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Tour De Fat Returns To Palmer Square Saturday

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Jul 10, 2014 3:50PM

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Photo credit: Rachelle Bowden

Chicago has long been a regular and popular destination for New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fat and the crowds will be biking out of the proverbial woodwork when the festival arrives at Palmer Square Park Saturday, July 12.

We love how New Belgium continues to make the event free to attend, although they do accept donations which go toward local charities. Last year’s tour netted $536,000 in donations, with the Chicago stop raising $40,000. West Town Bikes, which offers youth cycling programs and promotes safe cycling across Chicago, will be the recipient of this year’s donations.

There is always plenty of New Belgium beer to be had at the event, as well as food from local area food trucks, music and live entertainment and a bicycle parade kicking off the festivities at 11 a.m., brewing education seminars and a “Bicycle Revival” to inspire festivalgoers to believe in the power of two-wheeled transportation. The highlight of the tour is the awarding of a New Belgium Bike Cruiser. Normally this is reserved for someone who wants to trade in a motor vehicle in exchange for a year of car-free transportation. This year a “Thousand Person Dance Contest.”

New Belgium’s Tour de Fat 2014 will take place at Palmer Square Park, 2200 N. Kedzie Ave., July 12. Registration for the bike parade starts at 10 a.m. and the parade starts at 11 a.m. The festival runs from noon until 5:05 p.m.