Bike!
Bike To Work Week
Bike to Work events celebrate alternative transportation
By Richard Davis
TFW Staff Writer
(Staff Photo: Richard Davis) A cyclist zips along the trail near Gordon Long Park in Fayetteville. Beginning Friday, May 13, Bike to Work events kick off throughout the region.
Though Bike to Work Week officially runs May 15-21, a kick-off event will get things rolling Friday, May 13.
Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan will read a Bike to Work Week proclamation at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Town Center plaza on the square. Immediately after, cyclists will head off on an urban ride to Mellow Mushroom for more celebration.
Prequel events continue Saturday, May 14 with the Walton Arts Center’s Artosphere Trail Mix Concert Tour. The Artosphere ride will start at 3 p.m. on the Lake Fayetteville Trail, beginning and ending at the North Shore Park entrance. If you need more biking to satisfy you that day, the Bicycle Coalition of the Ozarks will meet at 12:30 p.m. in the Walton Arts Center parking lot for about a seven mile ride along the Scull Creek Trail to the Artosphere event.
And the Artosphere event is indeed a concert with entertainment from five artists. Need even more cycling? One of the stages will be powered by a Biker Bar, a bicycle-powered electric generator. Here’s a list of the performers:
▲ Nilson Matta & the Brazilian Voyage is indebted to the fast-paced virtuosic techniques of choro, the early Brazilian music roughly parallel to New Orleans jazz, while the rest of the trio features internationally acclaimed flutist Anne Drummond and Brazilian guitarist Rumero Lubambo.
▲ Plastic Musik will use all plastic instruments, including a product known as “Boomwhackers,” to create an unexpected twist on some of the most recognizable songs of our time — from Mozart to ’80s to hip hop and drumming.
▲ Razia Said is a singer/songwriter and Madagascar native, personally aware of the environmental damage seen in her country. As one of Africa’s most promising talents, her nomadic life has taken her around the world while her heart and soul remain rooted in her African heritage.
▲ Hogtown Hot Club is described as “gypsy jazz meeting American swing,” featuring four musicians including Grammy Award-winning film composer and clarinet musician, northwest Arkansas bass player/teacher and local guitarist of several genres.
▲ ArkanSalsa happens when Caribbean salsa meets Arkansas bluegrass, featuring conga drums and banjos creating ArkanSalsa. Talent features percussion, banjo, bass and keyboard, along with an exciting and unique horn segment.
▲ Annie Hickman’s Weaving the Wild presents Annie’s artistic vision, weaving together basketry, “larger than life” animal costumes, sculpture, movement, dance, and the world of nature, which she then brings to life through graceful dance, featuring local dancers and theater groups.
For more Bike to Work Week events and competitions, visit the Bicycle Coaliton of the Ozarks website at bconwa.com.
