Santos Fat Tire Festival 2026

The Santos Fat Tire Festival is the signature annual event for the mountain biking community in Ocala and the broader southeastern United States. Held each year during the first weekend of March at Santos Bike Trails — an IMBA Epic Ride destination with over 80 miles of singletrack — the festival brings together hundreds of riders from across Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and beyond for four days of riding, community, and celebration. The 2026 festival ran March 5 through March 8 on the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway in southern Marion County.

At the heart of the festival is the EPIC 50, a 50-mile endurance ride across the full Santos trail system. The route takes riders through every difficulty level of the color-coded trail network, from the flowing yellow beginner trails through technical blue intermediate sections and into the challenging red advanced trails. Experienced riders tackle the legendary Vortex freeride area, a former limestone quarry with drops up to 20 feet, pump tracks, and gap jumps that has earned a national reputation among mountain bikers. The EPIC 50 is not a race — it is a challenge ride that rewards endurance, skill, and appreciation for one of the most varied trail systems in the Southeast.

Beyond the EPIC 50, the festival offers group rides organized by difficulty level so that riders of every ability can participate. Beginner-friendly rides follow the yellow-coded Pine Tree Trail and other smooth, accessible routes with experienced ride leaders. Intermediate group rides explore the blue-coded technical trails. Advanced riders join guided sessions through the Sinkhole Trail, the Vortex, and other demanding sections of the system. The organized rides create a welcoming atmosphere for newcomers while giving experienced riders an opportunity to discover sections of the trail system they may not have ridden before.

The Vendor Village is a central feature of the festival, with mountain bike brands, gear manufacturers, local bike shops, nutrition companies, and outdoor recreation vendors setting up alongside the trailhead. Bike demos give attendees the opportunity to test ride new models on the actual Santos trails — a far more meaningful test than any parking lot demo. Santos Bike Shop, the on-site shop at 3085 SE 80th Street, serves as a hub throughout the festival for rentals, repairs, and trail advice.

The festival is organized by OMBA (Ocala Mountain Bike Association), the volunteer organization responsible for building and maintaining the Santos trail system. OMBA volunteers have invested thousands of hours into creating and preserving the trails that make Santos a world-class riding destination. The Fat Tire Festival serves as both a celebration of that community effort and a fundraiser supporting ongoing trail maintenance and development. Food vendors and live music round out the festival grounds, creating an atmosphere that extends the riding experience into an all-day community gathering.

Santos Bike Trails sits near Belleview in southern Marion County, approximately 15 minutes south of downtown Ocala. The trailhead at 3080 SE 80th Street has free parking and a 23-site campground with hookups for riders who want to stay close to the action. During the festival, the campground fills quickly, so early reservations through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection are recommended. The festival has grown steadily since its inception, establishing itself as a must-attend event on the southeastern mountain biking calendar and a signature entry on the Ocala events calendar.