Jericho ATV Jamboree set for Aug. 3-4 | Local
BERLIN — Paula Kinney, executive director of the Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce says she is very excited about the Journey to Jericho ATV Jamboree the chamber is sponsoring Friday and Saturday, Aug. 3 and 4.
“There is a lot of excitement for this event right now. It’s something the people want,” Kinney said. “I get inquiries every day from people looking for places to stay and the amenities in the area.”
The rebranded event is a return to large-scale ATV events at Jericho Mountain State Park after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve started over,” said Kinney. “We have taken the last two years as an opportunity to rebrand and update the event.”
Over the years, two major ATV festivals have been held at Jericho Mountain State Park, which opened in 2006 and has featured a growing number of ATV trails, along with Jericho Lake, camping and other facilities.
The Jericho ATV Festival, put on by the state of New Hampshire and the Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce marked its 10th anniversary in 2019, but was canceled in 2020. Kinney estimated that event brought in about 5,000 people each year to ride the trails, learn and celebrate the sport and meet other riders. “I am expecting the same amount this year,” she said.
In addition, in 2016 and 2017, Camp RZR, an ATV festival, attracted 8,000 to 10,000 people to Jericho State Park. That Polaris-sponsored event moves to different ATV sites around the country, bringing with it a nationwide following of enthusiasts.
Kinney said the jamboree is a newly designed off-highway recreational vehicle event with added activities.
“New this year is the “monster trucks event,” said Kinney. “Monster Truck Showdowns” are planned for Friday and Saturday afternoons from 1-2:30 pm, with monster truck pre-parties from 11 am- 1 pm, including chances to ride in a monster truck. Also added are helicopter rides and a special kid’s zone for younger children.
“The Kids Zone will feature battery-operated cars, tattoos and other stuff designed for the kids so the parents can let them run around for a while,” Kinney said.
Visitors will also find many of the events they saw at earlier festivals, like mud-pit competitions, block parties, manufacturer demo rides, poker rides, food venders, powersports dealers, educational displays, the blessing of the ATV’s, a torchlight parade and a concert at Service Credit Union Forest Heritage Park.
“Friday, we are at Jericho Park all day then the block party in downtown Berlin. Saturday again all day at the park with all the events going on there, another downtown block party that night followed by a concert at Service Credit Union Park. Sunday is tear-down day.”
The state of New Hampshire has extended the curfew to 10 pm on local ATV trails for the two days of the festival, to allow people to take advantage of all that is going on. Riders are asked to return to their lodging promptly after block parties and concerts end.
“Jericho Jamboree is a collaboration between the Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce, state of New Hampshire Bureau of Trails, state of New Hampshire Parks and Recreation,” said Kinney, who has been working on plans for about a year.
“We have a lot of volunteers to put this on. We begin meeting once a month then progress to twice a month then weekly and then daily and, during the event, it can be hourly if needed,” she said.
“There is a lot of things you have to think about to do something like this — trash, port-a-potties, water, wind speed. We have to be aware of the wind speed every moment, directional signs, lot sizes for vendors and lots of details,” she’s said. “We have to contract with the bands for the concerts and block parties and make sure they have a place to stay.”
This year brought another need, she said. “The event site hadn’t been used in two years and it was all overgrown, but thanks to Michael Goyette and his residents of the state of New Hampshire Correctional Facility, they had the site cleared and clean and ready to go in two days, she said.
The organizers have met extensively with the Berlin Police Department, fire and emergency services, the NH Bureau of Trails. The staff received emergency training and worked on traffic and transportation issues, including buses and permits to allow ATVs to travel the roads around the park and in the city.
There will be lots of parking available near the festivities, with buses to take non-ATVers back and forth to the site throughout the day.
“You can drive in with your car, attend the jamboree and buses will be available to take you back to your car whenever you want,” Kinney said. “We want the jamboree to become an event open to anyone and not just all-terrain vehicle enthusiasts. “
“I have a core group of 20-30 volunteers that work on this all year long,” she said. “Then on the day of the event, I have other groups coming to help so it can be up to 70 volunteers on the day of the event.”
Local clubs like the White Mountain Ridge runners, the Silver Riders and the NH ATV club help out. Kinney also said, “I have a group from Lower New Hampshire who are traveling up to help. They’ve been coming up for the mud pit for 10 years now.”
The Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce has an extensive marketing campaign to get the word out, print ads television videos social media, said Kinney.
“We’ve had great support from our sponsors: Progressive Insurance, General Dynamics Bath iron works, General Dynamics Electric Boat Co., MOMS North Country Powersports, MOMS Jericho, Berlin City Auto, Milton Rents, Bolt Depot, Camping World Northway Bank Badger Peabody & Smith Realty, Super ATV, Northeast Credit Union, Road Hawg BBQ Swine Dining, Don Noyes Chevrolet, Jericho Adventures, NUCAR Automotive Group, Caron Building Center and Rental Center, Service Credit Union, ROMIK Developers, Jericho Gateway Family Campground, REMAX Northern Edge Realty Burgess Biopower, Polaris RZR and CF Moto.
Kinney said, “The thing is that most of the people enjoy and what they travel miles for is the camaraderie they enjoy seeing each other.
One thing the chamber director appreciates about the jamboree is that it brings people to the area who normally would not come there.
“This event showcases the Androscoggin Valley,” she said. “They see what they we have to offer and what a wonderful place this is to live.”