
People love participating in various fun activities when Colorado summer rolls around. These include cycling, drinking great beer, and listening to awesome music. So, it makes sense that a festival like Tour de Fat fits those amusements into a single afternoon.
The annual Tour de Fat festival, organized by New Belgium Brewing, is a tradition for many Fort Collins residents. The festival has been drawing craft beer enthusiasts, biking fanatics, and music fans across the state for years. Before the latest Fort Collins Tour de Fat kicks off, here are things to know about the festival.
When Is The Fort Collins Tour De Fat 2022?
After two years of cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tour de Fat is making a long-awaited return on Saturday, September 3. The festival celebrates 23 incredible years and will feature a fun-packed day full of free festivities, bikes, and beer.
Two other Tour de Fat bike parades will occur in Asheville, North Carolina, and Tempe, Arizona. New Belgium Brewing Company joins the ranks of festival organizers taking another shot at their events this year.
History Of The Fort Collins, Colorado Tradition
For more than two decades, Labor Day for Fort Collins residents meant biking and beer. This is all thanks to the Tour de Fat, which first started to honor the rich history of the craft brewing and biking communities. Nowadays, this event is a symbol for the great people of Fort Collins.
However, the brewing culture in this town stretches further than the opening in 1991 of the New Belgium Brewing Company. Before 1968, Fort Collins was a non-alcoholic town. Colorado State University student protests helped end the ban, thereby legalizing the brewing and consumption of beer.
Passion for the science and culture surrounding beer made Fort Collins the ideal place for microbreweries to set up shop in the 1980s, and many people consider Fort Collins the Napa Valley of beer.
The town’s beer history created a culture and community revolving around social drinks. The opening of the New Belgium Brewing Company further cemented this connection. From humble beginnings, the company soon became a place of pilgrimage for beer enthusiasts around the country.
Thanks to its growth in popularity, the company founded the Tour de Fat biking festival to commemorate its beginnings and celebrate the prevalent cycling community in the area.
Where Will The Festival Take Place?
The 2022 Fort Collins Tour de Fat festivity will take place at the brewery grounds from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on September 3, 2022. The bike parade will take place at Mountain Avenue west of Howes Street from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The festival is free, so you will not need a ticket to enter.
Who Is Performing?
Musical performances by Capyac and Dale Hollow will feature on the main stage. Performers Violet Pilot and Brothers of Brass will perform on the Liquid Center Stage and entertain people throughout the afternoon.
Over its history, the festival has raised millions of dollars for cycling nonprofits nationwide. It is free to join the bike parade, and you can even decorate your bike or dress in a fun costume to mark the occasion.
For more on Fort Collins and the wonderful atmosphere of Colorado, contact Jacqueline Dvorak at 970-221-2755.