Thanks to All For a Wonderful Human-Powered Parade!

The staff of Safe Routes to Schools and the Marin County Bicycle Coalition wish to offer kudos and thanks to everyone involved in the "first-ever-in-Fairfax" Human-Powered Parade, which happened on Saturday, October 8, 2005. This kudos extends to the merchants who displayed our posters, the volunteers that helped with preparation, the town leaders who made the event possible, and of course, everyone who came out to join the festivities. All of you helped make this a great event!

Thanks to the Fairfax police department, who provided security and street closures, the Marin Arts Council and Next Generation for helping with promotion, and Access4Bikes for their partnership with Biketoberfest! Thanks also to the Fossil Fool, Cycleside, and everyone else that provided entertainment.

This parade was a first-ever for Fairfax, and judging by the wide smiles, zany rides, and the huge turnout, it certainly feels like a successful and worthwhile event has been created. What better way to culminate International Walk-To-School Week, and to kick off Biketoberfest! Just moments prior to embarking, it was clear that the parade appealed to kids young and old, as the staging area reached critical mass.

The crowd of human-powered attractions included a flat-bed cargo bike with mini-drum circle, bikes pulling decorated trailers, bikes making smoothies, and even a “Bi-Plane” bicycle, presented by our own Michael Feliciano, SR2S Project coordinator.

On a Saturday afternoon with perfect weather, people from Fairfax and beyond came together to carry forward an important message and a celebration of petroleum-free possibilities. We can’t wait to do it next year!

Melanie Grubman – Parade Organizer
Safe Routes to School
415-456-3469, ext. 5#