Brunswick Main Street group will hold its first Bicycle Festival, featuring music, vendors and information from bicycle groups. It hopes to make the event an annual tradition.

Brunswick is located at Mile 55 of the 184.5-mile C&O Canal Towpath, which is a popular route for bike enthusiasts. The national park was completed in 1850 and operated as a canal until 1924. Brunswick's visitor center, at 40 W. Potomac St., is one of six centers located along the towpath.

Brunswick Main Street executive director Patrick Kay said the group wants to emphasize the city as a bike destination because it's an underutilized facet of tourism.

"A lot of people don't realize that a bicycle route is a huge thoroughfare," Kay said, adding that the downtown gets dozens of visitors on bikes every week.

The festival is part of a larger effort by the group that aims to attract bicyclists to town. Recently, the group received a grant from the Community Foundation of Frederick County Inc. to install eight bike racks, located on Maple Avenue and under the Md. Route 17 bridge, where most visiting cyclists park their bikes.

The installation date has not been finalized, as the location under the bridge is owned by the State Highway Administration, so permits are needed to complete the installation, but Kay said the aim to is have them installed soon."We just turned them into public works," he said. "It's just a matter of them getting some time out there."

This year's festival is made possible largely through a $2,000 grant from the Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc., as well as donations from sponsors from the area. Kay said he eventually wants to have the festival sponsored by a national bike manufacturer.

"It's really hard to get sponsors for your first year," Kay said, adding that if the event has a large attendance, it will be easier to attract sponsors. "I'd really like to get Trek or Schwinn or someone down here. That's when we'll really get on the map down here."

In addition to musical entertainment, a climbing wall and food vendors, the festival will include information from local vendors, such as River and Trail Outfitters, which has locations in Knoxville and Millville, W.Va., and Shepherdstown, W.Va., based Shepherdstown Pedal and Paddle. Jamie Stone, the mechanic for the shop, said the store participates in many local bike festivals and is participating in Brunswick event as a way to promote C&O Canal bicycling.

"The main reason we're sponsors is we want to promote the area," he said. "We are all for as much cycling as we can come up with in the area. We're cyclists our selves, we have a passion to ride."

Stone said the store sees bicycling enthusiasts from many different areas, as cycling draws people from all over the area to visit towns along the way.

"We've got people from all areas, all over that stop into the shop," he said.

"Obviously locals, but also people from the [Washington] D.C. metro area ... We get people from the D.C. metro area that stop in every town, and hit every little town. We have an appreciation for that. It's not just about Shepherdstown, it's about promoting cycling and what everybody gets out of it."

Brunswick Bicycle Festival

-Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at Railroad Square, near Mile 55 on the C&O Canal Towpath

-Music by Tonehounds, The Hard Swimmin' Fish and Bo Weevil and Rottin' Cottin'

-www.brunswickmainstreet.or

tlaino@gazette.net