4th Annual BikeFest Expected to Draw Thousands to Downtown Long Beach This Weekend
2012-04-26
On Saturday, May 5, the 4th Annual BikeFest Tour of Long Beach presented by Wells Fargo, will bring cycling-related fun and festivities to Downtown Long Beach. In addition to four separate rides that appeal to cyclists of all skill levels, this event includes an all-day, family-friendly Finish Line Festival. Proceeds will support pediatric cancer research at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach, as they have since 2010.
The Tour of Long Beach invites amateur cyclists and bicycle enthusiasts to participate in one of four rides: the four-mile Family Fun Ride; 31 or 62-mile picturesque Metric Century Ride; or the 100-mile Cruz Gran Fondo, which loops twice through Long Beach, Cypress, Seal Beach and Signal Hill. The Cruz Gran Fondo is new to the Tour of Long Beach this year and is named after Long Beach’s own U.S. Olympian, former Pro Tour Cyclist and Long Beach Bike Ambassador, Tony Cruz.
The Finish Line Festival is open to participating riders as well as the general public and offers a day of fun for the entire family. Attendees will join Tony Cruz at this free event which includes live entertainment, a kids’ activity area, BMX stunts, a free bike valet, vendor fair and food stands. New to the Finish Line Festival this year is the Beachwood & Friends Craft Beer Garden, which will feature almost a dozen local craft breweries with samples of more than 30 unique brews – perfect after a long day of biking. The beer garden is $20 for 10 five ounce tastings. Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, a local business which recently opened their second location on Downtown’s Promenade, is sponsoring and participating in the craft beer garden.
“The BikeFest Tour of Long Beach is the perfect way for cyclists of all skill-levels to explore our City while contributing to an important cause,” said Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA) President and CEO Kraig Kojian. “Since 2010, participating members of the community have helped raise nearly $200,000 to support the exceptional research at Miller Children’s, and we look forward to another outstanding experience.”
The Tour’s bike rides begin in intervals, starting at 6:30 a.m. on Shoreline Drive at Linden, and end at the festival. The Finish Line Festival takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Event Park at The Pike, located at the corner of Pine Avenue and Shoreline Drive.
On Friday, May 4, the Tour of Long Beach participants can pick up their bibs and registration packets from the Hyatt the Pike Long Beach (285 Bay Street) between the hours of 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
The Festival highlights the many programs being implemented City-wide as part of the Bicycle Master Plan (BMP) – an award-winning progressive initiative to make Long Beach “the most bicycle-friendly City in the U.S.” The BMP has been called one of the most ambitious of its kind, garnering attention regionally as other cities have modeled their own plans based on the success of the Long Beach strategy.
Check presentations will be made at the start of the 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. bike rides. Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster will present the check to Dr. Amanda Termhulen, Medical Director of Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center at Miller Children’s. Media is invited to attend this event. Please call 562-436-4259 for details and information regarding parking.
For more information about the BikeFest Tour of Long Beach and to register, please visit www.bikefestlb.com.
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