Cyclepalooza is a volunteer-directed, community-based, bicycle-themed festival promoting arts, culture, events, and fun in Calgary. It was formed out of the desire among Calgary area cyclists to bring more publicity and interest to cycling and its positive impacts on communities, and to bring communities together through cycling.
Inspired by Portland’s Pedalpalooza and Vancouver’s Velopalooza, Cyclepalooza is 10 days of bike events and fun that occurs every summer.
Cyclepalooza operates on the same organizational model as Pedalpalooza and Velopalooza: A small committee of volunteers provides publicity and organizational support (and a couple of organized events). For the most part, however, the festival is run by individuals, groups, and businesses, who organize their own events. The Cyclepalooza calendar serves to advertise these events, and the Cyclepalooza committee and volunteer force promote the festival as a whole and assist with individual events. There aren’t that many of us, though, and no-one gets paid to do it. So initiative and engagement are welcome! Everyone can host an event, and you don’t need permission or approval to contribute an event to Cyclepalooza. See the Ride Guide for some suggestions on how to go about organizing an event, then add it to the calendar.
Stay Connected
Cyclepalooza works to facilitate bike fun all year round! So the calendar stays up, and you should feel free to add your bicycle-related events and to join other people’s events. And don’t be a stranger! Like us on facebook, follow us on Twitter, sign up for email: and we’ll let you know about upcoming bike fun in Calgary.
History
The Cyclepalooza community came together on a dark winter evening in February 2011 at BikeBike Inc., when 40 people gathered to discuss the festivals in Vancouver and Portland and whether something similar could be put together in Calgary. Represented at the meeting were people from Bike Calgary, The Bike Root, Calgary Bike to Work Day, the Calgary Hardcourt Bike Polo Society, the Calgary Mountain Bike Alliance, The Good Life, and Sustainable Alberta — as well as members of Calgary’s messenger community, journalists, and interested individuals.
Cyclepalooza was born that night, lead by a dedicated group of individuals who believe that Calgary could become a world class city of bike fun, safe cycling, and community spirit.
Policy
Cyclepalooza aims to provide a cycling environment and experience for everyone that is respectful, harassment-free, and discrimination-free regardless of sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, physical appearance, race, religion or bike of choice. Harassment and/or discrimination is behavior that is unwanted, unreasonable and/or offensive to the recipient which creates an intimidating, hostile or humiliating environment for that person. Harassment and/or discrimination will not be tolerated in any form by any individual at any Cyclepalooza event or ride. The Cyclepalooza Committee and ride host reserve the right to ask any event participant who is engaging in inappropriate behavior and creating an unsafe environment (physically and/or psychologically) for our attendees, performers, or volunteers to leave the vent immediately and, if necessary, they may be asked to refrain from participating in any future Cyclepalooza events.
Is there a Cargo bike race happening this year?
Been in training.