New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fat rolled through Portland on Saturday. The event has been coming to town since 2003 and somehow, it just keeps getting better.
Maybe it’s the huge bike parade that always attracts a high percentage of freak/art bikes and costumed riders, or maybe it’s because it’s free to enter and you can see excellent live music and performance acts, or maybe it’s just because it’s an excuse to have a bike-themed party in a park while raising money for local non-profits. Whatever the reason, it’s always a good time.
This year, the parade was bigger than ever, and the show at Waterfront Park kept folks excited throughout the day (did you happen to see Nanda? They were amazing).
Sellwood’s ‘Boozer Cruisers’.
One of my favorite things about Tour de Fat are all the interesting bikes that show up. For some reason, people from all over roll out their very best for this event. It’s also known as a venue where bike gangs show their colors. On that note, I was pleased to meet the Boozer Cruisers.
The Boozer Cruisers are a fun-loving group of friends that live in Sellwood. All their bikes — gorgeous, low-rider choppers (one of them with a sidehack) — are made by Loren Muntzert. Loren said this was their third year at Tour de Fat.
Portland’s very own mini-bike dance team, The Sprockettes, have toured with the Tour de Fat for a few years now. Their performance on Saturday was in front of one of the largest and most appreciative crowds I’ve ever seen
See photos of the Sprockettes’ performance, scenes from the parade (including our run-in with a Hummer stretch limo), and more silliness in the slideshow below:
Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.
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