A BMX and mountain bike event seven years in the making is now less than a week away.
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On Saturday and Sunday of Easter weekend, Nick Haertsch's Green Valleys Mountain Bike Park at Tongarra will host this year's Xup Freeride Festival.
The freeride festival is also part of Mr Haertsch's vision for the former 103-hectare Green Valleys dairy farm west of Albion Park to become "an extreme playground" and a "boutique tourism facility".
Over two days, BMX and mountain bike riders will compete for a combined $17,000 in prize money and other prizes in events including a BMX dirt jump competition, a downhill mountain bike competition and a slopestyle mountain bike competition which forms part of an international tour.
There will be food and merchandise stalls and a concert is planned for the Saturday night.
The festival was previously held on the Central Coast and was inspired by an event Mr Haertsch first saw at Whistler Mountain Bike Park in Canada.
The festival has the support of Shellharbour's Deputy Mayor Paul Rankin who has been advocating a mountain bike facility in Shellharbour City.
"It will put Shellharbour on the map, especially if we can attract a state or Australian titles," Cr Rankin said.
"It is good for tourism and will be a boost for Albion Park as well."
