Heartwarming. Inspiring. Moving.
Dear Dream Rider Family!
We’re excited to welcome you to The Dream Ride Experience! At the heart of Dream Ride is a powerful mission: to foster an inclusive community that celebrates and empowers individuals of all abilities across the Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Community.
Please carefully review the following important information to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to our team at 203-250-5661 or email either Sarah Lucian at slucian@bozzutos.com or Kathleen Moran at kmoran@bozzutos.com.
Friday August 21 - Sunday August 23, 2026
The Farmington Polo Grounds, 162 Town Farm Road, Farmington CT
Each Dream Rider and one chaperone will receive weekend admission bracelets upon check-in at gate A. Wristbands grant you access to our buffet meals, which include Friday dinner, Saturday lunch and dinner as well as Sunday lunch. Wristbands and Dream Rider lanyards must be worn at all times. Every Dream Rider will receive a free swag bag at registration!
Dream Ride is an outdoor, rain or shine event; please dress appropriately. Average temperatures are in the low 80s in Farmington but could reach upper 90s. This is a walking event with most attractions placed on grass so please wear appropriate footwear.
No. Dream Ride does not provide one-on-one staff or volunteers to support daily living needs such as medication management, toileting, personal hygiene, or other personal care services. Dream riders should register and attend with a chaperone who can provide necessary support.
Buffet meals are included for each Dream Rider and their chaparone. Extra guests can purchase weekend passes or single buffett tickets at https://reg.dreamride.org
Please speak with one of our servers in the Main Tent dressed in black. We will be able to accomodate dietary requests. There will also be signage in the main tent listing the menu and dietery information.
Yes, our vendor village will be full of food trucks!
Yes, on the Dream Ride map you will see a refillable water station next to Touch a Truck. Please bring your own water bottle.
If you would like to purchase anything additional from food vendors, merchandise and raffles. Most merchants will take cash and card.!
Our Fine Designs Custom Merchandise booth for will have exclusive T-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants and more for sale. Your Dream Rider swag bag includes a redeemable voucher for a free decal with purchase.
Yes there will be an ATM at the registration tent and main tent.
Yes, Scooter-Along is back again and will have even more scooters for rent this year! Pricing is $70/full day or $50/four hours. If you prefer to pre-book, you can do so here: https://scooteralong.com/rent-a-mobility-scooter-for-the-dream-ride-experience
Printed maps and schedules will be provided at registration. There will also be multiple large maps throughout the grounds for your viewing. Our map and schedule is also included in this packet.
Each Dream Rider plus one chaperone are always free. Additional guests can purchase weekend passes, which includes admission all weekend plus the four buffet meals for $140. We also offer single day passes for $25 and single buffet tickets for $25. Tickets can be purchased online at https://reg.dreamride.org or at the registration tent at GATE A.
No pets are allowed on-site, unless they are service dogs or animals adopted on-site from the Dream Ride Pet Adoption Center.
Yes, our info tent is in front of the main tent where volunteers in aqua t-shirts can help as well as Best Buddies staff
The Dream Ride Experience is an inclusive event for all Dream Riders. To make your experience the best we have sensory areas all along the grounds.
ABA Centers of America locations:
Sensory Pop Up Tables: - LINKED and Hometown Foundation collaboration
We have Dream Riders coming in from AROUND THE WORLD! Please review the information that pertains to you. If you have any questions about travel, please reach out our team at 203-250-5661 or email either Sarah Lucian at slucian@bozzutos.com or Kathleen Moran at kmoran@bozzutos.com. If you are an international Dream Rider, please reach out to Michelle Aybar at maybar@bozzutos.com.
If you are coming from out of state, hotel check in begins at 2p. Please park at your hotel and take the shuttle to Dream Ride on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, please pack up and drive to one of our shuttle lots, below, by 9am, where you will get transported to Dream Ride.
If you live in CT, please park at one of our shuttle lots locations where you will be transported to Dream Ride.
Shuttles will be operating during the following times:
SHUTTLE PARKING LOT LOCATIONS
Please remember your lot’s color to return via the correct shuttle via gate A. If you need to be in touch with our shuttle service please call 860-405-1500.
Please note that shuttles will stop running during the Motorcycle Dream Ride on Saturday morning and during the Dream Cruise on Saturday afternoon.
Please email Sarah Lucian at slucian@bozzutos.com to request a parking pass for gate A.
ARRIVAL
Best Buddies NY and CT staff will meet you on the main level at the center clock on Friday at 8am, approximately an hour before your scheduled train departure. Once arrived at Union Station in New Haven, your group be shuttled to your hotel.
DEPARTURE
On Sunday, please bring your luggage with you to Dream Ride where it will be stored with security.Your group will depart from the Dream Ride grounds via GATE B at 3:30p en route to Union Station in New Haven for the 5:17p train back to Grand Central.
ARRIVAL
Volunteers and staff from Best Buddies will greet you at the airport near baggage claim and direct your shuttle. You may experience a short wait for additional flights to arrive.
DEPARTURE
ARRIVAL
Please meet MD Best Buddies staff at the commuter lot located at 3510 Woodsdale Road, Abingdon, MD on Friday Aug 21 at 7AM. The trip is approximatly six hours long. We will stop at a rest stop around 11AM where you can purhcase lunch to be brought back on the bus to eat.
DEPARTURE
On Sunday, please bring your luggage with you to Dream Ride where it will be stored with security.Your group will depart from the Dream Ride.
Yes all hotels include breakfast for Dream Ride families.
Hotel rooms are provided for out of state Dream Riders and one chaperone. If you have additional guests traveling with you, please inform Sarah Lucian at slucian@bozzutos.com to be sure the room can accommodate extra guests. Extra guests will need to purchase a weekend pass to Dream Ride at reg.dreamride.org.
Please plan to take the shuttle at the designated times. There will be very limited shuttles for those running late
Each shuttle will travel to one specific hotel then return for another group. Most hotels are 15-20mins away from Dream Ride.
No, shuttles do not run all day back and forth to hotels. If you have an emergency please call our shuttle service at 860-405-1500.
Dream Cruise is the highlight of the weekend! Dream Riders, who’ve opted to participate in Dream Cruise on Saturday, will get paired with background-checked drivers and participate in a 17-mile, police-escorted cruise in a supercar, muscle car, tuner car, Jeep, truck, police patrol cars or other emergency vehicles.
No, Dream Cruise is for Dream Riders only. Exceptions can be made, depending on the Dream Rider’s abilities and needs.
No, Dream Ride pairing is random to make Dream Ride an equal opportunity for all Dream Riders. Please be aware, some vehicles will take more than one Dream Rider on the cruise.
When you registred for Dream Ride, you had the option to select an Adaptive Activity for your Dream Rider to participate in. Your Dream Rider’s activity and time will be listed on their badge.
Saturday: Baseball, Swimming, Cornhole, BINGO, Fishing, Zumba
Sunday: Basketball, Cheerleading
No, Dream Riders can only participate in the activity they were signed up for due to limited capacity.
There are lots of activities and games to enjoy in the Family Fun Zone including carnival activities and games, mini-golf, Riverside Reptiles, face-painting, RC cars, an F1 Simulator, bracelet making, open mic singing, and Shady Lady the Therapy Horse!
Held in the Main Clubhouse from 10a – 11a on Sunday morning, Around The World is a chance for Dream Riders to get to know each other while playing games, taking pictures and connecting with a future pen pal!
The Dream Show is the largest car show benefiting The Hometown Foundation. The show has evolved from its motorcycle roots to one of the premier car shows on the East Coast with hundreds of car owners and enthusiasts from around the world converge on Farmington, CT for this unique spectacle!
What are the dates of this year’s Dream Ride Experience?
Where is Dream Ride held?