At the Tour of Lakeville and Art Festival this Saturday, September 17, ride with the mayor. Tour and discover how easy it is to use the trails and bike-friendly streets around town. This year’s Tour of Lakeville starts and ends at Pioneer Plaza Park, where the Art Festival takes place.
The Tour of Lakeville is part of the 2022 ‘Pedal in the Park’ ride series
In celebration of its annual art festival, the third Tour of Lakeville ride will happen Saturday, September 15.
A family fun event, ride along with Lakeville Friends of the Environment on a 17-mile tour of the city. Leaving at 9 a.m. out of Pioneer Plaza, the time will explore many of the city’s bike-friendly routes. Along the Tour ride, participants will discover many attractive segments of the community’s outdoor spaces that include:
- Great view of Lake Marion as the tour passes the West Lake Marion Mountain Bike Trailhead that opened last year.
- The newly paved Juno Trail hugs the lake shoreline.
- The popular Antler’s Park, with a swimming beach, picnic areas, volleyball, and horseshoes.
- On Ipava Trail, just north of Ira Lane, reach the highest point of the ride, 1,108 feet, for a fist bump.
- Listen for birds and look for butterflies on the paved trail through Michaud Park-Conservation Area.
- And More!
Don’t worry; no rider will be dropped on this family-friendly ride. However, all participants are expected to ride at a moderate pace so everyone can share their favorite ride stories after returning.
Coinciding with the Lakeville Art Festival, the tour begins at Pioneer Park Plaza, in the downtown area, at 20801 Holyoke Ave. Lakeville, MN, 55044. Bike tour participants will return to the downtown area to participate in the art festival. You can register online for this bike ride with the city parks department by clicking here or calling 952-985-4600 for more information.
The ride is scheduled to last approximately two and a half hours. This time frame depends on the number of registered bikers and the route. Would you please bring a helmet and a water bottle?
After the ride, make it a day at the city’s art festival
Take in the Lakeville Art Festival with over 90 artists exhibiting
Many are considered one of the finest art festivals; the Lakeville Art Festival is held on the third weekend in September. This year the event will feature over 90 artists in an intimate and accessible setting. The artist booths are staged in a park-like atmosphere. This allows for a unique circular type arrangement to help showcase their work. Plus, many artists have scheduled demonstrations over the two days of the festival.
Another family-friendly highlight at the art festival is a stop at the “Young at Art” tent. This workshop area has plenty of art supplies, ideas, and experts to flow the creative juices.
If you prefer to check out the new mountain bike trail in Lakeville
Working closely with the city, the Lakeville Cycling Association has constructed a mountain bike trail system on the west side of Lake Marion. Another family-friendly attraction, the new course, is approximately five miles long. The trail segments in the park allow plenty of fun features for beginning, intermediate, and advanced mountain bikers. This single-track, one-way trail system includes multiple switchbacks, berms, and rollers. The final construction of the West Side Trail was recently completed for all to enjoy.
The new Lakeville mountain bike course is fun for the whole family.
See the map to check out this new, year-round mountain bike trail system. You can access the trailhead in Casperson Park by parking in the gravel lot north of the soccer fields at 19720 Juno Trail. Watch for trail updates and trail conditions on the clubs’ Facebook page.
For those visiting the area who want to learn more about connecting from the area hotels to the trails and fun things to do when not riding, see the At-A-Glance Lakeville and their map.
