stay up to date on all crucial Bourbon Burn 2024 communications
2024 Bourbon Burn participants,
In an effort to maintain clear and direct communication, we want to clarify any misconceptions and set proper expectations regarding refunds, deferrals, or credits.
In short, we are not making exceptions to the agreed upon policies. That is, refunds and/or deferrals are not being offered outside of the stated policy windows.
And while we certainly understand that many were impacted, the only truly fair decision is to apply consistently and without exception the policies that every participant agreed to upon registration.
In addition to the reason stated above, please note the following:
The refund policy allowed for a refund through the day before the event kicked off – which, quite frankly, is exceedingly generous and rare. Also, every registrant was required to acknowledge and agree to the policy during registration.
Trip cancellation insurance was offered at the time of registration, which covers some instances of severe weather occurrences preventing travel.
The Burn is a rain-or-shine event. As stated in the participant waiver, the event may be canceled or altered due to numerous factors, including weather.
The Burn was not canceled. Yes, Friday’s ride was canceled due to conditions outside of our control, but we still hosted two days of riding and two nights of festivities.
Despite only having 600 participants check-in, we still hosted an event for 1,000 people. That is, we are unable to adjust our variable costs (think food and beverage, shirts, swag, merchandise, etc.) for last minute cancellations. This is ultimately why events do not allow last-minute refunds.
While we hope that these factors help provide insight and understanding into the decision, we also anticipate there will be some who are upset. (If we’ve learned anything from 8 years of event planning it’s that even in a perfect year we can’t please everyone.) So, you may reach out with any objections, strongly worded emails, etc., but please know that we stand by this decision and that, ultimately, the only truly fair call is to apply evenly to all the rules agreed upon by all.
Thank you,
Austin & Mollie
9/28/24
Hello, Burn Friends,
We hope everyone is getting a good start to the day, whether you're in the saddle, or taking the day off. We wanted to take a moment to set everyone's Expectations for our Saturday Evening Festivities:
Because of the rain forecasted for this evening, we have made the decision to host our Saturday Evening Festivities once again, at Rolex Stadium (same time, same place!).
Although the wind has subsided, we are still expecting rain. We suggest everyone dress for the weather (rain jackets, warmer clothes, boots, etc).
Dinner seating
Following in last night’s footsteps, seating will continue to be more limited than usual. We would appreciate your help by adhering to the following dining schedule to help with the seating flow, according to last name:
If you are planning to arrive between 5-6pm:
A - H: Enter the dinner line at 6pm
I - P: Enter the dinner line at 5pm or later (grab some bourbon first!)
Q - Z: Enter the dinner line at 5:30pm or later (grab a beer first!)
If arriving after 6pm, please eat dinner any time!
UPDATE on bands:
We are diligently working to accommodate tonight’s bands at Rolex Stadium now that the wind has subsided. We hope to make this happen and welcome Small Batch Band & Dark Moon Hollow to the Rolex “stage”.
So, what will be available this evening at Rolex Stadium?
Please remember your tickets and tokens:
5-9pm: West Sixth Beer is available
5-8pm: A Southern BBQ dinner (yum!)
5-9pm Bourbon Tastings & Cash Bar
5-9pm: Live Music (streaming as a backup)
5-9pm: Sherpa Bottle Pickup, Info Tent, Burn Merchandise
5-9pm: Ale 8 One sodas & cornhole
5-9:30pm: Shuttle to and from Base Camp to Rolex Stadium
What if I am scheduled for a VIP Experience this evening or want to attend the complimentary Fireside Chat experience?
Both VIP sessions (6:30 & 8:30pm) will be held in the pavilion in our original location in Bourbon Base Camp. You will be receiving more information from Phil Kollin our VIP Experience Manager if you are a VIP ticket holder.
Want more information about our Fireside Chat presenter this evening at 7:45pm? Click here to learn more about this complimentary experience being held in the pavilion.
Are there any services offered in base camp today and tomorrow?
Saturday:
Burnaccos will be serving lunch in base camp today 11-3pm.
Burn Merchandise will be available beginning at 12pm (dining tent), but will move over to Rolex later this afternoon.
Sherpa pickup from 12-3pm (dining tent), then available this evening at Rolex.
Sunday:
6-9am: Doodles Breakfast Truck
6-9am: Berserker Brew Coffee (dining tent)
11-3pm: Burnaccos Lunch Truck
Sherpa available for pickup beginning at 9am.
Regarding Sherpa:
Thank you for your patience. Some of these bottles are not currently within our possession and we will do our best to make all bottles available as soon as possible.
THANK YOU!
We want to say “Thank you!” to everyone for your flexibility with the location change last night due to the weather. You all did a wonderful job helping us to make this last minute change successful and enjoyable. Like we said on Thursday, we are certainly in for a memorable Burn event!
Unless there are any unforeseen changes to this evening, this will be the only communication pertaining to our festivities this evening.
See you at 5pm at Rolex Stadium!
Best,
Mollie & Austin
9/27/24
Hello Burn friends,
Hope you are safe and dry during this unprecedented weather that we are experiencing in central KY and throughout the Southeast.
As we draft this email, we are seeing the strongest of the wind and rain work its way through the area, and we would like to set your expectations regarding this evening’s Bourbon Base Camp activities, as well as tomorrow’s ride.
Friday Evening Bourbon Base Camp Festivities.
Our new location at Rolex Stadium is sheltered, but not indoors, i.e., it is somewhat exposed to the elements. Although the forecast is set to improve by the evening (less wind, less rain), wind and rain might still be a factor in some areas of the new location. We suggest you dress for the weather (rain jackets, warmer clothes, boots, etc).
To appropriately set expectations for our new evening location, here are two photos of where our festivities will be moved to this evening:
Seating will be limited. If you want to eat dinner between 5-6PM please adhere to the following dining schedule to help with the seating flow, according to your last name:
A - H: Enter the dinner line at 5pm
I - P: Enter the dinner line at 5:30 or later (grab some bourbon first!)
Q - Z: Enter the dinner line at 6pm or later (grab a beer first!)
If you would like to eat dinner after 6PM, then you are welcome to come in any order, after 6PM. The alphabetical assignment only applies to those wanting to eat between 5-6 PM.
UPDATE: We will not have live bands present this evening due to weather impacting their arrival and setup earlier in the day when heavy rain is expected. We will have music streaming in their place.
So, what will be available tonight? We will have dinner, bourbon samples, West Sixth Beer, a cash bar, rider check-in and a Burn Info Area available to field questions as our team and volunteers are able.
Parking this evening: If you prefer to park in Bourbon Burn Event Parking at Base Camp, we will have one shuttle available to take our guests to and from Rolex Stadium from 5pm to 10pm.
If you plan to drive to Rolex Stadium, please use the instructions provided here in our prior communication. And please be sure you take the route to Rolex Stadium via Mark’s Lane to Nina Bonnie Blvd.
Saturday’s Ride.
At this point – mid-storm – we are still planning on hosting the Saturday ride, albeit somewhat shortened. Unfortunately the Saturday Century route is canceled, but we plan to host the Long, Medium, Short, and Casual routes. Please note that this is only the portion from mile 43 to mile 76, which visits Whiskey Thief Distillery. Instead, Century riders should follow the Long route (78.8 miles), which visits the remaining distilleries.
Limestone Farms Distillery (mile 7.8 of the S, M, L routes) has regrettably canceled the bourbon tasting that they had planned for this event. In short, due to construction delays at their new distillery location they are not prepared to serve bourbon samples in the rain.
It’s impossible to know the extent of the storm damage at this point, but we’re already seeing many reports of trees and limbs down, which is our main concern. Also, in some of the steeper and low lying areas we are seeing flash flooding. The Century route covers some of the steepest, most remote, and most heavily wooded areas.
We will be sending out our “Storm Chaser Crew” this afternoon as the winds subside to assess the routes and determine the extent of the damage. They will be packing chainsaws and blowers and working to clear the routes to the extent possible, and we will be working into the night to determine our options for Saturday.
We will keep you posted, and please know that it is possible that further modifications may be necessary, however we will not know those until late tonight. Please watch for another update late tonight or early Saturday morning.
Until our next update, please be safe.
Austin & Mollie
9/26/24 4:28PM
Camping update.
For those checking in today (Thursday) who are planning to tent camp in Bourbon Base Camp, we have important info for you.
Camping is permitted on Thursday night and you may have your car parked next to your tent in ANY of the designated tent camping areas. However, with the expectation of high winds on Friday, we strongly advise you to pack up your tent on Friday morning.
At this point camping will be allowed Friday night, as the winds are predicted to peak midday Friday and begin to lessen in intensity Friday afternoon.
As you choose a campsite Thursday, please be aware of trees in the area that might cause a hazard in high winds. We do not advise camping under or near treelines.
Friday check-in.
There will not be a Friday morning check-in. For those planning to arrive on Friday, we will be facilitating check-in on Friday evening at the Rolex Stadium, beginning from 5-9pm.
Friday Evening Festivities Map.
Please follow these directions to get to the Rolex Stadium from Bourbon Base Camp. Do not go through the main entrance of the KY Horse Park, and do not drive down the center of the campground.
9/26/24 12:15PM
Hello Burn friends,
Just a quick update from The Burn Team.
Thursday check-in, activities, and Welcome Ride will be proceeding as normal - beginning at 2PM TODAY.
Given the impending high winds and heavy rain predicted for Friday, Sept 27 we have made the decision to officially cancel the Friday ride, for the safety of all riders, volunteers, partners, and crew.
Friday daytime Base Camp services and activities are canceled, including check-in. That is, Base Camp will be closed on Friday until the conditions are deemed safe to re-enter.
Check-in will resume on Saturday morning at 6:30AM-9AM.
However, Friday evening Base Camp festivities are still occurring, albeit in a sheltered area of the Kentucky Horse Park. Please report to the Rolex Arena from 4:45-9PM on Friday for dinner, tastings, and music.
There will be no Bottle Sherpa services on Friday.
Our team is continuing to monitor the forecast and will keep you informed.
Please, let us all take a moment to consider and/or pray for those who are receiving the brunt of Hurricane Helene. And may we maintain a perspective that though we are all terribly inconvenienced by the changes to this event, there are many who are suffering far worse repercussions as a result of this storm.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Be safe,
Austin & Mollie
9/25/24
As our team continues to monitor the forecast, we have begun implementing contingency plans in the event of high winds and rain, which are forecasted to arrive overnight Thursday and linger through the day on Friday. As such, we would like to share some of those plans with you.
First, please note that the Bourbon Base Camp activities for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights are still happening!
The Friday evening Base Camp activities (dinner, tastings, and bands) have been moved to a sheltered area within the Kentucky Horse Park, and we will communicate those details with you upon arrival. The VIP Experiences are being moved to a nearby venue as well, and we will be communicating those details with VIP Experience guests separately.
At this time, out of an abundance of safety we have decided to suspend the Friday ride, given the forecasted high winds with gusts up to 50-60 mph coupled with heavy rain. Obviously this creates unsafe riding conditions for Friday, and the safety of all is our priority.
We will continue to monitor the forecast and if the conditions improve we are prepared to move forward with the ride on Friday.
The Saturday and Sunday rides are still happening as scheduled, and our crew is eager to see you out on the routes.
We will continue to communicate with you throughout the weekend via email, text, and RideWithGPS notifications (if you have RWGPS Experience downloaded) as we continually monitor the conditions.
We expect this to be another great Bourbon Burn, with a splash of water.
See you all tomorrow!
Molie & Austin
Hello, Burn Friends.
If you are reading this webpage, it is likely because you signed up for The Burn after we sent out The 2024 Official Bourbon Burn Participant Guide OR you missed the initial email that was delivered to your inbox on 8/23/24. Please click the link below to access the 2024 Bourbon Burn Participant Guide and take some time to explore the important pieces of information included below:
Click here to access: THE 2024 BOURBON BURN PARTICIPANT GUIDE.
This guide is full of all the information you need to know to plan for your arrival and experience with us here at The Burn. Please take some time to explore the useful information contained inside and below.
So, what other important communications can you expect over the next couple of weeks? Not many, but here is what is in the queue:
1. The official route links will be released via email on or by Sept 20th.
2. There is always the potential for other last minute event communication send-outs and reminders, so stay tuned!
Some important things to note:
1. Please be sure to bring a government-issued ID with you for Rider & Non-Rider Check-In. Burn check-in begins at 2PM on Thursday, Sept 26th.
2. Everyone must pick up their own packet. We cannot allow friends to pick up swag bags, due to the nature of our event being 21+.
3. If you have registered and paid for a CPAP site, please proceed to the Burn Information Tent after checking-in as a participant to learn the location of your reserved space.
4. What's going on Thursday evening? Check out pg. 5. If you plan to join in on our Torchlight Trivia session on Thursday evening to compete for some fun prizes, please click here to sign up (individuals -and- teams welcome!).
5. Per our friends at Bike Rags Apparel, all pre-ordered merchandise from the online store will arrive to the address specified at the time the order was placed by the week of 9/16.
6. We still have a FEW VIP Experience Tickets available, but hurry -- they won't last long. Click here to see all available tickets.
7. In case you didn't know, we also offer a complimentary Burnside Chat presentation each evening at 7:45pm at the Farside Fire. Be sure to bring along a camp chair and our hosts will be announced at The Burn.
8. Please reference pg. 22 in the Participant Guide to learn when the official route links will be available for download in RideWithGPS. (*hint: on or around Sept 20th).
9. Please know that our complimentary tent camping area is open to all tent campers and it is not necessary to reserve a camping spot ahead of time. Pay attention to the note on p. 9. There is a slight change to our tent camping area.
Be sure to scroll below in case you need to explore the "late arrival instructions" and whether that applies to you (*hint: are you arriving after 9pm on Thursday or Friday evening)?
If your planned arrival at Bourbon Base Camp is after 9pm on any evening, please follow these late arrival instructions:
Hotel Guests:
Please go directly to your hotel. Check-in as a Burn participant the following morning at our check-in tent between 6:30 - 9AM.
Premium Camping Guests (w/ reservations through the campground):
Please check in with the night-shift parking booth guard upon pulling into the campground. They are stationed at the entrance to the campground from 10PM-6AM and are able to provide all of the arrival instructions you need to know. Proceed to check-in as a participant the next morning at the check-in tent from 6:30-9AM.
Primitive RV & Tent Camping (no reservation required, pay upon arrival):
Please arrive and set up your campsite, RV or vehicle in the Primitive RV & Tent Camping area. Proceed to the campground store the next day to pay for your reservation ($24/night). Be sure to check in as a Burn participant at the check-in tent between 6:30-9AM the next morning. More info is included on p. 11-12 of guide.
Complimentary Tent Camping Guests:
Please follow the instructions below by referencing this map:
1. Upon arrival at Bourbon Base Camp via Campground Rd, please take a right into our designated "event parking" area and park your vehicle for the night. Bring headlamps & lanterns, or something to light your way in the dark.
2. Please proceed to setup your camping equipment in the designated "Complimentary Tent Camping Area" highlighted in green on the above map.
3. When setting up your camp area, please try to avoid the set-up of Padre's Cycle Inn, our wonderful camping partners. It should not be difficult to identify their nice, neatly organized group of tents, also labeled on the map.
4. The bathroom facilities are marked with white arrows, should you need them upon your arrival. There is a parking area that backs right up to the bathroom facilities next to the campground store.
5. Proceed to check-in as a rider or non-rider at the check-in tent the following morning between 6:30-9AM.
Please note: We do not allow vehicles to drive in the "Complimentary Tent Camping" area after dark for the safety of all our camping guests. You will have a chance to unload your equipment the following day.
Route Release Information
PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO DOWNLOAD THE ROUTES BEFORE ARRIVING!
And in case you missed it, here’s the 2024 Participant’s Guide, which contains pretty much everything you need to know about The Burn...except for the super important route info below.
COMMUNICATION DURING EVENT
These are the primary ways that we will communicate critical updates throughout the event.
RideWithGPS supports push notifications within the app, but only for those who use the RideWithGPS Experience option (details below). Please download RidewithGPS and create a free account, if you haven’t already. You’ll need it to access the routes.
RunSignUp, our registration platform, has enabled one-way text notifications to all who opted into this service at the time of registration. We will use this only for critical event notifications.
Nightly announcements under the pavilion including a short “route rap” to let you know what to expect out on the routes each day.
Info tent, located in Bourbon Base Camp, will be open from 5pm - 9pm each night to answer FAQs.
Burn SAG Hotline (1-833-SAG-BURN): If you encounter any issues out on the route, please contact our Support and Gear team and they’ll get you taken care of lickity split. Go ahead and save this number in your phone!
ROUTE UPDATE
Limestone Farms Distillery Construction
This is one of the newest disitlleries in the region – so new in fact that it’s still under construction. Delays have postponed the official opening of the distillery and visitor center – but not to worry! They are eager to welcome Burn riders to the future site of their new home – just outside of Georgetown, KY – on Saturday, Sept 28. In fact, they’ll be welcoming ALL RIDERS with tastings, signed bottles, and tours of the future distillery.
ATTENTION CENTURY RIDERS!
Century Riders must be riding by 7:30AM on Saturday, Sept. 28, and you must reach mile 43 by 12:30PM! If you are unable to make the cutoff by the designated time, please follow the Long Route (yellow) back to Base Camp.
At 108 miles, over 5,800 ft of climbing, and SEVEN distilleries, this is one of our highest-proof century routes yet! Even some of our local riding buddies are a bit scared. The day begins and ends smoothly enough, but things really get spicy as you approach and depart Frankfort. It’s gonna burn. Plan accordingly.
GOOD TO KNOW
The Casual Route is the same Friday - Sunday. 21.8 miles out-and-back, and the first 8 miles (16 out-and-back) are the same as the Thursday Welcome Ride. If you want to mix it up a bit, we recommend the daily short route options.
Bottle Sherpa Service has posted cutoff times. Purchases given to the Sherpa Team by the posted time will be available when the Sherpa Tent opens in Base Camp that same evening, but anything purchased after the posted time will be available later in the evening or the next day.
FRIENDLY REMINDERS
SAG IS NOT A SHUTTLE SERVICE TO/FROM THE DISTILLERIES. Please do not misuse the SAG service. Set out with intentions to ride the entire distance you have chosen, or arrange to have a friend pick you up.
All riders must be on course no later than 9:00 AM EST. We do not guarantee that support services (Support Stops, SAG vehicles, Sherpa Service, etc.) will be available to you if you begin riding after 9:00 AM.
ROUTE SAFETY
The Bourbon Burn utilizes public, open roads. Please be aware that you will be sharing the roadway with vehicles, and please utilize safe riding practices. You must observe all traffic laws, patterns, signals, and signs.
We utilize police officers, electronic message board signage, roadside signs, and public safety announcements to slow the flow of traffic and to alert drivers of your presence.
Traffic Control
The police officers on the course will be present at busy intersections in order to alert drivers of the increased bicycle traffic. However, the officers may not be actively directing traffic. You must observe all traffic laws, patterns, signals and signs.
ROUTE NAVIGATION
We make it hard to get lost: turn-by-turn GPS navigation via RideWithGPS, bottles painted on the road surface, full color maps available for download and review, and cue sheets (please print your own).
Route Release via RideWithGPS.
You’ve got options: RWGPS Experience or RWGPS Event
RIDEWITHGPS EXPERIENCE (option 1)
RideWithGPS Experience is a pocket-size guide to everything you need to know while out there on the route — including the GPS route files — all wrapped up in one snazzy app.
This is a simple way to easily access the routes and other event specific information. However, with RWGPS Experience you must use your phone to navigate. I.e., you cannot use Garmin, Wahoo, etc. with this option.
Click here to download our RideWithGPS Experience. (The shortcut is "BURN")
Or, follow these steps to download RWGPS Experience…
Once RidewithGPS Experience has fully downloaded, all routes will be saved within the app.
Explore it. It’ll become your best friend during The Burn.
RIDEWITHGPS EVENT (option 2)
Looking to simply access the GPS routes and navigate via personal device (Garmin, Wahoo, etc.) or phone? Then you will want to utilize our RWGPS Event. This option provides the downloadable routes (with various export options) and pertinent information such as distance, elevations, POI’s etc, but does not contain other event-specific information, which is included with RWGPS Experience, above.
Need help syncing routes to your GPS device? Check out this link.
Garmin users, follow these steps to add the routes to your device.
Wahoo users can upload routes to your account, and then sync your device, if you have set up your RidewithGPS account and Wahoo account to sync. If you have not set up the two accounts to sync, then follow these steps.
Cue sheets are available here. Please download to your phone and/or print at home to reduce printing waste.
Beautiful, full color maps are available for viewing and/or downloading, and there will be copies available for viewing within Bourbon Base Camp and at each Support Stop. (Feel free to snap a photo of these maps with your phone!)
Pin-drop Instructions for Google Maps App
A very useful tool, should you find yourself on the phone with The Burn SAG Line (1-833-SAG-BURN), is the “pin drop” feature in Google Maps, which allows you to share your location with others. Please familiarize yourself with the process before the event.
How-To Pin Drop
Open the Google Maps app.
Tap the location button (small blue compass arrow).
To drop a pin, touch and hold the blue dot that appears at your location (that’s you!)
At the bottom, tap the address.
Tap Share. If you don't see this icon, tap More --> Share
Choose the messaging app with which you want to share the link to the map .
Enter the recipient and tap send.
“The routes were spectacular. The rock walls and vistas from the ridge tops made for a wonderful ride. It was fun to ride with people from different states and share Kentucky’s heritage of horses and bourbon. Let’s do it again. ”