SHELBY, Ohio – The annual Shelby Bicycle Days celebration has focused on bringing back the bike the last few years, but this year the focus has shifted to also bringing families to the festival. A brand new challenge issued to kids at Shelby Bicycle Days hopes to accomplish both of these goals simultaneously.
This year, Shelby Bicycle Days has introduced the Kid Activities Passport Contest to families attending the three-day celebration of the bike. Festival chair Cody Albert explained the challenge is a way to inform families of all the kid-friendly activities centered around the bicycle.
“Our committee has continued to focus on developing the festival around families, and as one way to do that we thought it would be nice to create an item families can use that lists all the events targeted at kids for the whole weekend,” he said. “It kind of gives them an overview of all those activities in one place.”
The bike-centered kids’ activities begin on Thursday evening, when Shelby Bicycle Days kicks off with the popular BMX Bike Stunt Show returning from last year’s festival. The hour-long, free show will feature high-flying tricks from Solution Action Sports, a performance BMX stunt group.
“It’s targeted at children fifth grade and below but it’s certainly open for anybody of all ages, including myself who I think was maybe more excited than the kids watching the stunts,” said Albert.
The high entertainment show begins at 6:30 p.m. at W.W. Skiles Field and is completely free to everyone in attendance. Not only will audience members get to interact with the stunt riders, they will also get a lesson in bike safety.
“The great thing about that event is it seems to be just about stunts and the high-flying flips, but really they embed bicycle safety in that,” said Albert. “From a parental perspective, your kids are really enjoying themselves but they’re also learning a lot about bike safety all at the same time.”
The safety theme continues on Thursday evening with Kids’ Safety Spot at the conclusion of the stunt show, taking place right behind the stadium at W.W. Skiles Field. This is the second year for Kids’ Safety Spot, allowing everyone to get an up-close and personal look at various emergency vehicles from around Shelby and Richland County.
“This event brings all sorts of emergency personnel and their vehicles to one location so kids can explore and get to meet firefighters and policemen, and get comfortable with them in case there’s ever an emergency that they need to rely on those folks,” said Albert.
The Passport Contest activities pick up again starting Saturday morning with the Kids’ Bike Clinic starting at 10 a.m. at the Seltzer Park Tennis Courts. Kids of all ages can bring their bikes to the free clinic for a tune-up, get fitted for helmets and participate in a skills course.
“We’ll have a set of professionals that are there to check all the bells and whistles of their bike – make sure their brakes are working and that their handlebars are tight, that they have the right amount of air in their tires, that their helmet fits correctly, and of course if they’re missing reflectors,” said Albert. “If they don’t have a helmet we will be happy to provide those through a grant from the Shelby Foundation so we know all kids are riding their bike safely this summer.”
A short ride up the block to Shelby’s Grand Boulevard will bring kids to the next free Passport event, the second-annual Bike Decorating Contest. Starting at noon, kids will be provided all the supplies needed to create a masterpiece out of their bike, and the top three decorated bikes will win a prize.
After the Bike Decorating Contest comes one of the weekend’s main events, the 24th annual Shelby Bicycle Days’ Parade starting at 2 p.m. at the Grand Boulevard. Not only will kids get to experience the exciting sights and sounds of the parade, but they can actually participate – as long as they’re wearing a helmet.
“Kids are certainly encouraged to ride their bike in the parade to follow Shelby tradition, as long as they wear a helmet,” said Albert. “I remember as a kid taking my bike down to ride in the Bicycle Days Parade, so that was one of the things we had focused on bringing back last year because that tradition had kind of disappeared.”
Each of the five events on the Passport Contest will have a check-in station where Shelby Bicycle Days crew members will stamp the passport. If a child finishes three of the five events listed, they can bring the passport back to the Shelby Bicycle Days information tent on the Midway where they will be entered into a drawing to win a bicycle. The winner of the bicycle will be drawn prior to the fireworks on Saturday evening.
Albert said this year’s Passport Contest is part of Shelby Bicycle Days’ mission to create excitement around cycling for young people of all ages.
“We think the five activities designed in the kids’ passport provide a biking activity for a kid of any age and any stage in their bike riding experience, from training wheels all the way up,” he said. “This is a good opportunity in Shelby to bring out all sorts of families and give them one quality event each year they can look forward to.”
Thursday | July 09, 2015
Midway Open 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Mechanics Bank Ride Zone Open 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Bike Safety Show | 6:30 PM
Kids’ Safety Spot and Activity Zone | 7:00 PM
Presented by ArcelorMittal
Friday | July 10, 2015
Midway Open Noon to 11:00 PM
Mechanics Bank Ride Zone Open 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Rotary Community Lunch | Noon
Spokes4Kids Community Challenge | 6:00 PM
Presented by Richland Young Professionals and
Richland Bank
Downtown History Walk | 7:00 PM
Gathering at Black Fork Commons Pavilion
MooPoo Bingo | 8:00 PM
Saturday | July 11, 2015
Midway Open Noon to 11:00 PM
Mechanics Bank Ride Zone Open Noon to 11:00 PM
Whippet 1 Mile Run and Whippet 5K Run | 8:00 and 8:15 AM
Lindy Flyer Community Bike Tour | 9:00 AM
Presented by Richland Source
Downtown Farmer’s Market | 9:00 AM to Noon
Kids’ Bike Clinic – Tune Up, Helmets & Skills Course | 10:00 AM to Noon
Bike Decorating Contest | Noon
24th Annual Shelby Bicycle Days’ Parade | 2:00 PM
Presented by Turner Funeral Home
Shelby Help-Line Ministries Pie Auction | Following Parade
The Shelby Cycle, A Historical Look with Chris Drain | 5:00 PM
Sutter Roush Room
MooPoo Bingo | 8:00 PM
Donley Ford Pre-Fireworks Show
Featuring Trigger | 7:00 to 8:00 PM
and The Jimmy Warner Band | 8:00 to 9:30 PM
Fireworks Display | 9:30 PM
Presented by Adams, Albert & Curry
“This is a good opportunity in Shelby to bring out all sorts of families and give them one quality event each year they can look forward to,” said festival chair Cody Albert.
The entry form for the 2015 Shelby Bicycle Days Kid Activities Passport Contest