(Photo provided)

­ WILMINGTON — The sixth annual Ride for the River planned for Sunday will feature a new format that allows guests to experience the conservation work of the Ausable River Association.

The family-friendly event is a fully supported road cycling tour featuring three distance options, all showcasing the Ausable River watershed in the heart of the Adirondacks. Registration is open now at www.ridefortheriver.com.

Ride for the River was created by AsRA in 2012 to celebrate the resilience of local communities following the devastating flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene. In partnership with Cycle Adirondacks, the 2017 ride will feature new interactive route stops allowing cyclists to learn about the impacts of road salt, invasive species and undersized culverts on Ausable streams and habitat.

“Ride for the River has become a much-anticipated community event,” noted Kelley Tucker, executive director of AsRA. “It’s bigger and better than ever this year, thanks to our partnership with Cycle Adirondacks. What a great way to spend a day with family, friends, and neighbors while celebrating and learning about the Ausable River.”

The event starts and finishes at The Hungry Trout in Wilmington, and features clearly marked ride distances of 5, 30 and 60 miles. Each route will be highlighted by interactive route stops where cyclists can get a firsthand guided look at the AsRA’s conservation work.

All who love the Ausable are invited to celebrate at a party after the ride, which should be in full swing by 1 p.m. with food from the Hungry Trout Resort, live music by the Russ Bailey Trio, local beer, bike demos by High Peaks Cyclery, fly casting demos and instruction from the Hungry Trout Fly Shop, and raffle prizes from Columbia Sportswear and Patagonia.

Guests can choose the family, couple, individual or barbecue-only ticket options. All proceeds from the event support AsRA’s mission to restore damaged portions of the river.

For complete event information and to register, go to www.ridefortheriver.com.

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Schedule

8 a.m. — Registration and check-in open

8:30 a.m. to noon — Rides depart

1 p.m. — After-party starts

2 p.m. — Raffle