People had been visiting Sedona all week long because of the annual Sedona International Film Festival. Then from Friday, March 2 to Sunday, March 4, thousands more showed up for the fourth Sedona Mountain Bike Festival.

Riders gathered at Posse Grounds Park where they indulged in live music, food, beer and could peruse the rows of vendors selling items ranging from bike apparel to liquor-soaked pickles. The festival is designed to suit the needs of everyone in a relaxed atmosphere.

“I think the event is pretty different to different people. We try to make it a pretty inclusive, fun thing,” event organizer Michael Raney said. “We have the music, if you’re a hardcore rider and you come and you just want to ride laps all day long, you can do that. You can bring your friend who doesn’t ride and listen to music and hang out, and you can bring your significant other who doesn’t ride. It can be different things to a lot of people, so I hope that we can break up those components and make them all really good for people.”

Even those who do not ride were able to easily have a good time under the warm and clear sky and surrounded by red rocks with rock music streaming through the air. It was a one-stop shop for mountain bike enthusiasts to enjoy, complete with a view.

“I’d say the trails are super fun, it’s different from what I’m used to,” said Tony Boyer of San Diego, Calif., who had been to Sedona before but not the festival. “When you have this many vendors coming together, and you can see all of the newest technology that’s coming out and ride with a bunch of different people at a bunch of different skill levels, and for me, I’m always watching what people are doing at different sections.”

Acacia Wytaske, a high school mountain bike coach from Mankato, Minn., was a first timer to the area. Wytaske has been riding for seven years and was particularly fond of the Mescal trail in Sedona, noting the ease with which she was able to share the trails and the overall kindness of hikers.
“It’s definitely the trails, and getting out in the desert in the mountains. Like I said, it’s enchanting — it was cool,” Wytaske said. “I wanted to stop and take pictures, but it’s too technical … You’re almost so enchanted you don’t want to ruin it with a photo.”

Riders young and old enjoyed the pump park, which conveniently sits alongside the rest of the venue. The park is designed for riders to never need to pedal, they continue moving with only shifts in body weight. The venue stretched from the park’s upper field to the lower field and over to the Barbara Antonsen Memorial Park, where bands played throughout.

Despite the fact that the festival overlapped with the film festival, participants did not have any complaints about trail quality or overcrowdedness. Mother Nature lent a hand as well. The rain and snow earlier in the week actually helped pack the soil together.

“The trails are wonderful. In fact it’s interesting, a lot of the streams that we had to cross last year that had water flowing, don’t have water flowing,” said Marc Facchini, who was attending the festival for the third time. “It pretty much looks the same as last year, for the most part.”

It was the first time the film and bike festivals ran concurrently, and Raney plans to make it the last due to increased pricing at hotels and other local restaurants. The event overall felt larger than last year’s — Raney estimated about 4,000 people came through — and he said it is the nation’s second largest.

Sedona and mountain biking are both tight-knit communities, so Raney does not plan on trying to take the top spot. He said he has turned down opportunities to work with corporations. The way he sees it, it is already the best in what matters most.

“We’re still going to be No. 1 best and most fun,” Raney said.

One thing the festival does not have is racing, to ensure that the atmosphere remains as lowkey and enjoyable as possible. Having races keeps the patrons from focusing on simply having a good time. Although there was a good-natured adult tricycle race.

The 90 some odd vendors sold bike parts and apparel while others like Colorado Liquor Pickles sold pickles soaked in remnants from the alcohol-making process. Four local breweries and five food trucks provided the hungry and tired with fuel to keep going.

“We’re super happy, the reception has been really enthusiastic, traffic has been pretty steady,” said Marc Basiliere of Yaak design, a vendor that sells American-made, carbon fiber-reinforced belts. “Compared to last year, there are definitely more [people], and it’s always nice to come out to Sedona. It’s an easy sell for us.”