From 100’s of mountain bikers to thousands of kids eager to learn about the outdoors, Alexandria is the hub of youth activity this last weekend in August.

First let’s talk about the cycling. The MN Cycling Association is hosting their first race of the season out at Lake Brophy County Park. Mountain bike racing begins Saturday, August 24th at noon with 6th Grade girls, followed by the boys. Races run until @ 5:30pm, with a full day of competition on Sunday. Freshman races begin at 8:30am with the JV2 Boys race at 3:30pm as the last. Varsity Boys races start at 11:30am Sunday. The Girls Varsity races begin at 1:00pm. Close to 1000 cyclists are expected for this event. This is the second race of its kind at Lake Brophy Park, but the first was conducted during the pandemic back in 2020 and had a very different feel than this weekend’s competition. The Big Ole Bike Club along with the Douglas County Parks & Trails maintains these trails. For more details, follow this link.

Youth Outdoor Activity Day – Sunday August 25th from 10am to 4pm

For the 10th year Alexandria has hosted a fun, free family-friendly event called Youth Outdoor Activity Day to help intrudce young people to all there is to do in the great outdoors. Sponsored by the Viking Sportsment and the Douglas County Pheasants Forever Chapter, kids need to register to help keep track of numbers. On average about 2400 kids participate. Held at the Alexandria Shooting Park, Youth Outdoor Activity Day includes activities like trap shooting, archery, hunting, angling and many other related skills. Over 40 hands-on activities and demonstrations are planned.