Ride with the Ox on bicycles
The West Jefferson Community Association, in conjunction with the 58th Annual Ox Roast, is hosting the 18th annual Ox Roast Bike Tour on Aug. 31.
Riders depart between 7:30 and 9 a.m. from West Jefferson High School and can pick a 25-mile, 62-mile or 100-mile route. All end back at the high school.
The routes will be similar to the ones used last year. Anyone who lives along the routes is asked to restrain their pets on bike tour day.
The 25-mile route includes one food stop; the other two routes include three food stops.
Tim Horton’s will provide doughnuts and bagels, plus there will be granola bars, candy bars, apples, bananas, grapes, trail mix and chips.
The lunch stop at Madison Lake State Park will include build-your-own sub sandwiches with fresh garden vegetables or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, water and energy drinks.
The bike tour is supported by the Madison County Amateur Radio Club which provides emergency communications. If any riders experience mechanical breakdowns, Bike Source will help. Riders should be equipped to handle minor problems, such as flat tires.
The registration fee is $20 and includes snacks, lunch, drinks, sag service, map, marked route and an identification number.
The first Ox Roast Bicycle Tour was held on Sept. 2, 1990, and drew 144 entrants from central Ohio. Entries have grown to over 400 and have come from all parts of Ohio, as well as Michigan, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia, New York, Wyoming, California, Illinois, North Carolina, Massachusetts and Ontario, Canada.
To download a registration form, go to the Web at westjeffoxroast.com/biketour.htm, or contact tour organizers Tom and Debbie Omen at 614-870-1012 or tomen@columbus.rr.com. The tour will take place rain or shine. Patches will go to the first 200 registrants.
Idol contest back for third consecutive year
For the third straight year, the West Jefferson Ox Roast is coordinating the Madison County Ox Roast Idol contest.
The competition puts area residents on stage to compete for free recording time, cash prizes and bragging rights as the county’s top singer. First place wins $1,000 and recording time, second gets $250, and third gets $100. Each contestant must be at least 15 years old and a resident of Madison County.
Preliminary auditions for Idol contestants will take place at 9 a.m. Aug. 23 at the Ox Box at Garrette Park in West Jefferson. Those who make the cut will compete Aug. 30 through Sept. 1 on the grandstand stage.
The contest runs from 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday when the theme will be music from the 1980s and ’90s. The contest continues on Sunday from 8 to 11 p.m. when the theme will be country and gospel. On Monday, when the final phase of the contest runs from 5 to 7 p.m., the theme will be pop music with the finale being singer’s choice.
For details, e-mail idol@westjeffoxroast.com.
