Join the Party at Spin the District
In many of the places I’ve lived, there’s always been that one, unique, “it can only happen here,” sporting event that turns into an emblem of community pride.
Growing up on the US-Canadian border, it was a 5K crossing two countries as part of our hometown "International Festival.” In the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, there was this really cool triathlon that featured biking, running and canoeing, with an all-day party afterward.
Spin the District has that kind of feel for the Tri-Cities. It’s maintained its foothold in the Airport District before and after the onset of the pandemic. The cycling community led in part the East Point Track Club, here has a lot to do with that.
“Since we opened there’s been a vibrant community of cyclists,” said Alexia Ryan, founder of Beer Girl Growlers and Bottleshop in Hapeville. “We support what they’re trying to do for the community and they’ve always been big supporters of us.”
Ryan’s shop will be the headquarters for the area’s cycling community on Friday, kicking off this year’s Spin festivities with the annual Handlebar Crawl leading into Saturday’s Hapeville Criterium, a series of bike races around downtown. Both events are free and open to the public.
Beer Girl will also host a tent at Saturday’s races from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. where you can purchase beer and wine.
The annual Spin series includes events later this year in East Point, College Park and Union City. It serves as the anchor for a biking community that continues to grow, whether it’s Wednesday night races at the East Point Velodrome or mass rides headed down Main Street on the weekends.
Add that to Outback Bikes opening a new location in Hapeville, and you can understand why these events mean so much.
“Spin is always one of our favorite events on the calendar,” Ryan said. “It really brings out this great crowd of people we see in bits and pieces throughout the year, all together at once.”
College Park Main Street Seeks Input
One of my favorite spots to hang out in the Tri-Cities is College Park’s lively Main Street. The city’s main street association has put on some great events in the last year, including the return of the Wine Stroll, which was a great way to get to know some of the local businesses you might miss if you’re just passing through.
The same group is now looking for some input to help drive the future of downtown. These are great surveys to fill out because they can help drive real dollars and programming in the near future. Please take a few minutes to help them out. It serves to directly benefit all of us here in the area.