Streamers, stars, and butterflies, cut-your-own cardboard shark fins and colorful spoke covers were among the decorations that the Silverwood Bike Parade participants had to choose from as they prepared for a ride around the park on Wednesday, Aug. 3.
The celebration of bikes and their riders was one of several “pop-up” activities the park holds every summer in conjunction with the Wednesday concert series, said Seth Eberle, one of Silverwood’s arts educators and coordinator of the bike event, which drew all ages, from families with toddlers to Bert and Miriam Schlauch, who rode two vintage bikes to the park: a 1938 Elgin and a Colson that is more than 100 years old.
A spin-art activity table was in keeping with the spinning wheels theme, and Free Bikes 4 Kidz (FB4K) handed out whistles for the kids and sunscreen for the adults, while advertising their annual bike collection on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022 from 9 a.m to 1 p.m. at various Allina Health locations. They usually collect between 6,000 and 8,000 bikes each year, said Chris Torres, warehouse manager, and rely on volunteers October through December to clean, overhaul and help distribute the bikes to kids in need at various events and locations. See FB4KMN.org for a list of drop-off locations and to register to volunteer.
Below: In order from top to bottom: Elise Weber decorated her bike with bright spokes, beads, stars and butterflies, provided by the park. Julian Balster, with Spiderman helmet, a hamburger bell, and a pipe cleaner person that he was particularly proud of, propelled his bike up the slope for the final stretch of the parade. Bert Schlauch of St.Anthony Village restores old bikes. Miriam Schlauch decorated their 1938 Elgin. Seth Eberle, an arts educator at Silverwood, led the parade, which had a short loop option, or a mile-loop around the park. (Photos by Karen Kraco)