JONESBORO, Ark. — More than 200 cyclists are expected in Jonesboro for the third Arkansas Graveler, with a downtown celebration Monday, Oct. 5, followed by a police-escorted departure Tuesday morning.
The five-day, 342-mile ride will take participants from Jonesboro to Arkansas City Oct. 6-10. Organizers describe the event as a supported recreational ride rather than a race. America’s Most Hospitable Gravel Ride
Residents are invited to welcome the cyclists downtown Monday evening, according to an announcement from Craig Rickert, executive director of the Jonesboro Advertising and Promotion Commission.
The 200 block of Main Street will close from 4 to 9 p.m. Gearhead Outfitters and the Brickhouse will open for the occasion, with live music planned at both locations. Delta Dirt Distillery will host a pop-up event inside Gearhead, and the Jambulance will return to the Brickhouse.
Tuesday’s activities begin with breakfast for cyclists, provided by Centennial Bank, from 6 to 8 a.m. in the north end zone of Centennial Bank Stadium at Arkansas State University.
Opening ceremonies begin at 8 a.m. in the parking lot immediately west of the stadium. The A-State Choir will perform the national anthem, and local officials will make brief remarks. The ride departs at 8:30 a.m.
A-State police and Jonesboro police will escort the cyclists through town before they reach gravel roads south of Jonesboro.
Brief Traffic Disruptions Tuesday Morning
Drivers should expect temporary delays as the group leaves campus and crosses several roads.
According to the commission’s announcement, southbound traffic on Red Wolf Boulevard between Aggie Road and Stallings Lane will slow briefly as cyclists and escort vehicles pass. Organizers expect that disruption to last no more than five minutes.
Police will temporarily block all lanes of Nettleton Drive at East Matthews Avenue. Officers will also stop traffic on Highland Drive near Chuck E. Cheese as cyclists cross from the Mall at Turtle Creek to the Greenways Trail. Those interruptions are expected to last a minute or two each.
The accompanying traffic plan also calls for officers to block the trail crossing at Race Street as riders continue toward Allen Park and Willow Road.
The route through Jonesboro is available through the event’s Ride with GPS collection.
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