Whiskey Off-Road adds concert

The sixth annual Whiskey Off-Road will happen April 24-25 in downtown Prescott, Arizona, next to Whiskey Row. New for 2009 is the addition of free live music by Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers and an optional yoga practice as the sun sets.

"We can't wait to introduce the music portion and send this thing into orbit," said Todd Sadow, president of Epic Rides, Inc. "Our intent is to create the perfect destination for desert dwellers to escape the onset of the summer heat with a healthy outlet in the mountains of Prescott. Nothing beats the opportunity to spend a day in the saddle of a bike and an evening on the courthouse lawn with great live music."

The Whiskey route takes riders through the 1.25-million-acre Prescott National Forest. The forest boasts a system of well-maintained trails, thanks to the Prescott National Forest Service staff and local trail advocacy groups including the Prescott Cycling Club.

Riders may choose to enter three different distances, from the 15 Proof Fun ride to the 25 and 50 Proof routes that will appeal to more ambitious participants. The "Proof" theme pays homage to the infamous Whiskey Row element of downtown Prescott, an entire city block of watering hole type of establishments; a "proof" in this case represents one mile.

All who attend the community concert are requested to bring two canned food items for donation to the Yavapai County Food Bank. "Our goal is to raise a literal ton of canned goods between the mountain bike event and community concert," said Sadow.

Festivities will begin on Friday, April 24, when participants arrive for packet pickup and a mandatory pre-event riders' meeting on Goodwin St. in the center of downtown Prescott. The riding will begin Saturday morning with the concert happening that evening.

For more information, visit www.epicrides.com.