Bike Fest - Family22nd May 12 - 5pm in Kilkenny
The sound of bicycle bells and laughter will fill up Kilkenny on Sunday 22nd of May from 12pm - 5pm for Bike Fest – Family Cycling Festival, when Kilkenny County Hall will be transformed into a cycling haven for all the family during Bike Week.
Cycle Events:
Register for events here
12pm – 1pm Slow Roll
Our Slow Roll will open Bike Fest, a leisurely cycle for all departing from County Hall, through the city streets. Ring your bell, chit chat and enjoy the experience! Return to County Hall to join in the Bike Fest celebrations.
1pm – 2pm Learn to Cycle
An ideal opportunity for children moving from a balance bike or stabilisers. Learn to cycle with Cycling Ireland coaches through fun and games!
2pm – 3pm E-Bike Spin*
Trial an E-Bike on some nice off-road routes, cycle through the streets of Kilkenny and enjoy an E-Bike tour with Jason, our knowledgeable tour guide and owner of Kilkenny Cycle Tours.
3pm – 4pm Grass Track Bike Racing
Races will run for all age groups, from balance bike riders to thrill-seeking mountain bikers. Levels for all ages and abilities, come and have a go.
3pm – 4pm E-Bike Display and Demo
E-bikes will transform your daily commute, try out for FREE.
4pm – 5pm Foraging Cycle
Join Maura from Forest Schools and The Acorn Project to identify and learn about our native plants and discover nature’s medicines along by the Nore.
12pm – 5pm Mountain Bike Zone
Enjoy the ups and downs of a Mountain bike track while developing your technical biking skills.
12pm – 5pm Balance Bike Zone
Balance bike are small, pedal-free bikes that are taking over from training wheels! This track give your child a safe place to train, have fun and further develop their coordination skills.
Djouce Man will be with us on the day to share his skills and put on some stunt displays throughout the day.
Wellbeing:
1pm – 2pm Windmill & Wind Catcher Workshop
Friederike Grace, founder of Spirit Jewellery is a local gold and silversmith. She handcrafts special pieces of jewellery that reflect her interest including Celtic tradition. In this workshop, Friederike will use nature’s materials to make windmills and wind catchers. Suitable for all ages. https://www.spiritjewellery.ie
1pm – 1.30pm/ 2pm – 2.30pm Yoga Stretch with Essie
Enjoy a gentle 30-minute outdoor yoga session with Essie. Bring your mat or a towel.
1pm, 1.30pm, 2pm, 3pm Plant Printing and Photography with the Gild Project
Using wild foliage and flora, Kasia from the Gild Project, will lead a plant photography workshop. Take home your print and expose it in a sunny window to produce your own handmade anthotype.
2pm – 3pm No Dig Gardening with Cruainn Farm
Introduction to no dig method gardening with Jamie from Cruainn Farm – get the most out of your soil with the least amount of disturbance to the soil.
2.30pm- 3.30 Seed Planting and Take Away
Plant up some pumpkin seeds with Sinéad from Dunmore Organic Farm and bring home your seedling. For all ages!
3pm – 4pm Organic Teas with Sami, The Outdoor Herbalist
The Irish love their teas and there are teas for every occasion. The outdoor herbalist will teach you more about blending teas and introduce you to the practice of iridology.
https://www.outdoorsherbalist.com/
Drop in:
Stunts with Brendan Conroy aka Djouce Man
Djouce Man will be with us on the day to share his skills and put on some stunt displays throughout the day.
Obstacle Course
The obstacle course will be available all day, test your skill on slalom course, bike limbo and snakes.
Bike Challenges: Watt Bike | Track Stand | Bottle Pick Up
How much power can you generate on a watt bike? How long can you balance your bike for the track stand? How many bottles can you pick up while staying upright?
Where will you place on our leader board of challenges?
Bike Maintenance Workshop
Learn all about maintaining your bike including tyre pressure, puncture repair and adjusting brakes with Paul Murphy from The Bicycle Engineering Academy.
Donate a Bike to the Ukrainian Appeal
We can upcycle your bike and find a good home by working with local bike shops, the Men’s Sheds and the Bicycle Engineering Academy.
Orienteering Maze
A Maze Challenge is a simple and fun way to develop basic map skills in a small space for people of all ages and abilities.
Orienteering on the Riverbank
MapRun6 enables a form of orienteering that uses a smartphone app for punching and timing, a paper map is also supplied on the day. This course, specifically designed for Bikefest, takes in routes along the river and is suitable for all ages and abilities. The app can be downloaded in advance.