Central Park Plaza was filled with bike enthusiasts and other community members attending Valpo Parks’ annual Ride Night on Saturday. It was a night that featured a pre-ride party and a 10-mile ride through the streets of Valparaiso. Over 300 hundred bike enthusiasts came out to ride in Saturday’s event.
“It's a really fun event here at Central Park Plaza where people who are bike enthusiasts gather to celebrate being outside and riding bikes together,” said Kevin Nuppnau, Director of Valpo Parks. “We have the pre-party and then the race starts at 10 o'clock with the 10-mile ride through the streets of Valparaiso. To see 300-350 people riding together around town with their bikes lit up is quite the spectacle. It's a really amazing event, and we're so thankful that people come out.”
The third annual Bike Bash featured glow-in-the-dark drums, a bike decoration contest, and tricycle racing.
“This is the third time that we're doing the party but before the ride that we called the bike bash,” said Cristana Darr, director of special events for Valpo Parks. “We have seen what people like and adapted to fit their wishes more. It's been a pretty big success here with the free party, food vendors, and activities.”
With miles of pathways, biking is popular in Valparaiso. The ride also has some very loyal participants.
“We have miles and miles of pathways, and actually our pathways committee hosts some group bike rides throughout the year,” said Darr. “Everybody really loves the night ride. We get very loyal followers for the ride itself. This gives the whole family something to do because the ride is 10 miles, and young children can't really do all that usually. They can come to the party before with their parents, and we have free face painting. We also have a DJ, tricycle riding, family games, and lots of stuff to do that the whole family can enjoy.”
Saturday’s event was the perfect opportunity to safely ride your bike with the rest of the community. The police department was out riding the route alongside with the other bike riders. A lot of the bikes were decorated with neon lights to help light the way.
“If you like riding your bike, this is a great opportunity to do it in a group setting and at night,” said Nuppnau. “You are led by the police department and have plenty of lights on, so it is a really safe event for the community to do. I really encourage people to try it even if it's something that they don't always ride their bikes.”
The Bike Bash party also featured snacks and face painting on what amounted to another fun night downtown.
“There are lots of things here to do, things to eat, and fun for the whole family,” said Darr. “You can ride, or you can cheer on the riders. We're really lucky in Valpo to have so many opportunities for fun downtown here that everyone can take part in.”
For more information about Valpo Parks, please visit their website at http://www.valpoparks.org/.
