Another notch in the growing enthusiasm around this year’s Bike Summer (a.k.a. Pedalpalooza) festival happened in southeast Portland last night. Fans of the three-month-long cycling smorgasbord rolled into a parking lot off Southeast Belmont and 34th for the first ever Bike Summer Merch Pick-up Party.
DJ Ninety6Vino set the mood with chill tunes while flanked by colorful balloons, vendors shared their art, and lots of great folks got together with a shared eagerness to adorn themselves and their bike with Bike Summer pennants and shirts.
The event was held in the parking lot outside Rendered.co, the screen printing company responsible for Bike Summer’s posters and other items. They were helping folks print their own free, custom-designed bandannas. Also on hand was Nia Musiba, the 2024 Bike Summer Artist and a bunch of other cool people.
I chatted with Musiba, Bike Summer Director Meghan Sinnott, and several ride leaders and Bike Summer superfans in the video above. Watch it here or over on Instagram.
Bike Summer begins June 1st with the traditional Kickoff Ride. Peruse the official calendar, grab the awesome new Bike Fun app, and stay tuned for more coverage.
