Outreach Ministries: Bike Parade

A bike parade is when community members get together and parade around town on their bicycles, tricycles, and scooters. This is a great activity to encourage exercise, community participation, and celebration.

• Pick a day - To encourage maximum participation, the weather shouldn’t be boiling hot or freezing. Avoid the rainy season. The best day is probably Saturday or Sunday, so that those who work during the week can participate. This is also a great event to celebrate a holiday, like the Fourth of July or Memorial Day.
• Adults or Kids - Decide weather you want to sponsor an adult or youth team. Consider the needs of your community. Are there a variety of school teams, but few options for adults? Women sports teams are still often placed behind men’s in importance. Is there a sport that currently lacks a female team? Ask people connected with the sports community where your sponsorship is most needed.
• Pick a time- The morning works best. It’s not too hot, and people are still fresh. A great ending to the parade is to offer a potluck lunch at the finish site.
• Pick a Route- Choose a fairly flat terrain with lots of shade. The route shouldn’t be more then a few miles. This is meant to be a leisurely bike ride, not an endurance test. Try to stay away from large bodies of traffic. If you must cycle on public roads, connect with your local city council. Perhaps they can set up cones and tape for the day of the parade as a barrier. Nominate two people to be the front and back of the parade, they will make sure everyone gets where they are supposed to be going.
• Make up flyers- publicizing your event and post them around town. Ask those who are interested to sign up, so you know how many people to expect (and how much lunch to prepare). A bike parade is suited to people of all ages. In addition to bicycles, participants can ride tricycles, scooters, electric wheelchairs, skateboards, and anything else that rolls. Little ones can be pushed in strollers or pulled in wagons.
• Decorate!- If you’re holding your parade to celebrate a holiday, it is a nice touch to add some decorations. Ask participants to wear theme colors. Tie bows to the fronts of bicycles (make sure they are short enough not to get caught in the wheel). You could even give the little ones balloons to carry. You might ask your front leader to carry a small sign with your organization’s name, so that onlookers will know who you are.
• After the parade, it’s time to thank your participants by offering lunch. If you have the funds, you may give out buttons or t-shirts as souvenirs. This event also makes a great fundraising opportunity if you charge a fee for participation. Just make sure people know what cause they are supporting.

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