Famous Reading Outdoors is hosting its first Hillbilly Paydayz this weekend, a three-day event that includes an endurance race for professional riders, hillbilly contests for visitors, camping and trail riding opportunities.
Billed as “a weekend of mud, music and mayhem,” is it open to Famous Reading Outdoors members and to the public, and it should be one of the biggest events held there all year, said marketing manager Shawn Fitzpatrick.
“We’re hoping that this is the first of many (Hillbilly Paydayz), so if you want to be a part of history, see some of the best racers around and get some throttle therapy for yourself, come on out,” he said.
The Famous Reading Outdoors recreation and off-roading park includes 650 miles of trails along the Darkwater Trail System.
Its entrance and parking area is at 2 E. Darkwater Road in New Castle Township, though Pottsville works best as a GPS destination.
Its trails are spread across more than 16,000 acres of former coal mining land, and have become a popular destination for off-road riding, attracting thousands of riders from across the country since Famous Reading Outdoors’ inception in 2017.
The trail system stretches through several Schuylkill County municipalities, including Ashland, Cass Township and Tower City, and also reaches into the Locust Gap section of Northumberland County.
Many riders come from neighboring states such as New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware, where they do not have access to legal off-road trails, Fitzpatrick said.
Hillbilly Paydayz runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., with the 75-mile races for professional and sportsman’s class riders on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Guests can camp there for the weekend or come for a day, and the trails will be open to attendees starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
There will be live music, food trucks, merchandise vendors, a bonfire and “hillbilly shenanigans,” as Fitzpatrick puts it.
There will be contests for best mullet, best beer belly, hot dog eating, mud wrestling, giant beer pong, toilet-seat horseshoes and cornhole, with cash prizes and trophies for winners.
The event is family-friendly, Fitzpatrick said, and since the facility is usually only open to ages 12 and up, this weekend gives parents the opportunity to let younger children enjoy themselves there.
An inflatable dinosaur challenge and bounce house are among the kids’ activities planned.
The professional and sportsman’s class races are part of the National Off Road Endurance Series, and will include a number of local riders, said event promoter Brian Adkison.
There will be several spots set up for spectators to watch the races, he said.
The next major event that Famous Reading Outdoors will host is the Dirtstock/National Off Road Endurance Series 300 to be held Nov. 7 and 8.
Hillbilly Paydayz ticket options and prices are available at readingoutdoors.com.
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