Montgomery’s River Run returning this Saturday to village’s downtown

Post race activities includes inaugural Pie Palooza at Atrevete Confections

The annual Montgomery 5K River Run will take off and finish this weekend from Montgomery Village Hall Saturday, Oct. 2. Race day registration is available for $35 per runner (13 and over) and $15 (12 and under). Runners can also upgrade to run the 10K route for an additional fee. This year, the race gets a lot sweeter as post-race activities in downtown Montgomery include the inaugural Pie Palooza at Atrevete Confections. Additionally, the top two runners (male and female) will receive a certificate for a free pie during the upcoming holiday season as well as their Top Finisher medals.

“We are turning the bakery into a pop-up pie shop for the upcoming holiday season, and we wanted to unveil it in a fun way. It seemed fitting to tie it into a day that we knew there would be some extra traffic in the area,” said Atrevete Confections owner and French Pastry Chef Jacqueline Mejia. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, the shop will be offering tastes of the 18 rotating pies that will be seasonally available for purchase and pre-order through the shop. The list includes coconut cream, PB&J, peanut butter cup, key lime, lemon meringue, eggnog, French silk, apple, Dutch apple, caramel apple, cherry apple, sour cherry, blueberry, peach, peach berry, pear raspberry, chocolate bourbon, pecan, and spiced pumpkin. If coming for the pie was not enticing enough, the shop will be hosting games and activities for kids, giving away pumpkins, selling Fall season treats such as their delicious Hibiscus Apple Cider, and offering face painting.

The Montgomery River Run is a long-standing race along the Fox River that takes place on the first Saturday of October. The race was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19 but is back this year, offering an outdoor safe and socially distanced way for the community to get out and be active. The racecourse follows the river upstream over the Ashland bridge and downstream towards Oswego. The race offers a 5K and 10K route for runners and welcomes walkers, pets, and strollers on the course. Chip timing, water station, and post-race refreshments will be available.

For the safety of the runners, the race will require some road closures beginning around 8:30 a.m. The race starts at 9 a.m. and is expected to last until approximately 10:30 a.m. Roads will open once runners clear the area. Racers, spectators, or Pie Palooza guests are encouraged to access the riverside downtown area from the west (Lake Street) toward Webster Avenue and access events from Main Street. Parking will be available at Village Hall, Atrevete Confections, Lyon Metal and the Village’s property at 310 N. River St.

Engineering Enterprises, Inc., the engineering firm of the Village of Montgomery, hosts this event annually for the community. Find more information about the 2021 Montgomery River Run at montgomeryil.org/187/River-Run. For those interested in attending Pie Palooza, visit the Atrevete Confections Facebook or Instagram page.