August 24th - Bike rides in the morning and early afternoon, followed by a live music festival all afternoon! Rain or Shine.
Bikes & Blues Festival: the music and festivities start at 2:00pm just as all the riders trickle in from their morning adventure. Whether you join the rides or just want to join for the music, come to the Wellington County Museum and Archive for a celebration of water, cycling and community. Featuring live music, arts, wellness, children’s activities, food and drinks with a family bike ride, a gravel-riding adventure to Luther Marsh, and more. Also celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Grand River as a Canadian Heritage River.
The event is rain or shine. And... if it happens to rain, we’ve got you covered - with a heritage farm house to keep you dry.
We will hear music 🎶 from some of the leading blues, rock, and bluegrass acts in our community:
Free Bike Rides before the music festival begins. We will lead bike rides of different lengths along the Grand River - from a 10-15km family ride (age 10+) along the smooth and forested Elora-Cataract trail to more adventurous all-surface rides (gravel or hybrid bikes) that weave across the bridges of the Grand and take in the majestic Luther Marsh.
Register for your bike ride here! Check out our Bikes & Blues Fest Ride Packet (released July 2024) for route details, maps and logistics. Registered riders will also receive an email about one week ahead of the ride with any additional details and logistics. Rides start at the Wellington County Museum and Archive)
- 10:00am - Luther Marsh Lasso (90-100km)
- 12:30 pm - Family ride, age 10+ (10-15km)
- 2:00pm - Music and festivities begin
Thank you to our sponsors and partners: Alice Chautard, Wellington County Museum and Archives, Elora & Fergus Tourism, University of Waterloo, Blue Range Labs and more being added soon! Please get in touch if you would like to sponsor us or have a booth at our event.
Our 2024 campaign will broaden access to bike-powered learning opportunities for youth, inspiring the next generation of water leaders. Come see us at the Waterloo-Wellington Children's Groundwater Festival in early June 2024, where our activity station will reach 1000s of primary school students in the Upper Grand. In 2025, we plan to secure a fleet of bikes to support school visits and a community monitoring program.
For more information visit: watercycles.bike
Get in touch at: info@watercycles.bike
If you just want to join for a free bike ride register here.
If you would like to join for the music concert but can't afford a ticket, please get in touch. We have some sponsored tickets or you can apply to volunteer and receive free tickets.
The event is rain or shine. T ickets are non-refundable within 30 days of the event.
