The BKL Festival is a great way to celebrate the ski season. We are lucky to have the festival so close to home this year. This event is hosted by Frost Mountain Nordic. The weekend is full of skiing adventures, activities, races and fun!! Coaches will be there and we’ll have a MNC tent and hang out area.
March 2 + 3 – BKL Festival at Rikert, Ripton, VT
BKL Fest is Awesome! Check out this blog post from last year to get psyched.
BKL Festival FAQ
My child loves racing- what are the races like at the BKL Festival?
And we love it when kids race! Everyone is welcome to race at the Fest. There are options from lollipop (preschool) to 8th Grade. The lollipop race is a classic race on Sunday. For all other age groups Saturday is the classic relay race and Sunday is an individual skate race (one racer starts at a time). In general there are lots of kids racing from all over New England, so there is lots of cheering and spectators on course.
Fun ski adventure with a horse drawn wagon ride on the return!
My child isn’t interested in racing- will there still be things to do?
Yes! The BKL Festival is so much more than racing. There are fun skiing (and non-skiing) activities all weekend including Laser Biathlon, Bump Jump, Story Book Ski, Fixit Station, UnTapped Terrain Park, Mini-Marathon, Glitter Station, Mural Painting. Register for the Nordic Adventure category and you can participate in all the activities. Racers also get to do all the activities.
Should I bring my skis too?
Yes, parents and families can ski too. Being on skis is a great way to get out on the race course, do the Mini-Marathon together and just get around at the event.
Should we stay at home or find a place closer to Ripton?
It’s totally up to you. Ripton is close enough that you can make it a day trip or stay over. There are lodging options in Middlebury and other towns in the area. Some MNC families will drive from home each day and others will stay over.
What kind of MNC support is at the fest? How can our family get involved?
MNC will have a tent and waxing for racers. We will also plan to make a group home base with a fire pit, chairs and our food tables. As the fest gets closer we’ll organize families to bring food to share. We also need family support in setting up and taking down our tent, etc each day. Oh and glitter! We’ll have team glitter for all! The Fest is also a great opportunity to wear any MNC gear that you have.
Getting lined up for the Parade!
Ok, we’re in! How do we sign up?
Registration is on SkiReg.com and once you register you will start getting updates and info from the event organizers. This can be helpful in planning for your weekend.
Where can I find the basic festival information?
It’s all on the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) website. There is a full schedule of events and descriptions of the Nordic Adventure activities. Fest Info
Does it matter if we sign up now or later?
You can register any time, but there is a deadline coming up to motivate you. Registration increases by $15 on Feb 10th. A current NENSA Membership is required to register, so do the membership piece first. Click here to join or renew. If your child has never been a NENSA member before, and is only registering for Nordic Adventure, reach out to mackenzie@nensa.net.
What is our club name and what is our New England District?
We are Mansfield Nordic Club and our New England District is NWVT (Northwest VT). It’s nice to have everyone register consistently as Mansfield Nordic Club. Our district includes Frost Mountain Nordic, Mad River Valley BKL, Sleepy Hollow BKL and Mansfield Nordic Club.
We’re going to sign up for Racing- how do relay teams work?
Relay team will be assigned once every one is registered- you don’t have to know your team ahead of time. Our teams are put together by the NWVT District Chair and coaches. Coaches try to make teams with members from our club and sometimes teams are made up of kids from other clubs in NWVT. Each relay at the Fest includes two kids.
If you have more questions please reach out (chances are other families have the same questions) and we can share more info here. Email bkl@mansfieldnordic.org
Races for all!
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