Why Bike to Festivals?
If you are like most in the Midwest, you love a good festival now and again. And the Miami Valley has no shortage of them. But it can be a bore trying to find parking for your car: waiting in line, paying to park, walking miles to the actual festival from your car, and contributing to the air pollution problem often experienced in the summertime.
Solution = bicycling to the festival instead. Arriving by bicycle can offer fun along the way, save some cash, and help you beat the parking blues. Seriously, don’t waste your time waiting to park the car when you can enjoy the fresh air and park your bike right at the entrance.
Our beloved Miami Valley Trails, the nation’s largest paved trail network, is perfect for getting you to the festival of your choice. Heading to RiverScape MetroPark, no problem. Heading to Beavercreek or going down to Miamisburg, no problem. Going up to Yellow Springs, awesome. The trail will take you there. Hit up Miamivalleytrails.org to plan your route.
(*Tip: try easing into bicycling the whole way at first and park the car halfway to your destination at a designated trailhead parking lot, trimming your trip mileage, making it do-able for family-friendly groups. This is a great option to meet friends coming from different directions & continue traveling together.)
No bike racks? No lock? No problem
In 2018, Bike Miami Valley will staff designated bike valet parking at certain festivals. We’ve provided free bike parking services at Yellow Springs Festival and the 2nd Street Market for years. This year, we’ve received support from Drive Less, Live More, through the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission to fund bike valet services for two more festivals in the region.
Dates to Know, Then Go…By Bike
Saturday, June 9 – Yellow Springs Street Fair, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday, September 15 – Miami Valley Bluegrass & Artisan Festival, 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Sunday, September 16 – Beavercreek ArtFest, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
What you will find at each of these festivals is a designated bike parking area: 
- Bike Miami Valley’s tent
- Rows of saw-horse style bike racks
- A check-in table
- Friendly volunteers or staff helping you
We will park your bike for free, you just have to provide a name and phone number (in case you don’t come claim your bike – yes, it’s happened) on your bike claim ticket. We park the bicycles and educate folks about our mission. Then when you’ve enjoyed the festival enough and want to leave, just give us your claim ticket and we’ll grab your bike. It’s like a coat check, but for your bike! No need to bring a lock, hunt for a tree or street sign, or overload public sidewalk bike racks. We keep the festival looking neat & accommodating and you get the peace of mind that your bike is being monitored the entire time in a secure, designated bike parking area.