Mount Holly-Smithville Grand Prix Expanded

Burlington County and partners have expanded the annual Mount Holly-Smithville Grand Prix bike race on Saturday, July 22nd to include a music festival, street fair and historical tours to round out the day of activities in the downtown business district.

The 92-mile race, which takes about three hours, starts at 10:30 a.m. in front of the Prison Museum on High Street and bands will begin playing at nearby locations around 11 a.m. The Rancocas Craft Show will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Mount Holly municipal parking lot off Rancocas Road.

Bands include the Latin dance group Cintron, New Orleans dance band Zydeco-A-Go-Go, the Brazilian drum duet Virago and at 2:30 p.m., the Fabulous Greaseband, party music from the ’50 through ‘90s.

Several downtown restaurants also will be offering music and food specials and Burlington County College’s Mount Holly Center will be celebrating the one-year anniversary of its Art Gallery with special activities including Alex’s Lemonade Stand cancer fundraiser and a children’s arts and crafts contest. Free guided tours of the historical district will be offered by County Historian Joe Laufer including the interior of several buildings dating back to the 1700s not usually open to the public.

Buildings open to the public include the Old County Court House, the Shinn-Curtis Log Cabin, the Brainerd Street School, Friends Meeting House and Relief Fire Company. Guided tours into eight sites will be offered at 11 a.m., 11:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

The historical sites will be staffed by docents who will explain their role in colonial history. The public also may tour the sites on their own from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Other sites include St. Andrews Episcopal Church, the Mount Holly Elks, the Masonic Lodge, the Prison Museum and the Mount Holly Library which will have a puppet show at 11 a.m.

Street fair activities include ESPN radio station booth, face painters, caricature artist, moon bounce, clowns, storytellers, balloon artist, magician, mime and varied food vendors. Mill Race Village also will celebrate Christmas in July with sales and festivities.

The County’s Division of Cultural Affairs and Tourism has been collaborating with many partners to plan the day’s events including Main Street Mount Holly, the Greater Mount Holly Business and Professional Association, Mount Holly Township and BCC.

Proceeds from the Grand Prix benefit the H.B. Smith Industrial Village Conservancy, a non-profit organization committed to improvements and programs at the County’s Historic Smithville Park.

The best route into downtown Mount Holly on race day coming from the west is via the Mount Holly Bypass. Take the bypass to Rancocas Road (County Route 626) and turn east toward the center of town to county and municipal parking lots.

Article continues below

---

advertisement

---

Author: Press Release