NEMBAFest update
January 17, 2020
NEMBAfest Statement 1.17.20
NEMBAfest 2020 Will Not be Held on Kingdom Trails
In a combined decision, the New England Mountain Bike Association, Kingdom Trail Association, and
Wildflower Inn, have chosen not to host the 2020 NEMBAfest on the Kingdom Trails network.
The NEMBA organization has chosen to take a year off from producing the festival in order to find a more
suitable location for 2021. The difficult decision came after much discernment and careful consideration
of a variety of factors and the impacts of holding the event again on the Darling Hill Ridge
NEMBAfest is a three-day celebration of all things mountain biking. Festival goers have experienced
over 100 miles of unique trails and terrain, enjoyed a fun-filled, family-friendly weekend of riding,
camping, demo-ing the latest mountain bikes, checking out new gadgets and gear, great music, and local
food & drink from around the region. The event was created to encourage the sport of mountain biking in
order for future generations to enjoy the unique benefits of the sport and trail experience, as well as an
annual fundraiser for KTA and NEMBA, both nonprofit organizations.
A number of factors determined the decision to not host the 2020 NEMBAfest on Kingdom Trails. Last
year the event experienced 4,000 attendees, the largest MTB festival in the Northeast. Although the
contribution to the regional economy was significant, the event was too large for the surrounding
communities. The impact of the event over the 3 days placed much stress and pressure on the rural
Vermont infrastructure and roads. The partners understand this was disruptive to neighbors and the
community as a whole and apologize for the unmanaged growth and size.
Also, as many are aware, there are trails with restricted access to mountain biking on Darling Ridge.
These trails are neighboring the festival location. With the negative impact that the festival had on area
residents and the community, combined with limited access to MTB trails, the partners felt cancelling the
event was in everyone’s best interest.
NEMBA, Kingdom Trails, and the Wildflower Inn wish to thank all the festival goers, industry sponsors
and partners, families, community members, volunteers, the Town of Lyndon, and especially the KTA
Landowners for understanding this decision. It has been an honor to host this incredible event, a privilege
to have the opportunity to welcome all from across the Northeast and beyond to experience these amazing
trails and the beautiful landscape of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.
Sincerely,
Philip Keyes, Executive Director NEMBA
Abby Long, Executive Director, KTA
Jim O’Reilly, Owner, Wildflower Inn
Dear KT Community, I write to you today as I begin a transition in my relationship with Kingdom Trails. I have made the difficult decision to take the next step in my professional journey and step away from my role as Executive Director. Serving Kingdom Trails and this incredible community over the past eight years has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I am deeply proud of the work I’ve led and supported, from navigating immense global challenges and natural disasters, to forging incredible relationships, with our landowners and community. And throughout this journey, the Northeast Kingdom has become not just where I live, but truly my home. It’s the place I chose to become a mother and where my family has put down roots. That said, I am ready to explore new ways to serve this community, ways that will allow me to continue growing as a leader. I’ve accepted the role of Interim Executive Director for the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative, where I will carry forward the work I fell in love with through Kingdom Trails: strengthening our communities and supporting thoughtful economic development. In this new role, I’ll have the opportunity to advocate not only for outdoor recreation, which is so essential to the heart of our region, but also for the many sectors that make the Northeast Kingdom such a unique and vibrant place. Please know I remain deeply committed to Kingdom Trails. This is my home, and it will remain my home. I wish to always be an ambassador for KT, including playing a role in ensuring a graceful, responsible transition with care. The Board of Directors and I have committed to this, to ensure continuity, stability, and the trust you hold in this organization. I am grateful beyond words for the opportunity to have served my community through this role, and I look forward to closing this chapter with the same heart and good intention with which I began it. Georgia Gould is stepping in as interim Executive Director to lead the organization through this transition. Georgia has served on the KT Board of Directors since 2021, leading both the Landowner and Trail Advisory Committees. She is a KT Landowner with an impressive mountain biking and cyclocross resume - including a bronze medal in one of her two Olympic bids on Team USA and five career national championships in cross-country and short track mountain biking. Georgia, her husband Dusty, and their two young children are engaged members of the Burke community and the KT team. Her deep ties to the sport of cycling, dedication to providing great trails for all skill levels, and her love of this community make her the perfect choice to lead KT in its next phase. The Board and I are thrilled that Georgia has agreed to lead KT and feel confident that she will hold the mission of the organization at the center as she has throughout her Board service. You can reach Georgia directly and welcome her to this new role at ED@kingdomtrails.org . With deep gratitude, Abby ### Kingdom Trail Association The mission of the Kingdom Trail Association is to provide recreation and education opportunities by managing, maintaining, and building trails to foster the health of our community, surrounding environment, and regional economy. Kingdom Trails strives to accomplish this mission by offering a 100+ mile network of quality, non-motorized, multi-use trails for all levels of ability, incorporating the best of our local scenery and natural diversity. The Kingdom Trails are made possible through the generosity of 106 private landowners. Northeast Kingdom Collaborativ e The mission of the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative is to improve the quality of life for all residents of the NEK through coordinated economic and community development as the vision is a strong, vibrant Northeast Kingdom where we all thrive. The NEKC brings people together to spark positive change in our communities, creating structures that bring partners together across service areas, sectors, municipal and political boundaries to provide solutions for the renewal of the Kingdom. The NEK Collaborative serves as the backbone organization for the federally designated NEK REAP Zone and community partner for USDA Rural Development.
Cannondale Dirt Party a Success
KT is taking action—on the trails and in the Statehouse!
This 2025 Legislative Session, KT is teaming up with other amazing trail organizations through the Vermont Trails & Greenway Council, to advocate for H.147 a bill to establish the Recreational Trails Compensation Study.
Why does this matter?
Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy generates $2.1B annually, nearly 5% of the state’s GDP, that's 2nd in the nation after Hawaii (Go VT!) KT alone drives $10M in economic impact annually. Therefore, the state must recognize and incentivize these generous private landowners, including the 106 who make KT possible and allow public access to trails.
