Community Market & After Party

Some riders ride for the sake of the ride, and then they go home, because they’re here to ride. Homegrown is the right kind of ride for riders like that. 

It’s also the right kind of ride for the rest of us, the ones who spend the ride fantasizing about the food and drinks and special social experiences waiting for us on the other side. We like to ride, but in a very real sense, we ride to earn the after party. At Homegrown, we get that—and we, too, need an after party worth busting our bearings for.

This year, that means we’ll gather on the Franklin Square for a community market & expo, live music, fun, friends, and great food and beverages.

 

COMMUNITY MARKET & Expo

Homegrown Market and Expo

A Bike Race in the Morning.
A Party & Community Market in the Afternoon.

On Saturday, February 28, riders from all over the country will finish their rides in downtown Franklin, starting around midday. Come cheer them across the line — then stay for the fun.

 

Market Time: Noon – 6 PM (Rain or shine)

Cost: The Market & Expo is FREE and open to everyone. This includes enjoying live music at the gazebo throughout the day.

What to Expect at the Market & Expo:

The event will feature a variety of:

  • Cycling vendors
  • Local artists
  • Premade food options (such as baked goods, teas, coffee, honey)
  • Community vendors
  • Massage therapy
  • And more!

Music will play throughout the day, with live performances interspersed. An announcer will keep you updated on all activities and events.

Artist Market and Expo:

Every year we are 

  • Shop 20+ vendors with arts & crafts, handmade goods, baked and prepared foods
  • Plus meet and shop our local cycling partners. 

 

Live Music

We’re excited to welcome our friends from Das Kaiser, who will bring a mix of country, bluegrass, and rock to Gazebo on the Square. We also just signed our second performance and we are happy to announce the Crossfire Blues Band will be opening things up in the Gazebo

Clawdad: 1:00 – 3:00PM
Das Kaiser – 4:00 – 6:00PM

Have a listen for yourself
https://clawdad.com
Das Kaiser on Spotify

 

Homegrown Market Vendors

Food Costs and Details

For Riders:
If you’ve paid for entry into the event, your food and drinks are included! You’ll receive a wristband that provides:

  • One trip through the food line
  • Four trips to the adult beverage line (21+ only)
  • Unlimited soda and non-alcoholic beverages

Be sure to keep your wristband safe during your ride!

For the General Public:
Food is available for $15 per person and $5 for kids under 10, and Beverages only for $10.00. Tickets can be pre-purchased by February 14 or you can get them day of by going to our information booth.

With your wristband, you’ll enjoy:

  • One trip through the food line
  • Four trips to the beverage line (or beverage only 4 trips)
  • Entry into our drawing where we’ll be giving away a bunch of cool bike swag, art and other great things. 

Pre-order tickets here: https://www.bikereg.com/homegrown
Scroll down to select Extra “After Ride” Wristband and complete your purchase.

Menu for those riding or have an After Ride wristband. Only for this with a wristband, See notes above

We’re finalizing the menu, but it’s shaping up to include:

  • Homemade chili
  • Jambalaya
  • Potato Soup
  • Brisket (While supplies last)
  • Burgers (beef and veggie options)
  • Hotdogs
  • BBQ pork
  • Sides and snack

Beverages

Adult beverages will be provided by our good friends at Halfway Crooks and will include:

  • German pilsners
  • Non-alcoholic pilsners
  • A variety of IPAs and other beer options
  •  

Plenty of Cokes, water, and other non-alcoholic beverages will also be available.

Additional Food Options

We recommend checking out Del Rio on the square, which will be open and serving all day. Feel free to order from them and enjoy the live music. We’re also exploring additional food options but want to ensure Del Rio’s business isn’t overshadowed.

We look forward to seeing you there!

WHAT'S THE BEST TIME TO SEE THE RIDERS

While the after-party is a major highlight, the main attraction is the race itself! You can see them as they start their journey through Heard and Randolph County during the following times

 Start times:

  • 100-Mile Race (Men): 8:30am
  • 100-Mile Race (Women): 8:45am
  • 62-Mile Race (All): 9:30am
  • 40-Mile Ride: 10:30am
  • 20-Mile Ride: 11:00am

Here’s the approximate schedule for the finish line excitement:

  • 100-Mile Race (Men): Expect the top male riders to cross the finish line around 12:30 PM.
  • 100-Mile Race (Women): The leading female riders should arrive by 1:00 PM.
  • 62-Mile Race (Men): Winners are projected to finish around 12:45 PM.
  • 62-Mile Race (Women): Winners are projected around 1:30PM
  • 20 and 40-Mile Ride: Riders will likely cross the line around the same time as the 62-milers.

The finish line will be located on Davis Street, near Del Rio.

Out on the course: We will send out a map as the event gets closer with estimated times and locations to see the riders out on the route to give them a little encouragement. We also have aid stations out throughout the course which is also a great place to see them ride past. 

Parking Information

  • Most participants will park at the high school.
  • We’ve reserved as many spaces as possible outside of the square for public parking.
  • The square itself will be fenced off for the Market & Expo, so plan accordingly!

Arrive early to secure parking and a great spot to cheer on the riders!

Check out our Parking page for complete details. 

Traffic Concerns

Franklin Pkwy: At 8:30, 8:45, 9:30, 10,30, & 11:00am the Franklin police will hold up traffic across the bridge to allow the riders to ride from Davis Street and turn left onto Glover Rd (by the UGA annex) This should only take a few minutes and should not delay you too much. They will also be holding traffic as riders come onto Blevins Rd off of Glover Rd at 8:40, 8:55, 9:40, 10:40, and 11:10

Additionally: As riders return from their journey they will be coming back onto Franklin Pkwy from Glover Rd and the Franklin Police may hold traffic intermittently as riders come in between 12:30 and 5:00PM. Again, these delays should be very minor. 

Rock Mills Rd: You can expect intermittent but minor delays in Rock Mills by the falls as riders cross over Rock Mills Rd/Hwy 22 to turn onto route 91. By this time, the riders will be 30-miles in and should be fairly spread out. 

The rest of the route:

The route is primarily rural, running along public gravel roads, so there’s not much to worry about. However, please be aware that you may encounter packs of riders throughout the day. We kindly ask for your patience when sharing the road with them.

Riders are required to follow all road rules, and we’ve provided them with an extensive list of regulations to ensure everyone’s safety. Thank you for your understanding! You can read those requirements here > https://homegrowngravel.com/rules/