Fat Tire Bike Tours in the United States

The Tour de Fat History

• The New Belgium Brewing Company is an environmentally-oriented craft beer manufacturer which was founded in 1991 by the husband and wife team of Jeff Lebesch and Kim Jordan. A former mechanical engineer, Lebesch's beer brewing career began after a lengthy fat tire bicycle trip through Europe in 1985 inspired him to learn the art of beer making.

  The Tour de Fat began in 1997, and now occurs in thirteen different U.S. cities. The Tour is a costume party on wheels with an emphasis on celebrating the bicycle as a mode of human-powered transportation. Bicycles, music, environmental awareness and New Belgium's award winning hand-crafted beers are the focus of each event. Tour de Fat follows the New Belgium corporate philosophy of leaving as small an environmental imprint as possible. In 2008, over 92 percent of Tour de Fat event waste was recycled and composted.

Highlights of the Tour de Fat Event

• The Tour de Fat event is free to attend and all food, drink and merchandise purchases made at each location are donated to alternative transportation and environmental organizations. In 2008, Tour de Fat raised more than $1 million in charitable proceeds.

  One of the highlights of each Tour de Fat stop is the car/bike trade, during which a festival participant chooses to permanently surrender the keys of his or her car, in exchange for a customized New Belgium commuter bicycle. New Belgium encourages participants to do this in order to make a powerful statement that they are committed to human-powered transportation and lessening their carbon footprint on the planet.

  Participants who are interested in the swap must submit a short video of their car-free commitment on the Tour de Fat Facebook page, prior to the event. All winners must be present at the closing ceremonies of the event, and surrendered cars will be donated to a local charity.

2010 Tour de Fat Event Dates in the United States

• The Tour de Fat festival began in 1999 and is currently taking place in thirteen different U.S. cities. In 2010,the festival will be held at these locations:

  Saturday, June 26th - Chicago, IL
  10:00 am to 4:00 pm
  Registration begins at 9:00 am
  Palmer Square Park (west corner of Palmer and Kedzie)
  Chicago, IL 60647

  Saturday, July 3rd - Milwaukee, WI
  10:00 am to 4:00 pm
  Registration begins at 9:00 am
  Humboldt Park
  Humboldt Park Bandshell
  2900 S. Shore Dr.
  Milwaukee, WI 53207
  414-482-4270

  Saturday, July 10th - Minneapolis, MN
  10:00 am to 4:00 pm
  Registration begins at 9:00 am
  Loring Park
  1382 Willow St.
  Minneapolis, MN 55403
  612-370-4929
  minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=199

  July 31st - Seattle, WA
  11:00 am to 5:00 pm
  Registration begins at 10:00 am
  Gas Works Park
  2101 N. Northlake Way
  Seattle, WA 98103
  206-684-4075‎
  seattle.gov/parks/park_detail.asp?ID=293

  August 14th - Portland, OR
  11:00 am to 5:00 pm
  Registration begins at 10:00 am
  Waterfront Park, near the Hawthorne Bridge
  Naito Pkwy between SW Harrison St & NW Glisan St
  portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?PropertyID=156&action=ViewPark

  August 21st - Boise, ID
  10:00 am to 4:00 pm
  Registration begins at 9:00 am
  Ann Morrison Park
  1099 S. Dale St.
  Boise, ID 83706
  208-368-7844
  cityofboise.org/Departments/Parks/Reservations/ReservableSites/PicnicShelters Sites/page3951.aspx

  September 4th - Fort Collins, CO
  10:00 am to 4:00 pm
  Registration begins at 9:00 am
  New Belgium Brewery
  500 Linden St.
  Fort Collins, CO 80524-2457
  970-221-0524
  newbelgium.com

  September 11th - Denver, CO
  10:00 am to 4:10 pm
  Registration begins at 10:00 am
  City Park - The West Side
  York St. between 26th Ave. and E. 17th Ave.

  September 25th - San Francisco, CA
  Lindley Meadows in Golden Gate Park
  11:00 am to 5:00 pm
  Registration begins at 10:00 am
  Golden Gate Park at Lindley Meadows
  At 30th Ave. and Fulton St. entrance, near Spreckles Lake
  415-831-2700
  sfstation.com/lindley-meadow-b2797

  October 2nd - San Diego, CA
  11:00 am to 5:00 pm
  Registration begins at 10:00 am
  Balboa Park
  1549 El Prado, Balboa Park
  San Diego, CA 92101.
  619-239-0512
  balboapark.org

  October 9th - Tempe, AZ
  Event and registration times not announced as of April 2010.
  Tempe Town Park
  620 N. Mill Ave.
  Tempe, AZ 85281
  480-350-8625
  tempe.gov/lake

  October 23rd - Los Angeles, CA
  Event and registration times not announced as of April 2010.
  L.A. State Historic Park
  1245 N. Spring St.
  Los Angeles, CA 90012
  323-441-8819
  parks.ca.gov/lashp

  October 30th - Austin, TX
  Event and registration times not announced as of April 2010.
  Fiesta Gardens
  2100 Jesse
  Austin, TX 78702