Athlone to host inaugural Bike Fest
The inaugural Bike Fest will take place in Athlone over the course of the June Bank Holiday weekend.
To take place from Saturday, May 31 to Monday, June 2, the Bike Fest will feature a schedule of "active friendly" events suitable for cyclists of all abilities.
Chairperson of Bike Fest John Henson has long advocated for an active festival in Athlone, and hopes that the event will become a regular occurrence on the town's festival calendar.
"We are lucky in Athlone to have very experienced, knowledgeable and committed people willing to help with all festivals when required. In addition to this, the work carried out by the Athlone Festival and Events committee over the last number of years by providing templates for traffic management, insurance, health and safety and stewarding, will ensure that the Bike Fest will be ran to the highest standards," John said.
Committee member Cllr Frankie Keena is encouraging all those with a love of cycling to come to Athlone this June Bank Holiday weekend and partake in the Bike Fest schedule of events.
"Whether you are into long distance cycling, taking part in the bike parade or just watching, the Athlone Bike Fest will be a fun location to come and get involved this June Bank holiday weekend.
This inaugural Bike Fest will have an event to suit all cycling abilities, ranging from a fun slow bike race, bike treasure hunts, vintage bike display, a bike parade and some incredible stunt displays from the amazing savage skills crew.
"There will be a charity Spinathon in aid of Esker House Domestic Abuse Support Service, where sporting organisations, corporates and individuals are invited to enter a team to see how far they can go in an hour. All proceeds will go to this worthy charity and the winning team will receive a perpetual trophy.
Fellow committee member Morgan Fagg hopes that the inaugural Bike Fest will ensure Athlone is recognised as a central hub for attracting cycling groups to the town each June going forward.
With further Bike Fest information to be circulated over the coming weeks, those who wish to get in touch with the committee can do so by emailing athlonebikefest@gmail.com.