Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Murfreesboro bike event excites local community


By Avery Baker

MUFREESBORO, Tenn.— The first Annual “Boro Fondo” bicycle tour showcased local music and the arts from April 19-20 throughout town as cyclists stopped at various block parties to enjoy the spring weather and socialize.
“Boro Fondo”, formerly known as “Tour de Fun”, attracted more than a thousand Middle Tennessee State University students and local residents to various locations such as the Rutherford County Courthouse and Harrison Avenue for a two-day-shindig packed with good spirits. A pre-ride party took place Friday night in the Square across several locations, including Aura Lounge, 3 Brothers Brew-house and Deli, Main Street Live, and the recently opened Little Shop Of Records.

The ride began at 10 a.m. Saturday at Smoopy’s Vintage Bicycles and finished in the Square at 9 p.m. Saturday’s events included cycling to block parties with sets by 21 local bands, stand-up-comedy, poetry, and give-away raffles at each of the four rendezvous points on the bike route. The excitement was palpable as friends new and old rode across town enjoying the sights and sounds of the local community.
Smoopy’s, a sponsor of “Boro Fondo”, donated a colorful $700 fixed-gear-bike for the raffle along with several tee shirts and original artwork.
 “We were excited to donate the fixie bike for the Fondo,” said Smoopy’s bike tech Patrick Lee. “It’s always cool to be involved with the biking events here in town, especially when they support the arts. We’re just grateful that there is such a great community for cycling here and that we get to help them out.”'

“I’m really happy with what we did this weekend," said Fondo founder Eric Detorres. “The city was really cooperative in helping us out whether it was providing police to block an intersection or just getting the word out about Fondo, which was invaluable. To me, as long as no one got hurt and nothing was stolen, then it was a success. This was the first year doing a two-day festival, and I think it was a great way to showcase the talent of our local artists. Expect to see something similar later this year.”
Detorres and some friends created “Boro Fondo” to serve as a unique bicycle festival for the community, while providing an outlet for musicians and artists alike. Dates for the next festival are pending. Bands and artists interested in showcasing their work can visit http://www.borofondo.com for more information.


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