Family Spends Several Hours Between The Rodeo, Rides and Education Tent At The Living Green Expo
Anne Kingston

Andy was practically born with a book in his hand, but he had yet to be taught the ABC’s of checking his bicycle. That lesson came today at the Living Green Expo, courtesy of a bike rodeo hosted by the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota. Here’s the handy cheat sheet: Check the Air in the tires, the Brakes, and the Cranks, Chain and Cogs.

First, Andy’s bike (“Total Madness”) was treated to a free tune-up by Varsity Bike & Transit of Minneapolis. Once the ABC’s were given a clean bill of health, we were ready to hit the “Drive Your Bike” course to learn the proper rules of the road.

The Bicycle Alliance guided the kids through a series of important bike handling skills. Andy learned the correct way to signal his turns on the road, how to dodge hazards, and how to safely start and stop his bike. He also was shown how to ensure that his bike helmet fit properly. A certificate of completion was awarded after Andy’s skills were evaluated on the rodeo course. It was the highlight of his day!

The sisters aren’t quite riding two-wheelers yet, so they rode in style along the Family Fairgrounds Tour in a boxcycle loaned by Varsity Bike & Transit. And to further guarantee that their big brother didn’t get to have all the fun, we made sure the girls got to spend quality time crafting at the Expo’s ArtStart booth.

Plus, we took home a haul of fun and practical freebies. And enjoyed a delicious lunch of Big River wood-fired pizza and veggie-loaded Island Noodles (I discovered the trick to livening up the flavor – add the chili sauce!).

This year, the Living Green Expo is working to make the event a zero-waste affair. Meaning all vendors are required to use products and supplies that are either compostable or recyclable. Even our forks from lunch were soy-based! It was a day of fun lessons for all.

For the Files: The Living Green Expo is an annual event held at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds the first weekend of May. Admission this year for adults was $3 with online printable coupon or $5 at the door and kids are admitted free. Notable, the Expo was chock full of vendors & seminars on living green. We attended the events, like the bike rodeo, that we felt would be of most interest to our children.

You can reach Anne's blog at:  http://www.tourmoms.com/2012/05/05/bike-rodeo-at-the-living-green-expo/ for more of her families adventures.

Article Published: 05-07-2012