When was the last time you bought your bike flowers and took that two-wheeler out on a fancy date? Well Saturday, May 26 may be your chance. Get ready for Bike Prom 2012: Prompocalypse. Who will ride in your posse when it all goes down?
First: Get your tickets. This party sells out every year. There are only 200 tickets and more than half have already been sold. Pick up yours for $12 - $20 (sliding scale) at North Park Bicycle Shop (1725 Quadra). Cash only.
Second: Polish up your cruisers, fixies, mountain, racing, trial, BMX or tandems and get your outfit ready. What will you wear to what could be the last Bike Prom on Earth? Prizes will be awarded for best-dressed bike, Theme Queen (captures bikes+prom+apocalypse best), toughest bike gang, highest viz bike gang and Daaaaang! gang (most dazzling).
Third: Get yourselves down to Centennial Square at 7 p.m. and ride the streets of Victoria with hundreds of other fancy cycling enthusiasts. There are planned mystery stops along the way. Bring your boombox because CFUV is broadcasting a special playlist just for Bike Prom (requests via Facebook event page).
Fourth: Ride down to White Eagle Hall (90 Dock) for 8:30 p.m. to partake in a prom dance party featuring music by The Chantrelles, Hundy Thou and special surprise guests.
Fifth: Stop following instructions and just have fun! Remember, this could be the last Bike Prom ever.
A mostly annual event since 2007 (except for last year), Bike Prom is organized by The Bike Prom Collective, a voluntary group of cycling enthusiasts from a broad spectrum of the bike community who believe in the power of bicycles to transform our lives and our societies. The collective aims to hold inclusive, accessible, affordable, inspired and fun cycling-themed events, while creating culture and community on their own terms, all while having fun.
The collective has also committed to throwing more, broadly focused and inclusive cycling events in the future and recently started the non-profit Benevolent Society for Never Ending Bike Parties, whose mandate is pretty self-explanatory — more bike parties, more often.
From the website: “The Victoria Bike Prom is an opportunity to take your bike out on a date, dress yourself (and your bike!) up real fancy and dandy, ride the streets with hundreds of other glammed-out cyclists, experience local artists and musicians in action, and dance all night long.” Now that sounds like fun.
“There’s going to be sweet soul music all night long,” says Josh Goldenberg, member of the Bike Prom Collective.
“We’ve got all the things you loved about Bike Prom in past events, a great spot for photo ops, local beer, mixed drinks, great music and prom décor, but this year it will just be a little more apocalypsy,” says Lauren Warbeck, collective member.
“The only requirement for Bike Prom is that you ride a bike, or even just like them,” says Goldenberg. M