Last weekend, I was invited to Elgin, IL by Katie and Parker Thompson to participate in a Starlight Parade. The Cycle City-themed parade was a way promote their future nonprofit community cycling center, the Elgin Bike Hub. The city of Elgin does not have a single bike shop (YET)! These hard-working, proactive folks are not only looking to create a bike shop, but to play a more ambassadorial role such as: education, community outreach, and working with the city on more comprehensive cycling infrastructure. I was so honored to participate in the festivities and to support their mission!
A special thanks to everyone for accommodating my knee injury!
Friday afternoon I visited the Elgin Bike Hub’s farmer’s market booth.
I had some small helpers drawing bikes with me to make a poster for the Starlight Parade.
Friday night, we Starlight Paraded around downtown. Katie Thompson kicked off the parade with the megaphone and Parker Thompson wrapped the whole thing up at the end (Thompson announcers pictured in squid hats). The sky erupted in thunderstorms immediately after and we headed inside to the after party (scroll through)!
photo credit GBPL
Saturday, I read Cycle City and did a drawing demo for families at the Gail Borden Public Library . I love their library bike!!!
Sunday, Parker Thompson, his kiddos and I borrowed these awesome ebikes from the fantastic Four Star Family Cyclery in Chicago. We rode them to a very sweet kidical mass.
Kidical mass was lead by the fantastic biking aficionados Chicago Family Biking and Roscoe Village Bikes.
Photo credit Roscoe Village Bikes.
Parading through Roscoe Village!
photo credit Elgin Bike Hub
Here I am reading Cycle City to a very cute Kidical Mass audience! I love when my audience can sit in a box bike!
photo credit Elgin Bike Hub
Drawing demo after reading Cycle City! A very fun weekend in Illinois!!!