Ice cream and bike rides aren’t usually a common partnership, but Mattapoisett has found a way to pair the two.
The Tour de Creme, a once annual event that encourages bike riding and free ice cream, was shut down thanks to Covid-19. But now, the local land trust and bike committee will be serving up this fun again on Sunday, May 21.
The Mattapoisett Land Trust and the Friends of the Mattapoisett Rail Trail are teaming up for this bike-ride fundraiser that will generate funding for more outdoor recreational opportunities.
MLT Community Engagement and Stewardship Manager Colleen Andrews said (as of Monday, May 15) there are more than 400 bike riders registered. Some will ride a 40-mile route at 10:00 am, some will take a 24-mile trek at 11:00 am and some will take a 9-mile ride at 12:00 pm.
Riders will leave from Mattapoisett Town Beach and should be back at 1:00 pm at nearby Munro Preserve for a community event that will feature a food truck and cart, live music, beer and – of course – ice cream.
The event is named appropriately – riders are encouraged to stop by local creameries while riding and enjoy a free scoop or two. Creameries are offering up these scoops for the riders.
Depending on the route, riders will be going through Rochester, Acushnet, Freetown and Marion along the way.
“We’re doing the same sort of thing we’ve done before,” Andrews said.
Andrews said that the two groups worked together for consecutive years but have not held this event since 2019. With the new bike path open, the land trust and bike committee hope to continue hosting this annual event after the four-year hiatus.
All proceeds go toward Mattapoisett Land Trust and bike-path initiatives, such as improving the safety of the path, as well as building and placing benches along the routes.
“We have similar goals between the two organizations – providing outdoor space and recreation,” Andrews said.
According to the Mattapoisett Rail Trail website, the partially completed, 4.5-mile bike path runs along Buzzards Bay and through Mattapoisett. It then runs into some of the neighboring South Coast communities, providing riders with scenic waterfronts and quaint, wooded views.
By Jeffrey D. Wagner