SHELBY – Shelby doesn’t produce bikes or seamless tubes as it used to. Workshops and warehouses once used to manufacture have been repurposed or replaced.
However, Shelby’s annual Bicycle Days showcases the value of the city’s history, bringing it to the community, old and new.
Festivities kicked off Friday morning. Shelby sectioned off Black Fork Commons for its community to wander, purchasing from vendors and food trucks, and competing in several staple carnival games.
New this year are ax-throwing and a dunk tank, among other attractions. Shelby made multi-generational interaction its goal for the annual event, with the new additions pointed at teens and tweens.
The point behind Bicycle Days, however, will always be showcasing the city’s rich history.
“(Bicycle Days is) a chance for the community to just get together and be with each other to celebrate everything that Shelby is,” said Christina Drain, the president of the Shelby Cycle Historical Society. “The history itself is just amazing, and I hope people will take notice of that as they go about their day and do some of the other fun activities.”
Looking back is not something people often do at an event like Bicycle Days. Most keep up with upcoming events, seeing when the beer garden opens or when live music begins. It’s important to note, however, Shelby’s history is the reason for Bicycle Days.
“It’s time for us to look back on our history,” Drain said. “When the seamless tube industry came into town in 1890 … within 20 years, we went from being a town to a city.
“Most of those factories aren’t here anymore. If you go on the Steel and Wheel Tour … we go to them, and say, ‘This is where that factory was.'”
Shelby residents have the opportunity to continue reveling in the city’s history Saturday. Main events, like the Bicycle Days Parade and fireworks, aim to bring Shelby together around its history.
