last year.
(Photos © J. Maus)
New Belgium’s Tour de Fat is set to take over Waterfront Park in Portland this Saturday. The event has been traveling all over the western U.S. in recent months and now it’s Portland’s turn to party.
Things kick off with what is sure to be one of the year’s best bike parades (starts at 11:00am, but get there early to register).
After the parade, the beer will start flowing and the performances begin. This year they’ll have the soulful and classy singing band Paper Bird and the raucously wonderful March Fourth Marching Band.
procession in San Fran.
Then, for the second year in a row, Portland’s own bike dance crew the Sprockettes will take over. The Sprockettes have been following the tour all year, and have already wowed crowds at Tour de Fat stops in San Francisco, Truckee and Seattle. The ladies in pink are in prime form and this is a great chance to see them in action.
In addition to the usual bike competitions and freak bike corral that are always a hit, this year organizers have planned a tongue-in-cheek “Carpocalypse Now” funeral procession. I saw this happen down in San Francisco and it’s not to be missed. The mock funeral is done for the car of one lucky Portlander who has decided to trade in their car keys for a new, custom-made bike.
To see what’s in store, check out my slideshow from Tour de Fat 2007.
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Tour de Fat – Portland
Saturday, August 16
Waterfront Park (North of the Hawthorne Street Bridge)
Schedule:
10:00 a.m. – Bike Parade Registration
11:00 a.m. – Bike Parade
12:00 p.m. – Performances Begin
12:30 p.m. – “Slow-Down or Throw-Down” Slow-Ride Competition
2:30 p.m. – “Carpocalypse Now” – Funeral procession for the car belonging to the Car-for-Bike Trade volunteer
4:30 p.m. – Car-for-Bike Trade Celebration
5:00 p.m. – Curtain Closes
And by the way, if a very well-run and entertaining event is not enough for you, consider that the whole thing is a fundraiser for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) and the Portland United Mountain Pedalers (PUMP).