Healthy Communities and the Columbus Bike Co-op will be providing a free valet bicycle parking corral for this year’s Ethnic Expo from 11am to 9pm on Saturday, October 8th.  The location will be at the main entrance to the Expo on the lawn of the Republic near the corner of 2nd and Washington Streets.  The corral will be staffed so your bike will be secure.  Last year, we had nearly 100 people bike to the expo! 

Why bike to Ethnic Expo instead of drive?

1. For your health:  There are many health benefits related to bicycling such as increased cardiovascular fitness, increased strength, increased balance and flexibility, increased endurance and stamina and finally, relating to Ethnic Expo, increased calories burned.  You can feel less guilty eating all that tasty food!

2. For convenience: Only by riding a bicycle is a front row parking space at Ethnic Expo guaranteed. Zip in, zip out. You don’t have to arrive early to get a parking spot.  You don’t even have to think about parking, it’s that easy.

3. For your happiness:  Bicycling is a proven stress reliever. Regardless of whether you are riding purely for pleasure or for a specific purpose, you will arrive at your destination feeling relaxed, energized and happier!  Plus, being out on your bike is just fun. The more time you spend pedaling around, the harder it is to take yourself too seriously.

4. For your community:  Being out on your bike is good for the people around you. You are able to go the places you want to go and yet put one less car on the road. By biking, you are leaving a free parking space downtown for someone that may not be fortunate enough to be able to bicycle.

5. For the environment:  Bicycling is quieter and creates less noise than a car generates and you are actually able to interact with people around you. From your bike you can wave to a neighbor, smell the wonderful meals being cooked and be a warm and friendly human presence on the streets. Also, operating a bicycling does not harm the environment. There is no polluting exhaust released, and no oil or gas consumed. That energy along with the materials used to manufacture one automobile could be used to create hundreds of bikes.

6. For your wallet:  It is expensive to operate a car due to the costs of gas, oil, maintenance, etc., that go up when you drive more.  When you start multiplying cost per mile to operate a car by the distance you ride, you can easily calculate how much money you save by riding a bike.  Enjoy a nice vacation with that extra money!

For all these reasons and more, get out there on your bike on Saturday and ride to Ethnic Expo!

For your convenience, the Healthy Communities Breastfeeding Coalition will provide a private and comfortable place to feed baby at the Ethnic Expo. This space will be adjacent to the valet bike parking facilities. Breastfeeding resources will also be available.