Farmers Market Bike Rally

Grab your bike and join your neighbors for a people-powered caravan to Atlanta’s Saturday morning farmers markets. On September 27, the First Annual Farmers Market Bike Rally will challenge Atlantans to forgo fuel dependent meals of long-transported ingredients and find fresher food from sources close by.

A celebration of Local Food Month, the near 15-mile route is equal to a hundredth the average distance most food travels to reach American tables. Riders will make an initial stop at Morningside Farmers’ Market, the city’s first Saturday farmers market and the first certified organic market in the nation. Then the pack will trek to the Peachtree Road Farmers Market at The Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta’s newest Saturday shopping spot for local, sustainable foods.

The rally starts and finishes at the Green Market for Piedmont Park, where riders will convene at noon for a local food picnic lunch and a performance by one of the market’s regularly scheduled local musicians. Other destinations include refreshment pit stops provided by the Atlantic Station Access + Mobility Program, Buckhead Area Transportation Management Association, and Midtown Alliance’s Midtown Transportation Solutions.

Advance registration for the Farmers Market Bike Rally is required online at www.active.com. A $20 per person registration fee covers the cost of a boxed lunch from Avalon Catering, and the chance to win valuable prizes of local food and bike accessories for those who complete the challenge and make every stop along the route.

Cyclists of all experience levels are encouraged to participate. All participants must be 13 years or older. Cyclists under the age of 17 must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information, write to AtlantaFarmersMarketBikeRally@gmail.com or call (404) 876-4024 ext. 23 for further details about gathering at the Green Market for Piedmont Park.