I was coming from several hours away, so I was not familiar with the terrain at all before showing up race day to the Trail Mix event. It was a warm, muggy, morning, but the excitement was in the air right when I parked my car. Parking was only a couple yards away from the start of the race, which always makes life easier when having packet pickup on race day.
Packet Pickup was smooth and easy. I received an envelope with my bib, a gu, KT tape, and then they handed me a really nice soft tshirt. There were also about 10 different vendor tents scattered around giving away free things like towels, water bottles, nuun tabs...and many more that I didn't have the chance to visit.
The event was split between a 50k, 25k, and a 50k relay. Each event started at a different time. I was fortunate to run the 25k, which was 2 loops of a 7.7 mile route. At the Start/Finish area, there was a tarp spread out so you could leave a drop bag, especially for the 50k runners.
The race was very scenic and not overly technical, which would make it perfect for a 1st time trail race for someone. This race had consistent rolling hills throughout the entire course. The ground was mainly grass covered double track, with a few areas of crushed limestone. The route goes between forested areas, prairies, and around several small lakes. The scenery was always changing and very beautiful.
Another thing to note on this race is the amazing volunteers. They were walking around throughout the trails with red shirts on, carrying emergency kits and water. This was especially helpful on such a hot day. They cheered for everyone running and even cracked a few jokes to the runners along the way. The aid stations were fully stocked with water, Powerade, potatoes and salt, trail mix (because you have to when the race is called Trail Mix), and a few other things.
When I finished, I received a very nice medal and a free meal. I was only interested in the chicken noodle soup. The one down fall is you had to pay for your own beer. The race results were posted on a board about a half hour after I finished.

So for a quick review:
Pros: great swag, awesome volunteers, beautiful course, very well organized, easy parking
Cons: had to pay for beer

I would definitely run this race again and I highly recommend this race if you are interested in trying out a trail race!