Virginia-Highland Civic Association

by Stephen Cohen

On Friday, June 19, 2015, nearly 4,000 people of all ages from across Atlanta participated in the third annual Atlanta Moon Ride benefiting Bert’s Big Adventure, a local nonprofit organization. This photo, courtesy Joseph Wong Photography, shows what 4,000 cyclists look like at the start of a race!

The festivities began at 6 p.m. in Piedmont Park, kicking off the fun-filled evening with live entertainment from Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics, delicious food options from The Fry Guy, Burger ATL, Tikiz of Cobb County and Tex’s Tacos and a variety of premium drinks from ShockTop and Deep Eddy vodka.

Then the ride began, and thousands of intown cyclists, from children to adults, some dressed outlandishly and some a tad more conventionally, had a blast on a 6.5-mile ride that began at 10:00pm on a perfect evening in Piedmont Park under a crisp new moon and ended up in Virginia-Highland. This photo, also courtesy Joseph Wong Photography, shows the colorfully dressed crowd spreading out as it wound through our neighborhood.

Afterward, bars and bike racks along North Highland were packed, as exuberant cyclists capped off a wonderful evening. If you want to get the full flavor of the ride, click here.

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the night went directly to Bert’s Big Adventure, a nonprofit organization that takes children with chronic and terminal illnesses and their families on an all-expenses-paid trip to Walt Disney World.

The inaugural Atlanta Moon Ride – a 6.5 mile nighttime benefit ride open to all levels of cyclists – will pass through VaHi around 10 PM on Friday May 10. The APD will provide rolling road blocks for the group so traffic may be disrupted temporarily as cyclists pass through the neighborhood.

The ride is scheduled to start at Park Tavern at 10 PM. Riders will proceed east on Virginia Avenue, then turn right on N. Highland Avenue. The group will exit VaHi as they continue on N. Highland past Ponce De Leon Avenue.

Here’s some additional information on the ride from the event’s website:

To all you riders, bike enthusiasts and Atlanta bicycle community, come participate in our inaugural Atlanta Moon Ride, a 6.5 mile night bike ride through some of Atlanta’s coolest neighborhoods. Gear up your bikes with a head lamp, bust out the flair and get ready to ride the streets. (Costumes encouraged!)

This is a chance to safely cruise through Atlanta neighborhoods at night without having to battle traffic as our good friends with the APD will be blocking our route. This event is open to anyone who wants to hit the streets, whether you’ve got a street bike, a mountain bike, a wheel chair or a good ole cruiser. Bring the family! This is a fun ride, and is appropriate for any skill level so come ride with us!

Most importantly, 100% of the proceeds from this ride go to an awesome local charity, Bert’s Big Adventure. Bert’s Big Adventure is a nonprofit organization that provides a magical, all-expenses-paid, five-day journey to Walt Disney World® for children with chronic and terminal illnesses and their families. So get your bike, grab some friends, REGISTER online, and head down to the Park Tavern on May 10th.

For more information – including a route map – or to register for the ride, click here.

Tag Archives: moonride

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