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Return to Press ReleasesSunday River Summer 2012 Area Events
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From historic tours to festive weekends celebrating Maine's heritage and recreational landscape, Sunday River and the Bethel area offer a summer full of events for every age and interest.
April 2012
April 18: Sunday River Golf Course Opens
Recently named the “#1 Public Golf Course in Maine” by Golfweek magazine, the highly acclaimed Sunday River Golf Club is a must play for any golfer. Spread across a 350-acre site on a Northwest-facing hillside, the Sunday River Golf Club boasts 18-holes of sweeping views of the Sunday River Valley and Mahoosuc Mountain Range. www.sundayriver.com or (207) 824-3000.
May 2012
May 26: U.S. Kyokushin Karate Open
Founded in 1995, Maine Kyokushin Karate (MKK), the premier martial arts school in the Oxford Hills, strives to bring world-class full contact fighting to Maine. Hosted at Grand Summit Resort Hotel, the 2012 U.S. Kyokushin Open will be MKK’s tenth full contact tournament. This national event is open to all styles and all ranks. Tickets are $15 at the door. www.sundayriver.com
June 2012
June 2: Free Family Fishing Festival
Free use of rods and reels or bring your own. The pond is stocked with trout, and kids are welcome to take their catches home for dinner! Casting, fly-fishing, and fly tying instruction. Family priced BBQ, or bring your own picnic lunch. Free fishing weekend with no license required. From 9am -2pm at Angevine Park, 456 North Road, Bethel, Maine. www.bethelmaine.com
June 14–17: American Lung Association Trek Across Maine
Join Sunday River and 2,500 bike enthusiasts for three days of fundraising on wheels to benefit the American Lung Association. Starting at Sunday River, this tour takes participants from the mountains to the sea. The American Lung Association is the oldest voluntary health organization in the nation and funds raised from this event help go towards existing and future lung health programs. (800) 586-4872 or www.lungusa.org
June 29: Sunday River Bike Park Opens
The Sunday River Bike Park offers over 20 miles of lift-serviced downhill and cross country riding. The resort’s network of 30 trails range from open dirt roads to single track and vary from beginner to advanced. Lift-serviced bike transport is provided by the resort’s Chondola. The Sunday River Bike Park is open for lift and trail access Friday through Sunday from 10 – 4 p.m. Adult lift tickets are $29; juniors are $18. www.sundayriver.com or (207) 824-3000
June 29: Sunday River Opens for Summer Activities
Choose from a scenic Chondola ride to the Peak Lodge for a picnic lunch; take to Sunday River’s many trails for a hiking, mountain biking or geocaching adventure, or, harness up for some in-air action on a zipline tour. Summer hours of operation are 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Fridays through Sundays (and select holidays). www.sundayriver.com or (800) 543-2754
June 29: Western Maine’s Largest Yard Sale
This is not your typical little ol’ yard sale! As part of our opening weekend for the summer, Sunday River will be hosting Western Maine’s Largest Yard Sale in the South Ridge Base Area on Saturday, June 30, 2012. This is the perfect way to kick off Sunday River’s summer season—and a great way to get rid of some skeletons in our closets. For more information, visit www.sundayriver.com.
July 2012
July 7: 23rd Annual Bethel Art Fair
The finest artists and artisans of Western Maine and beyond will exhibit original works of art and very fine crafts on the historic Bethel Common. For information on artist registration, events schedule, and entertainment, visit www.mahoosucarts.org.
July 7 & 8: Sunday River Open & Maine State Championship Downhill
Professional and amateur mountain bikers are heading to Sunday River Resort to battle it out for cash and prizes at the Maine State Championship Downhill on Sunday, July 8, 2012. The course at Sunday River’s lift-serviced mountain bike park will include extreme features and berms to challenge expert and novice riders alike along Sunday River’s North Peak. For more information, visit www.sundayriver.com or call (207) 824-3000.
July 13–14: 20th Annual New England Forest Rally
The fastest cars on dirt converge at Sunday River for two days of off-road rally car racing. This annual race represents round six of the Rally America National Championship Series and the last chance for these racers to qualify for the summer X Games. The event draws competitors and spectators from across the globe. For more information, visit www.sundayriver.com or call (207) 824-3000.
July 21: 3rd Annual Tough Mountain Challenge
Sunday River’s annual Tough Mountain Challenge is back! This is the ultimate running race and obstacle course for the thrill-seeking athlete, and undoubtedly the hardest race at Sunday River. Competitors face over a dozen mountain obstacles and some of the most demanding terrain at Sunday River spread across a 5k course. www.toughmountain.com
July 21–22: Mollyockett Days
Bethel, Maine’s biggest summer event, Mollyockett Days, is an annual area festival held on the Bethel Common and includes road races, arts and crafts fair, parade, contests, entertainment, a frog jumping contest, fiddlers contest, food, fireworks and of course, community fun. For more information, visit www.bethelmaine.com or call (207) 824-2282.
July 26–29: 13th Annual Maine European Motorcycle Meet
Join motorcycle enthusiasts from around the state as they gather at Sunday River to embark on vintage tours, adventure tours, and rides through the western mountains. You'll be hanging out with your motorcycle kin while you check out displays at the Jordan Grand Resort Hotel that include BMW, Triumph, Ducati, Ural, and more. This weekend is perfect for anyone who appreciates European engineering, design, and performance. Plus there will be dinner, music, a BBQ, and tons of fun activities.
September 2012
September 14–16: The Sunday River Open Dart Tournament
The 2nd annual Sunday River Open Dart Tournament is even bigger and better in 2012. This year’s event will welcome shooters of all abilities from across North America at the Grand Summit Resort Hotel. Come join us for your chance to shoot with top ranked players or as a spectator of the highly competitive matches. The weekend will be filled with great competition and a wide array of fun activities including Zipline Tours, hiking, biking, live music, and more.
October 2012
October 6–7: Sunday River Fall Festival
Celebrate one of Maine’s most cherished seasons with Sunday River’s favorite weekend event—Fall Festival. Complete with live music, a beer garden, wine tasting, the Annual Blue Mountain Arts and Craft Fair, children's games and activities, scenic lift rides, and wagon rides. www.sundayriver.com or (207) 824-3000
October 6: 13th Annual North American Wife Carrying Championship
Each year this unique event draws over 2,500 spectators all lining the course to watch teams of 50 husbands and wives compete for the grand prize of the wife's weight in beer plus cash. In the closest finish ever, the winning team took first place by less than one stride ahead of the second place finisher! For more information on the event visit www.sundayriver.com or call (207) 824-3000.
October 7: Mountain RAID (formerly Mountain Epic)
The Mountain Epic Trail Races are now part of the Mountain RAID and RAID Series. The RAID Series is comprised of three unique obstacle races that take place in downtown Portland (June 30), the beaches of Kennebunk (Sept. 22), and the mountains at Sunday River (Oct. 7). Offering outstanding venues and large scale obstacles such as cargo nets, monkey bars, stair climbs, sand bag carries, tire fields and much more, the RAID Series is designed for athletes who want a high quality racing experience focused on performance and personal accomplishment.
