Both the third annual Tour de Charleston and Musefest are coming to town Saturday.

In addition to the 12 ½-mile, 25-mile and 50-mile routes, a 1-mile family fun ride is available for the first time this year.

Jessica Killough, president and CEO of the Charleston Chamber of Commerce, said all routes start between the Chamber of Commerce and City Hall buildings on Jackson Avenue.

All routes except the family fun ride begin at 8 a.m.; the family fun ride starts at 9 a.m., she said.

Both the 12 ½-mile and 25-mile routes go north while the 50-mile route goes south; the finish line is the same as the start line, Killough said.

The Tour de Charleston is a family-friendly event, which is why the Chamber of Commerce implemented the new family fun ride into the race this year, she said.

“We encourage families to come out and be spectators and cheer on the riders,” Killough said. “In the past two years, it seems that the families come out (with) the little kids, and they cheer on their parents or their aunts and uncles or even their siblings, so we thought this would be a really fun way to involve the kids.”

Killough said the Charleston Transitional Facility’s all-day music festival Musefest will begin at 10 a.m. the same day, and this year’s Musefest also has a kids’ corner.

She said the Tour de Charleston will also have a beer tent set up in the Roc’s parking lot this year. Drinks will cost $3 a cup and the tent will only accept cash.

Cyclists will also have the opportunity to take pit stops at one of three rest areas per route, Killough said.

Awards will also be given out at the end of the races, she said. Top male and female finishers in each age category will be selected for awards; overall first-place winners will receive trophies and second-place winners will receive medals.

When it comes to this year’s Tour de Charleston, Killough said there are so many different activities people can participate in that it has the potential to be an all-day event for those interested in attending.

She said it also serves as a great opportunity for people to mingle with the rest of the community in a relaxed atmosphere.

About 200 people are participating in the Tour de Charleston this year, so it will make for quite the large social gathering, Killough said.

Madalyn Schoonover, a senior public relations major and intern for the Charleston Chamber of Commerce, said in her 21 years living in the city, she still finds new and interesting events going on all the time. The Tour de Charleston is one she thinks a lot of people do not know about, but they are likely to enjoy it, she said.

Registration for the Tour de Charleston is currently available, Killough said. People can also register on the day of the Tour de Charleston before the race begins.

Registration costs $30 for the 12 ½-mile and 25-mile routes, $50 for the 50-mile route and $15 for the family fun ride.

People can register via online, phone-call at 345-7041 or walk-in at the Charleston Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber of Commerce is located at 501 Jackson Avenue.

Logan Raschke can be reached at 581-2812 or at lrraschke@eiu.edu.