Children can't normally ride a bike while eating ice cream, but on July 27 they did get ice cream for riding their bike.
The second annual End of Summer bike parade was in downtown Opelika at 6 p.m. The event was promoted by O Town Ice Cream Shop and James Bros. Bikes along with a few other local businesses.
Participants met in the Courthouse Square where they did five laps on their bicycles before going to get ice cream. All the children were able to get $1 ice cream cones for their participation.
The parade was organized by Angela George, one of the owners of O Town Ice Cream Shop.
“I wanted to give people a chance to get out of the house and do something fun together as a family before the kids go back to school,” George said.
The theme of the parade was red, white and blue to give parents the opportunity to take advantage of decorations left over from July 4. Each bike was unique with different types and amounts of decoration. Some were covered in sparkles or wrapped in ribbon, others displayed American flags. Several people even dressed up for the occasion.
After a group photo, they set off on their ride led by Phillip Darden from James Bros. Bikes. The next 30 minutes were filled with laughter and smiles as the children, and a few parents, did their laps around the square. Spectators could see the various decorations and costumes as they circled by.
As the parade was ending, the talk of ice cream grew until the time came to get some. The whole group then raced to the ice cream shop where they were greeted with smiles and air conditioning. Some of the children were so excited they did not take off their helmets before heading inside.
There was chalk placed outside for the participants to use while they ate their ice cream cones. A few of the younger children were covered in chalk and had ice cream smothered on their faces.
George said she plans to make the parade a larger event next year. She wants to have live music and food to create an atmosphere for more people to come.
“The Courthouse Square is hardly used, and I thought it would be an opportunity to utilize it,” she said.
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