Another edition of the Salem Art Fair and Festival has come and gone, with many artists showing their creations. And again, the Salem Bicycle Club has run the bike corral. We were set up just outside the south entrance. We saw the crowds come and go, and we could hear the artists and smell the food trucks!
This year we parked 57 bikes, 4 less than last year. However, we had quite a bit of rain Saturday afternoon. Although we still parked a few bikes in the rain, this was a slow time for the volunteers.
The bike corral has its system refined, with a numbered clothespin marking the bike and the rider getting a numbered tag for claiming the bike. Each rider also got to register for a daily raffle offering a $20 gift, a pair of club socks, and a pair of 50th Monster Cookie socks.
Admittedly, it was hard to contact some people. Don’t we all answer calls and messages from unknown numbers talking about gift cards?
The volunteers had plenty of people asking about the club, and we met a couple that had just signed up on line. We answered questions about our favorite places to ride, about e-bikes, bike safety, and local bike shops. The most popular feature, I think, was the “Wheel of Fun.” So many kids came in pulling their parents. They gave the wheel a spin and answered color coded questions about bike helmets, hand signals, rules of the road, and parts of the bike. The kids choose a prize from bike bells, coloring books, and spoke decorations.
The Art Fair organizers gave us several entry passes and the volunteers could tour the fair. Several of us took advantage of this perk. We also had time to talk and learn more about each other. We are a club after all! We also kept some cars off the road and eased the parking a bit during the fair.
Thanks again to all the volunteers. I appreciated everybody contributing! See you next year
Jim Miller
Board Member
