IMBA Canada presents 12th annual Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day this Saturday, Oct. 3

On Saturday, October 3, the International Mountain Bicycling Association is encouraging Canadian families to take their kids for a ride.

In partnership with MEC, Parks Canada, Ontario Parks and Vélo Québec, IMBA Canada is presenting Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, a day when national parks, youth groups, bike shops and national parks will be playgrounds for kids on mountain bikes. Now in it’s 12th year, it’s an event traditionally held on the first Saturday of every October.

Events, though, can be hosted any time of the year, formally or informally. Wherever and however it happens, it’s all about the mission: to get kids out and rolling.

In 2015, 37 registered events are scheduled, and 1,500 Canadian youth are expected to take to the saddle when the day’s fun kicks off. To help kids and families across the country find an event in their own back yards, IMBA Canada has launched an interactive map as well as a calendar of events, on websites available in both French and English. Joining in the fun, though, can be as easy as simply inviting a kid out for the ride. Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, organizers said, is all about celebrating the raw, honest fun of mountain biking.

For those participating in Saturday’s annual fun, taking part in that celebration themselves, Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day encourages riders to post stories or photos to social networking — Facebook, Twitter or Instagram — using the tags @IMBACanada and #TAKMBD.

Further information is available online by visiting imbacanada.com/kids.