SHELBY — A classic summertime tradition will continue in Shelby, but with some restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020 Shelby Bicycle Days Committee, led by Felicia Albert and Ashley Meyer, announced on Monday that the festival would continue in an altered manner with some events cancelled and others moved online. The decision was made in conjunction with the festival’s parent organization, the Community Improvement Corporation (CIC), and the city of Shelby.
“Keeping safety and fiscal responsibility at the core of our decision, our traditional festival as we know it will be altered into a hybrid event which will be accomplished in a few different ways – some events virtual, some canceled, but all safely socially-distanced,” the committee announced.
The 2020 festival will take place over a week’s time starting Monday, July 6 through Saturday, July 11, with each event accessible via www.ShelbyBikeDays.com.
The COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on two of the festival’s most popular events – the Shelby Bicycle Days parade, and the community fireworks display. The parade will take place on Saturday, July 11 at 1 p.m. using an alternate route to travel through Shelby neighborhoods and allow for social distancing.
Unfortunately, the community fireworks display that typically gathers hundreds of people shoulder-to-shoulder at Skiles Field has been cancelled for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As we all know, life has changed very much since February and our team, just like you all, has had to adjust our planning and how we temporarily persist,” the committee stated. “It is always our goal to provide, first and foremost, a safe environment, and a family fun event.”
Other cancelled events for the 2020 festival include the Kiddie King & Queen contest, the Rotary community lunch, the Spokes4Kids community challenge, the kids’ character visits, and the Midway activities including inflatables, games and non-food vendors.
Events that will continue virtually include a Shelby Cycle Co. historical lecture, the Kids’ Safety Spot exploring a variety of vehicles virtually, and the Kids’ Bike Clinic to learn how to successfully tune up your bicycle and safely ride this summer.
Finally, events that can still be enjoyed in-person while social distancing include the walkable display of Shelby Cycle Co. bicycles in downtown Shelby, and the Lindy Flyer community bike tour following various cycling routes throughout the Shelby community.
In addition, free at-home kits for the Kids Passport Challenge will be available for pick up and will provide families a festival experience in their own homes. The kit will include supplies and instruction on how to complete events at home and online.
Your favorite festival food trucks will also return yet again in 2020. Select food trucks will be available on the second Sunday of each month beginning in June and going possibly through September. The first event will take place on Sunday, June 14 with Tinman Concessions, serving elephant ears, deep-fried Oreos, fries, Italian sausage and corndogs.
Many of the alterations to this year’s festival come from sensitivity to the challenges small businesses are experiencing during the current global pandemic. The committee noted that community sponsorships from local businesses and patrons are extremely important to fund the festival in its entirety.
“In a time when so many businesses are doing their best to keep employees employed, the SBD committee is extremely sensitive to making a traditional request,” the committee said. “This key component becomes a major factor in some of our planning decisions.
“A quick reminder, one of the main events for people to enjoy are our fireworks, which are funded entirely by donor support – SBD does not happen at a low annual expense.”
More information about this year’s modified festival and continued updates can be found at www.ShelbyBikeDays.com and the festival’s Facebook page, Facebook.com/ShelbyBikeDays.
The committee was hopeful that the traditional Shelby Bicycle Days festival could continue in future years.
“The SBD committee spends countless volunteer hours building a festival for all to enjoy and this year has been no exception,” it said. “Planning a community event of this scale is not an easy task, but our volunteer team gets its rewards when we witness families enjoying time together.”
