The bad news is that there won't be a Beer Garden. You can thank the permitting process for that. The good news is that there are lots of excellent restaurants and bars in the immediate area to get that cold post race brew and some great food.
Andrew's Capital Bar and Grill is right on the course, with outdoor seating. You couldn't ask for a better place to get some awesome food and a cold beer and watch the trickiest part of the course. Clyde's and Costello's is right next door. It's a bar with a great selection of drinks to help dull the post race pain.
Half a block off the course, and right next to the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science (fun for kids and adults alike) is Harry's Seafood Bar and Grill, which serves up great Cajun style food, and has outdoor seating to enjoy the lovely Tallahassee Spring weather with your favorite drink.
One other great option, also half a block from the course is Jasmine Cafe. This is where you can get your sushi on. It's some of the best in town, and won't set you back an arm and a leg.
A fairly new and fancy option (after your shower probably) is Urbane Restaurant, which is 50 yards from the start/finish line. A less expensive and fairly healthy restaurant (wraps and such) which still has some good beer choices, is Paradigm on College Ave (sorry no website).
All these restaurants are within the area of downtown closed to traffic, so you won't have to risk a run in with a car to get there. There are some other restaurants within walking distance as well, including Po Boys, which is a low key watering hole with cajun sandwiches and dishes.
Carlos' Cuban Cafe is great, even if you come from Miami. Lastly, one of Florida's best restaurants is a 5 minute walk from the start/finish. Cypress has some amazing dishes, fantastic desserts, and a wonderful bar.
So don't let the lack of a beer garden get you down, look at it as an opporunity to sample some of Downtown Tallahassee's many great options for eating and drinking. And if beer's not your thing, our junior racers will be selling ice cold sodas to help raise funds for racing and going to training camp this Summer.
See you in Tally.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Downtown Crit Course
The start/finish line will be located in the Chain of Parks, at the intersection of South Adams Street and Park Avenue. Spectators can enjoy our Downtown Farmers’ Market and festival activities as they take in the criterium races.
Racers will head south towards the Capitol. They can catch a quick glimpse of the Florida State University campus down the road and have a couple of blocks to get situated before Adams Street begins its gentle twists and turns. Riders will have little chance to wave at those enjoying the atmosphere at Andrew’s outdoor patio before heading down Pensacola Street.
From Pensacola Street, riders will make a right turn on Duval Street, passing the Mary Brogan Museum and Kleman Plaza on their way back up the hill towards Park Avenue. The course heads slightly downhill again past the parks and past the public library before riders take another right onto Call Street. The last quick right will return riders to Adams Street where they’ll face a uphill climb towards the finish line.
Racers will head south towards the Capitol. They can catch a quick glimpse of the Florida State University campus down the road and have a couple of blocks to get situated before Adams Street begins its gentle twists and turns. Riders will have little chance to wave at those enjoying the atmosphere at Andrew’s outdoor patio before heading down Pensacola Street.
From Pensacola Street, riders will make a right turn on Duval Street, passing the Mary Brogan Museum and Kleman Plaza on their way back up the hill towards Park Avenue. The course heads slightly downhill again past the parks and past the public library before riders take another right onto Call Street. The last quick right will return riders to Adams Street where they’ll face a uphill climb towards the finish line.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Pedaling Along
There is excitement in the air as we pedal toward the 1st Annual Big Bend Cycling Festival! We are working with fantastic exhibitors to bring a variety of information and activities to the afternoon festival held in Ponce de Leon park. Space is limited but there's still room for a few more--don't delay, get your table today!
The most popular question right now besides "can I volunteer for the beer garden?" is "what other activities will be at the festival?"
Well the answer to the first question is YES--we need volunteers! And yes, I still have volunteer space available for the beer garden. It's the second answer that gets me the most excited.
On tap thus far, we have the Kid's Trike Race which will be fun and exciting for our youngest cyclists and provide some great Kodak moments. Free (limited) helmets will be available through one of our exhibitors--the Leon County Health Department.Work is continuing to finalize plans for outdoor spinning and the beer garden.
This weekend we landed the opportunity to provide coaching clinics by the only registered USA Cycling certified Coach in Tallahassee! Stay tuned for more details.
Our exhibitor list keeps growing and growing and at last count was nearing twenty. There's still exhibitor space and volunteer opportunities. For more information visit our website at www.bigbendcyclingfestival.org or contact Terri Sue Aldridge-Russell at terrisue@breakawayconsultinggroup.com.
In the meantime, keep pedaling!
The most popular question right now besides "can I volunteer for the beer garden?" is "what other activities will be at the festival?"
Well the answer to the first question is YES--we need volunteers! And yes, I still have volunteer space available for the beer garden. It's the second answer that gets me the most excited.
On tap thus far, we have the Kid's Trike Race which will be fun and exciting for our youngest cyclists and provide some great Kodak moments. Free (limited) helmets will be available through one of our exhibitors--the Leon County Health Department.Work is continuing to finalize plans for outdoor spinning and the beer garden.
This weekend we landed the opportunity to provide coaching clinics by the only registered USA Cycling certified Coach in Tallahassee! Stay tuned for more details.
Our exhibitor list keeps growing and growing and at last count was nearing twenty. There's still exhibitor space and volunteer opportunities. For more information visit our website at www.bigbendcyclingfestival.org or contact Terri Sue Aldridge-Russell at terrisue@breakawayconsultinggroup.com.
In the meantime, keep pedaling!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Get Your Bike Blessed
This isn't your ordinary bike race. It's a FESTIVAL. Friday night you have the opportunity to get your bike blessed, and be part of one of the many events that make Tallahassee a great city. The First Friday Gallery Hop is on Friday, April 4. Most of the events take place in Railroad Square Art Park. We'll be there with race packet pickup. In addition there will be a Blessing of the Bikes (bring your bike) and Film Festival, hosted by Tallahassee's only cooperative bike shop, Krank it Up. We'll be showing some great bike related flicks in a fun outdoor setting. Don't miss this opportunity to do something other than sit in your hotel room the night before a race.
As always check out the Big Bend Cycling Festival Website for more details on the entire weekend.
If you have questions that are unanswered, email bbcf08@gmail.com, and we'll get back to you quickly.
As always check out the Big Bend Cycling Festival Website for more details on the entire weekend.
If you have questions that are unanswered, email bbcf08@gmail.com, and we'll get back to you quickly.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Welcome to the Big Bend Cycling Festival Blog
We are really excited about the upcoming cycling festival here in Tallahassee. There will be pro men and women cyclists flying around the downtown streets in the shadow of the capital building. There will be festival events for the cyclists, their families, and the general public. There will be two days of centuries showcasing the Big Bend region's landmarks. There will be a road race with a downtown start/finish. There will be the inaugural ride of the Twilight Zone trail with the Fat of the Land SORBA chapter.
We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6. Please watch this space for daily updates. For more information about all of the events check out the Big Bend Cycling Festival Homepage.
We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6. Please watch this space for daily updates. For more information about all of the events check out the Big Bend Cycling Festival Homepage.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)