Kids in Verona don’t have many opportunities for off-road bike riding. But this Saturday, August 20, the Hilltop Conservancy and the Essex County Parks Department are once again holding a kids bike race, the Hilltop Grasshopper on Verona’s western ridge.
If you were there last year when this photo was taken, you’ll remember that the race is open to kindergartners through eighth graders, with different course lengths and start times depending on age.
| Grade | Start Time | Course Length |
| K – 1st | boys 9:00 a.m., girls 9:05 a.m. | 0.6 miles |
| 2nd – 3rd | boys, 9:20 a.m., girls 9:25 a.m. | 1.2 miles |
| 4th – 5th | boys, 10:00 a.m., girls 10:05 a.m. | 2.4 miles |
| 6th – 8th | boys, 10:45 a.m., girls 10:50 a.m. | 3.0 miles |
While everybody needs to ride with a helmet, the kids don’t need to have a fancy-schmancy mountain bike: Any bike with fatter tires will do. The organizers will have a bike mechanic on duty for a mandatory safety inspection of all bikes and for last-minute race tuning. (The bikes have to pass to be race-worthy.)
It costs just $10 per rider to race (proceeds benefit the Hilltop Conservancy), and you’ll register your riders on site the day of the race. Registration and inspection opens at 7:30 a.m. and closes 15 minutes before start of each category. A parent or guardian must be present to sign waiver and must be present during the race.
The races all start near the Hilltop parking lot at Mountain Avenue and Courter Lane in North Caldwell. There will be special prizes for the top three finishers in each class immediately after each race. For more information, send an e-mail to [email protected].
