CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — In a nod to the annual bike races held at Bever Park starting in the 1970s, children, and some adults, rode Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in the Bever Park Neighborhood Association’s bike parade.
Dozens of bicyclists participated in the fourth annual bike parade, along Bever Avenue SE, in front of the park.
A historical display at Bever Park in Cedar Rapids includes a photo of the “BiggyBank” Bike Races that began in the 1970s.
Unlike the “BiggyBank” Bike Races of the past, sponsored by Merchants National Bank, the parade wasn’t competitive, with people of all ages circling down the avenue on an unusually warm September afternoon, just for fun.
A display at Bever Park notes that the BiggyBank races, which started in 1971 and were later known as Firstar, were held annually for 24 years on the second Sunday in August.
More than 2,500 children, ages 2 through 18, would race tricycles, Big Wheels, and single- and multi-speed bicycles in the races.
The Czech Plus Band performs Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, during the Bever Park Bike Parade. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
During the updated version, live music, including the Czech Plus Band, entertained the crowds, with face painters, giant bubbles, a bouncy slide and various booths set up for the event.
The neighborhood association raffled several bikes donated by the Chain Reaction Bike Hub.
Bever Park is also the site of a new weekly farmers market that ends its season on Sept. 25.
Find more about the farmers market and see more from the bike parade, below:
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