Thursday evening’s “Critical Mass Bike Ride,” which kicked off the three-day, third annual Earth Day Extravaganza, drew almost 40 bicyclists, from the young to the not so young.
Extravaganza organizer Jared Weber teamed up with Eric Castle, UMC natural resources instructor and member of the group Sustainable Crookston, to plan the ride, which coincides with Sustainability Week at UMC.
The bicyclists on Thursday met at Crookston High School and then headed south, with a huge north wind at their back. They rode through downtown to Sampson’s Addition, to Highway 75, and then north on Main back to the high school. In all, they rode six miles.
Eric and Heidi Castle were impressed with the turnout and the effort, and Heidi said there’s talk of making the ride a monthly event.
“Besides being a lot of fun, I hope this event will promote cycling as a viable alternative for getting around our community,” Eric said.
As for the rest of the Earth Day Extravaganza, live music gets underway at 6 p.m. this evening at the Northland Inn, and on Saturday, National Youth Service Day, events begin at 10 a.m. at the Peterson Gazebo on the UMC Mall, including community service projects, live music, pizza and games.
If the weather doesn’t cooperate, Weber said the Civic Arena has been secured as a back-up site. The plan as of now is to still meet at the gazebo, Weber said, adding that Saturday’s forecast seems to have improved somewhat. Anyone with questions may call him at 289-2504.
