Andy Close
WARREN, Pa. Bigger and better than ever, the 2022 Jakes Rocks Trail Fest went off with great fanfare, fun and a lot of mountain biking.
People came from all over to experience the trails, which now stretch over 25 miles in length.
“Al in all we were really pleased with how the weekend went,” said Warren County Chamber of Bussiness and Industry Director of Operations and Tourism John Papalia. “We had hundreds of mountain bikers and there were a lot of wonderful vendors. Things went very smooth.”
One of the most active members of the local mountain biking community, Andy Georgakis of the Waren Cycle Shop, marveled at how both the event and trails have grown, showcasing one of Warren County’s true gems.
“We’re very fortunate to have this event,” Georgakis said. “We thank the mountain biking community for coming out in droves to support these beautiful trails. People really look forward to this event. Everybody has been pretty happy with the way things are set up. It’s such an exciting thing. It’s almost like the Field of Dreams – if you build it, they will come. It’s exciting to see people from many different areas.”
And to Georgakis’ point, many people came from outside of the area to enjoy it.
“There were so many people from out of town,” Papalia said. “People from all over the place – Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Michigan, Rochester, Buffalo – just people from all over.”
One of the vendors in attendance, White Cane Coffee, marveled at the event.
“This is Warren’s jewel, the Allegheny National Forest,” said White Cane Business Manager Bob Willman. “We’re truly blessed to have it here. This is a fantastic event. I can’t explain how great this is and what it does for the community. This is our second year here and we look forward to many more. Everyone here is happy, happy to experience this.”
And the broad scope of people the Trail Fest reaches had everyone happy as well.
“That’s one of the many missions is to draw people from out of town, showcase the trail system, and bring them back,” Papalia said. “Everyone who goes out on the trails, everyone says how wonderful they are. This is our event to really showcase them, and bring people in and bring them back in the future.”
And one of the beautiful things about the trails is they incorporate all different skill levels of mountain bikers, from advanced to beginner.
“The great thing is, Jakes is a very beginner-friendly system,” Georgakis said. “That was one of our biggest goals that this would be something that all riders could enjoy.”
