For the City Times

TOWN OF ROME – Visit Rome is gearing up for its inaugural Rome Fat Bike Fest, taking place Feb. 28 – March 1, at Sand Valley. With help from a $7,350 Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) Grant from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, event organizers are marketing the bike event to visitors from across Wisconsin and the North-Central Midwest.

Regional Bike Shop, Wheel & Sprocket, is partnering with Visit Rome to host Race  No. 6, the series finale, of their “Hugh Jass” Fat Bike Competition Series.

Celebrating its fifth season, the series explores the parks and trails of Wisconsin and Illinois, using a fat tire bike.

Rome is home to naturally occurring sand dunes that create a unique terrain for year-round fat tire biking.

The Rome Fat Bike Fest will be a competitive event for experienced riders, but also provide activities for novice fat bikers to learn more about the sport. The community is welcome to watch or participate, with competition taking place on Feb. 29. The race begins at 11 a.m., with awards and entertainment to follow.

The weekend will wrap up on March 1, with a 10-mile group ride through the town of Rome. Following the ride, a Bloody Mary bar and refreshments will be available at the Lake Arrowhead Clubhouse for racers.

“With marketing assistance from the Department of Tourism and event partnership with Wheel & Sprocket, the Rome Fat Bike Fest is truly an exciting achievement for us,” shares Cameryn Kwaterski, executive director of  Visit Rome. “We look forward to welcoming bike enthusiasts from around the Midwest to experience our destination’s unique fat tire bike trails. Come join us, with over 200 plus competitors expected for this event, it’s bound to be a weekend of fun in Rome.”

For more information, visit www.visitromewi.com/fat-tire-biking.