Marysville bicycling event set for next week during Thursdays on 3rd

May 14—May is National Bike Month, and to celebrate Blue Zones Project Yuba Sutter will help present an upcoming bicycling event called the Community Cruise & Bike Rodeo.

The free event will be held from 4-7 p.m. on May 23 at the Thursdays on 3rd community market in downtown Marysville — a weekly gathering of vendors, food trucks and music that is held every Thursday at the corner of 3rd and D streets.

"(For the event,) we're closing down all the streets right around the Thursdays on 3rd market over there, so that way, families and kids can ride leisurely and not have to worry about cars," Alex Mazerolle, who works in marketing and engagement for Blue Zones, said. "That's what we really wanted to do, is just create a space for families to ride safely, because we want people to get out and bike and play as the weather is getting nicer."

In addition to cruising opportunities, the bike rodeo portion of the event, spearheaded by Yuba County Health and Human Services, will feature opportunities to learn about biking safety.

"We're going to be doing activities like different hand signals. We're going to set up some obstacle courses for people to try out, you know, some different bicycle safety skills," Mazerolle said.

Yuba County Health and Human Services will also be fitting people for helmets and handing out free helmets at the event. There will also be an opportunity to win a free bicycle through a bike decorating contest. Blue Zones Project Yuba Sutter encouraged people to bring their bikes decorated to participate in the event's decorated bicycle parade, which will be judged.

"It's more like, bring your wheels decorated. It's easy. You can decorate your scooter, you can decorate a stroller," Mazerolle said. "I plan on putting my 2-year-old daughter on her little tricycle bike, and we've already been working on it. So, I'm hoping people will participate because we've already got some exciting things going on there with our little tricycle."

Lastly, Mazerolle said that another cool thing to check out at the event is an e-bike that Van's Bicycle Center will bring.

"Everyone will have the opportunity to ride an e-bike and experience what that feels like," Mazerolle said. "It's cool. I've demoed one before, and it's fun. It feels like you're flying on a bicycle because it does a lot of the legwork for you. So it's just a cool little extra opportunity to try something new."

The decorated bicycle parade will start at 5:15 p.m., and the bike rodeo portion of the event will begin at 5:30 p.m.