Live Oak Bike Party planning cruise through town
Local resident Elizabeth Lepe Arredondo’s family went to a bike party in Sacramento where people gathered and were riding decorated bikes in different styles.
This inspired her daughter, Meliza, to start Live Oak Bike Party events for her senior project in 2018.
“We fell in love and we said we need something like this here,” Arredondo said.
During these events, she said people gather with their bikes in the evening and they encourage people to light up and decorate their rides as they cruise through
town with music playing.
People also sometimes dress up in costumes that match the party’s theme, she said.
Arredondo said her family of seven enjoys spending time together and this was another activity for them to do as a group.
“For us it’s a family thing,” Arredondo said. “As long as I can keep my family and we’re doing something together, that’s what matters to me.”
She said it’s also something to organize for the community.
“It’s a great way to have the community involved, you’re building relationships out there, making friends,” Arredondo said.
The first bike party event they hosted took place in April 2018 and Arredondo continues to organize the events with her children’s help.
The events had been taking place every month prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We kind of slowed a little,” Arredondo said. “We’re wanting to get back up to (where we were).”
She said the last regular bike party took place in February 2020, there was an event in October 2020 and now they plan to host the next Bike Party on Friday.
“We’re always watching to see what’s the news on COVID and everything going on,” Arredondo said. “We wanted to make sure we were respectful and being safe.”
She said people are
usually able to space out during the ride and people can wear facial coverings if they choose to.
They typically have people start gathering an hour before sunset and once people arrive at the meeting spot, they go over some safety rules.
They ask that riders be aware of their surroundings, follow the traffic rules, make sure children wear helmets, pick up after themselves and, with the weather warming up, that people stay hydrated.
She said people of all ages have participated. The rides typically take around
two to three hours with breaks but participants are able to stop riding when they choose to.
Typically, Arredondo said, 30 to 50 people joined the monthly rides but they’ve had more than 100 riders before.
The Live Oak Bike Party will be meeting on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Live Oak Skatepark – 10200 O St., Live Oak.
The theme of this party is “Summertime Madness.”
“Everyone is welcome,” Arredondo said.
For more information and for updates on future events, visit the Live Oak Bike Party Facebook page.