The Bikeway Block Party is Coming!
The Bikeway Block Party!—Lexington’s longest party!—will roll out on Sunday, September 15 from 11am-4pm at parks on the Minuteman Bikeway in Lexington, Arlington, and Bedford. “It will be a festival experience all along the Bikeway,” said Jim Cadenhead, who is organizing the Block Party along with the Friends of Lexington Bikeways and the Munroe Center for the Arts. “There will be activities, yoga, music, dancing–anyone can participate, and it’s free!” A complete schedule for the Party is available at www.bikewayblockparty.org.
Cadenhead, who is also a co-owner of Lexington’s Battle Road Bikes, describes the Bikeway Block Party as “a festival experience all along the Bikeway that promotes wellness, community, and interactive activity.” Travelers along the Bikeway will find free performances and events at Arlington’s Cyrus Dallin Park, in Lexington at Bow Street, Tower Park, Emery Park, the Visitors’ Center, Revolution Hall, and at the Bedford Depot.
The Party will offer family-friendly activities including bubble blowing, bike decorating, weaving, and sea chanty sings, and a vibrant assortment of performances. “Probably the most exciting thing to me is the diversity of acts,” said Cadenhead. “We have the Benkadi African drum and dance group, punk rock by ‘Bad Idea USA’, hip hop by ‘A Trike Called Funk’, the ‘Grüvmeiners’ brass band, Indian dancers, Bluegrass, an Irish session band, the LHS Jazz Combo — something for everyone! It’s an excellent chance to get out there and experience the best of what our community has to offer. ” Cadenhead’s greatest hope for the Bikeway Block Party? “That it will be so much fun the community clamors to have it again next year,” Cadenhead said.
Cadenhead was inspired to launch the Bikeway Block Party by helping to organize CiclaVia, a series of street parties in Los Angeles where city blocks are closed to cars and opened to bands, art, and celebrations. “The first event had 100,000 people at it, and it was amazing” Cadenhead said. “We don’t have the same population density, but I can envision what a crowd would look like here.” He admired how people interacted at that big, open event, where attendees could enjoy several different styles of music and art and find out more about their community.
Helping Lexington’s community has been on Cadenhead’s mind for a while. Cadenhead moved from Santa Barbara to Lexington to be closer to family, and was working at the Ride Studio Cafe when the owners decided to close. “When they shut the doors, I wanted to make sure there was someplace for people to go,” Cadenhead said. He wanted to create a place where serious cyclists could meet for weekly rides, but where newcomers could feel welcome too. “I wanted to meet the needs of everyday cyclists as well – commuters, ebikes, BMX, mtn bikers, messengers…everyone,” Cadenhead said.
The Bikeway Block Party is being co-hosted by the Friends of Lexington Bikeways and the Munroe Center for the Arts, with assistance from the Town of Lexington and the Arlington and Bedford Bicycle Advisory Committees. The Bikeway Block Party Committee has also received generous support from groups and individuals throughout the entire community.
Would you like to be part of Lexington’s longest party? Is your group interested in performing or hosting an activity – or in volunteering to help out on the day of the event? The Block Party organizers need talent of all kinds — bikeway ambassadors, venue managers, general volunteers who can pitch in anywhere — even before the Party starts!
Let us know you’re interested at https://tinyurl.com/mrxsz3b8 or contact bikewayblockparty@gmail.com. Join us in planning and creating an amazing series of community events all along the bikeway. Help everyone have a great time, too!