May is Shuswap Bicycle Month and the perfect time to be outside. Bicycle Month is a celebration of human-powered transportation, calling attention to the joys and benefits of cycling for young and old alike.
Save money on gas, reduce air pollution and stay healthy by riding your bike to work, school, on errands or just for fun.
From interactive exhibits at the SAGA Public Art Gallery, to street festivals, races and a multitude of riding opportunities, Shuswap Bicycle Month will have something for everyone.
The month will kick off at the SAGA Public Art Gallery with Pedal Power: The Bicycle as an Agent of Social Change, a multi-media exhibition with more than 20 local artists examining and becoming inspired by the impact of this two-wheeled method of transportation.
The exhibition, which runs to May 26, opens Friday, May 4 at 7 p.m. with live music by Darren Herting’s Jug Band and refreshments. In addition, the Salmon Arm RCMP and local bicycle retailers will host a children’s bicycle rodeo on Hudson Ave. from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. in front of the gallery.
Near nightly, mid-week group rides all season long, will be augmented by community events such as the Taste of Downtown Street Fair and the Twilight Family Fun Ride.
Taste of Downtown on May 12 will feature music, bicycle exhibits and lots of activities for the kids.
The family fun ride on May 25 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., starts with a “come-one-come-all” ride through downtown, hosted by the Shuswap Trail Alliance. Enjoy great family activities before watching a special screening of the latest Anthill Films production Strength in Numbers at 8:30 p.m.
Shuswap Bicycle Month partners include the City of Salmon Arm, Downtown Salmon Arm, Columbia Shuswap Regional District & Shuswap Tourism, the Salmon Arm Public Art Gallery, the Shuswap Hut and Trail Alliance, Shuswap Trail Alliance Bikers, Skookum Cycle and Ridetech.