The 5th annual Firefly Trail Ticket to Ride, a mass participation bicycle event to promote the creation of a 39-mile rail-trail from Athens to Union Point, will be held Saturday, March 19, starting at 9 a.m. at Jittery Joe’s Roasting Co., 425 Barber St., Athens.

The fully supported ride, with distance options of 18 to 86 miles, will use scenic, low-traffic roads as close as possible to the route of the historic Athens Branch of the Georgia Railroad.  The event will highlight friendly towns, historic depots and beautiful countryside, and will demonstrate the potential for creating a nationally significant rail-trail on or near the former railroad corridor.

More than 200 people rode in the 2014 and 2015 events, and more than 200 are expected to join the ride again this year. The Ticket to Ride features fully stocked rest stops in Winterville, Crawford, Maxeys and Union Point, and cyclists are welcome to ride as much or as little of the out-and-back route as they like. Helmets are required. After finishing, cyclists are invited to an end-of-ride celebration at Jittery Joe’s Roasting Co., complete with door prize drawings and a complementary beer from Terrapin Beer Co. (for participants age 21 and over; rider wrist band and photo ID required). Your Pie pizza will be available for purchase.

“The Firefly Trail will be a great way to enhance health, recreation, tourism and economic development in our communities,” said Mike Hall, chair of the Firefly Trail Board of Directors. “The corridor is scenic, historic, and level. The trail will links schools, businesses and town centers, and it’s within easy driving distance of millions of people in Georgia and South Carolina, which enhances it as a destination for tourism.”

Advance registration is now available on Active.com. On-site registration will open at 8 a.m. on March 19. Registration is $30 and includes specialty cycling socks while supplies last. Free parking will be available at and near the Roaster. In addition, Firefly Trail T-shirts, additional socks, and other items will be available for purchase at the event.

All proceeds benefit Firefly Trail, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to promote and foster development of the trail.

“The pace is picking up for development of the trail,” Hall said. “Athens-Clarke County expects to start work this year on the most technically challenging mile of the trail. The City of Maxeys has applied for a state grant to fund trail construction there, and the leadership of Winterville is anxious to find ways to get the trail on the ground in their city, too. We’re taking community leaders to see the success of other trails in the region, and we’re also taking the first steps toward identifying landowners and acquiring corridor for the trail.”

The Ticket to Ride will be fully supported with cue sheets, marked turns and support vehicles for riders who need assistance. Rest stops with food, water, sports drinks and restrooms will be available at:

• Winterville depot – 18 miles round-trip

• Crawford depot – 41 miles round-trip

• Maxeys City Hall – 61 miles round-trip

• Union Point Theatre – 86 miles round-trip

To pre-register, go to Active.com and search for Ticket to Ride, or go to www.fireflytrail.org and follow the link. Paper registration forms are now available at bike shops and other locations across the area. Advance packet pick-up and day-before registration will be available at Cycle Sport Concepts, 1029 Baxter St., on Friday, March 18, with a 10 percent discount on in-store purchases for participants.