Laguna Bicycle Festival gears up for its inaugural event with demos, group rides, films, live music, guest speakers and more.
By Sharon Stello
Laguna Beach is home to mountain biking legends, biking clubs for kids and adults, top-rated trails, plenty of road biking opportunities and longtime bike shops and brands, so it makes perfect sense to have a celebration dedicated to the sport in this town. After three years of planning, it’s finally coming to fruition this fall when the Laguna Bicycle Festival descends on the Festival of Arts grounds Oct. 25-27.
“We have so much history in Laguna,” says Blair “Air Blair” Liggatt, festival founder and director, mentioning greats like Troy Lee and the Crankbrothers brand.
Liggatt hopes to make the festival an annual staple in town. “We have been overwhelmed with response from all over the world,” he says of support for the inaugural event. Liggatt’s vision is to celebrate the biking lifestyle for pros and beginners alike while also supporting local bike shops and raising money for charities including All Kids Bike, Ride 4 Autism, the Grow Cycling Foundation and Laguna Canyon Riders, a local youth mountain biking team for which Liggatt is a coach and board member. Proceeds from a silent auction and raffle during the event will benefit these organizations.
Festival attendees will have plenty to peruse over three days. Check out the Evolution of the Bicycle showcase, a museum-style display of bikes from all eras highlighting the innovation and design of bicycles and how they have changed through history. “We want to showcase the art of the bicycle,” Liggatt says. An exhibit of beautiful bikes from vintage to BMX and custom-built designs will also be competing for best of show awards to be determined by judges; plus, attendees may vote for a fan favorite. And wander through the trade show and expo featuring some of the top manufacturers of bikes for riding on road, gravel and mountain terrain as well as BMX and e-bikes.
Then be wowed by live stunt shows featuring professional athletes performing tricks on BMX bikes. Festival guests will also have the opportunity to try out demo bikes, ride the course and join one of many biking clinics—for all ages and riding levels—led by professional coaches and athletes.
Food and craft beer will be available for purchase and the Laguna Beach Fire Department will put on a pancake breakfast. The festival soundtrack will be provided by bands including the Tijuana Dogs, Corday, Lousy Little Gods and local musicians Ethan Staus and Pilot Touhill, all performing live during the event. Other entertainment includes unicycle and acrobat performers, a penny farthing (vintage high wheeler) bike race on opening day and adult tricycle races on 29-inch custom trikes.
Additionally, the festival will present some of the best bicycle documentaries and short films in the on-site Forum Theater, where attendees can also find guest speakers and Q&A sessions with athletes from the bike industry on leadership, life coaching and bicycle travel adventures.
Live podcast interviews will take place daily with favorite bicycle athletes and stars from the past and present on the podcast stage. And festival attendees will also have the chance to meet and greet current and former pro athletes including Bob Haro, Richie Schley, Hans “No Way” Rey, Eliot Jackson, Brian Lopes, Troy Lee, Eddie Fiola, Mike “Hollywood” Miranda, Bill Allen (Cru Jones in the movie “Rad”) and more to be announced soon.
The family-friendly event will also have plenty to keep the kids entertained with arts and crafts as well as races on an indoor bike track for ages 3-7 (Strider Balance Bikes will be available to use) and an all-ages pump track, which is a circuit with banked turns, rollers and berms allowing a bike rider to move along by pumping their body up and down rather than by pedaling or pushing.
Attendees are also invited to participate in one of many group rides to be led by popular athletes and social media stars. Shuttle services will be available to favorite trail systems in the surrounding areas. And the festival will partner with the 10th annual Laguna Beach Dirt Fondo, a bike riding challenge with both 25- and 50-mile routes on some of the area’s best trails, fire roads and bike paths. Not a race, the event will emphasize having a fun and safe time and learning more about Laguna’s open space. Limited to the first 100 riders who sign up, the ride is a fundraiser for the Laguna Canyon Riders.
Laguna Bicycle Festival
Oct. 25-27; Festival of Arts grounds; lagunabikefest.com
