Tour de Fat - Seattle August 2, 2008

New Belgium Tour de Fat
Seattle

Follow your folly and get ready for another day of antics, costumes, and the most fun you will have on two wheels! Tour de Fat is returning to Seattle on Saturday, August 2. This year the venue is Gasworks Park. As usual, the event encourages outrageously dressed bicyclists and bikes to take part in the morning parade. This year the planned ride is west towards Golden Gardens on the Burke-Gilman Trail.

Organized by New Belgium Brewing, Tour de Fat is a celebration of cycling, good times and the importance of a hearty laugh. The event includes costumes, parade, music, beer garden and some truly unusual bikes. Proceeds from Tour de Fat support the Bicycle Alliance of Washington and other non-profit cycling groups.

Highlights of Tour de Fat:

* One volunteer in each city will commit to live car-free for one year as part of the Car-for-Bike Trade Program. The dedicated individual will sign over their car title and receive a hand-built New Belgium commuter bike in exchange. The selected candidate will chronicle the trials and triumphs along their car-free journey. The volunteer is chosen after submitting a video or essay describing their desire to live car-free.
* At the Team Wonderlounge, participants can join Team Wonderbike, New Belgium's bicycling commuter advocacy program. Team Wonderbikers pledge to commute by bike, not car, as often as possible. Currently, more than 11,000 people have pledged not to drive 9 million miles in the next twelve months. To check out the Team Wonderbike blog.
* Tour de Fat 2008 has a new revival stage for performers with 100% solar-powered sound and decorations made from recycled materials. The stage will be transported in solar-powered trailers and the Tour de Fat crew will travel on B100 biodiesel fuel.
* Festival-goers can participate in the pre-event bicycle parade and try out new rideable art bikes.
* This is a pro-bike celebration, not an anti-car rally…non-cyclists are more than welcome to join the festivities.

Tour de Fat Schedule of Festivities:
9:00 a.m. Bike Parade Registration
10:00 a.m. Bike Parade
11:00 a.m. Bike parade riders return -Welcome Announcements & festivities begin (opening of beer garden)
11:30 a.m. "Slow-Down or Throw-Down" - Slow-Ride Competition
12:00 p.m. Performances Begin - Pancake juggler, circus tricks, and amazing feats workshop
12:20 p.m. Paper Bird (1st band)
1:30 p.m. "Carpocalypse Now" - Funeral procession for the car belonging to the Car-for-Bike Trade volunteer
2:00 p.m. The Sprocketts - Portlands mini-bike dance troupe
2:40 p.m. March Fourth Marching Band
3:30 p.m. Car-for-Bike Trade Celebration
4:00 p.m. Curtain Closes

As part of Tour de Fat's Car-for-Bike Trade program, one volunteer will commit to live car-free for one year. The dedicated individual will sign over their car title and receive a hand-built New Belgium commuter bike in exchange. The selected candidate will chronicle the trials and triumphs along their car-free journey. The volunteer is chosen after submitting a video or essay describing their desire to live car-free. For more information, log onto www.followyourfolly.com. See the 2008 car-for-bike trade in Chicago and for last year's swap in Seattle go to www.followyourfolly.com and then click on videos.

BAW needs volunteers to make this event a success. There's beer to serve (must be 21) and tickets to take and other tasks. Please send an email to k-kcushman@comcast.net (subject line: Tour de Fat) if you'd like to help out.

Official Website: http://www.followyourfolly.com/folly_tour_de_fat.html