EATON — Be ready for lots of bicyclists on the roads this coming weekend. Eaton and the Preble County Fairgrounds is one of four host communities for this year’s Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure (GOBA.)
GOBA is an annual eight-day cycling journey that attracts up to 1,200 riders from 40 states. This year’s ride begins Saturday, June 15, at the fairgrounds-based “GOBAville” camp for ride participants.
Other host communities include Oxford, Hamilton, and Arcanum. For more information about GOBA and this year’s routes, visit www.goba.com.
New this year for the GOBA riders is an extra day of cycling during the annual Friends of Preble County 4H scholarship fundraiser, the Buckeye Bridge Ride, which offers GOBA participants a chance to join riders from Preble County and others from across the country for a day of cycling throughout Preble County and its covered bridges.
Participants will take a scenic bicycle ride around Preble County and experience up to four of its covered bridges. The BBR offers three different route options, allowing riders to travel 10, 39, or 51 miles. The routes typically offer scenic countryside views and the covered bridges in the Gratis, Lewisburg, and Eaton area.
Created by the Friends of Preble County 4-H as a fundraiser, the Buckeye Bridge Ride has provided over $23,740 in 4-H scholarships according to organizers.
The ride kicks off at the Preble County Fairgrounds on Saturday, with its mass start at 7 a.m. Other pleasure rides/touring groups will have staggered starts between 7:15 and 8:30 a.m. All participants are automatically entered in the Buckeye Challenge. Buckeyes will be available at each “Stop and Go” (SAG) station.
Lucky buckeye numbers will be provided to each rider and drawings will be made for ride prizes available to be picked up upon completion of the ride. Food will be available at the end of the ride and showers are available at the fairgrounds.
All routes included a “Stop and Go” station where the riders can stop and refresh before continuing their journey. The four SAGs will have bottled water and snacks, and also offer the riders homemade buckeyes to keep with the theme of the ride and the challenge.
All proceeds from the ride benefit Preble County 4-H activities and events, including 4-H Camp scholarships, Leadership Camp, camp supplies and more. Buckeye Bridge routes and additional information are available at www.buckeyebridge.org.
To close out the day on Saturday, Downtown Eaton Inc. and Eaton Parks and Recreation are hosting the third annual Community Fun Fest in coordination with GOBA officials, and are promising a street party like no other in downtown Eaton from 4-7 p.m.
The fun will include a zipline on Main Street, rock wall climbing, inflatables, an archery range, a bike rodeo, water yo-yos, yard games, live music from Tyler Michael Walton and the Mayflower Satchel, and much more for the entire family. Plus, one lucky child will win a Guardian bicycle in a raffle.
Eating and shopping will also highlight the evening, with offerings from Smoke Nation, Ullery’s Ice Cream, Go Downs Fixins, Burritos De La Tia, Groovy Sweets, Molokinis, Momma’s Pop-N-Kettle, and more. There will also be more than 25 vendors lining Main Street, offering a variety of goods and services for those wanting some “retail therapy,” as well as the downtown businesses to visit.
The free activities during Community Fun Fest ‘24 are sponsored by Preble County Development Partnership, City of Eaton Parks & Recreation, Neaton Auto, Skyline Chili, Metallus, Simon Insurance, JA Kovach Law, Somerville National Bank and GOBA.
Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 and follow on X @emowenjr.
