Toronto Bicycle Music Festival rides on Sept. 10
Since 2009, the pedal-powered event has been a late-summer highlight cyclists, musicians and artists alike
On Sept. 10, an event that has brought together the best in music, riding and culture for Torontonians returns for its eighth year, as the 2017 Toronto Bicycle Music Festival gets underway.
Since 2009, the pedal-powered musical tour of Toronto has been an end-of-summer highlight for riders of all skill levels, bringing together cyclists, artists and musicians alike. Family-friendly and free of charge, too, the event is unique in other ways that underscore the intersection of bikes and culture. Audience members, for example, power the portable sound system by pedalling stationary bikes; meanwhile, many of the performances themselves are mobile.
Between—and even during—those acts, attending riders safely venture between the event’s outdoor venues, namely the city’s parks and green spaces, by way of Toronto’s streets and bike paths.
This year, the event kicks off at 12 p.m. at Trinity Bellwoods Park, with music featuring Blokoloko and Rambunctious. At 1 p.m., riders then proceed along Toronto’s Pan Am Path—recently developed before the 2015 Pan Am Games—on a tour led by local bike advocacy group Cycle Toronto, featuring a few mobile acts. Arriving at Humber Bay Park West at 2 p.m., an afternoon of entertainment featuring Ansley Simpson, Bernice, Ventanas and Hooded Fang begins, before Cycle Toronto again leads a group ride at 6:30 p.m. back to downtown Toronto.
While the event is free, organizers ask that attendees to register for the ride online. The Toronto Bicycle Music Festival is presented by the Toronto Arts Council, Cycle Toronto, Pan Am Path and Tune Your Ride.
For more information, visit torontobicyclemusicfestival.com.
