WINONA LAKE - Celebrating its fifth year, the Northern Indiana Fat and Skinny Tire Fest is expected once again to draw thousands to the area.
The fest starts Friday and goes through Sunday, offering something for casual fans to die-hards.
The Brickyard Fan Tour, hosted by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, will make a stop at the Village of Winona, giving out prizes and displaying racecar replicas.
Saturday, kids ages 3-12 can participate in events such as Safety Clinic Bike Rodeo, Trek Trikester Races, Decorate Your Bike and Parade, Tire Toss and Paperboy.More than $10,000 in money and prizes will be given out for the various races. The Saturday Circuit Road Race and the Sunday Village Road Crit will be giving out more than $6,500 in money and prizes alone.
Before much of the racing begins Saturday, Mad Anthony's in Warsaw will host a Festival Kick-Off Party at 6 p.m. There will be a freestyle BMX show in front of Mad Anthony's around 7 p.m.
In all, events have been scheduled from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon.
Online registration for both the Road Racing Events and the Kosciusko Countryside Tour have been extended to Friday.
For safety issues, the road race Saturday will hold its start/finish location and parking at Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church, 2943 E. CR 400S, Warsaw.
Indiana's largest and oldest mountain bike race series, DINO will have a race Saturday at noon. Sign-up for the race begins at 10 a.m.
The Orthopaedic Cup Celebrity Beach Cruiser Relay will once again be a part of the weekend. The event allows local businesses to form teams and compete in a battle for bragging rights.
Last year's events drew more than 3,000 people, according to event coordinator Greg Demopoulos.
Cycling enthusiasts will be hoping for a shift in the weather. Rain is in the forecast Friday and Saturday, with a high of 70, while Sunday will cool down with a high of 58 and partly cloudy.
Even if the weather is inclement, the weekend draws fans and cyclists from all over the midwest.
"We have people come from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky," said Demopoulos. "And what the racers always rave about is the community support."
Mad Anthony's will also have a beer garden Saturday that opens at 3 p.m. in the Village at Winona while bands Pluto's Ladder and The Mad Cow Boys perform starting at 7 p.m.
The fest was born out of the KCV Cycling Club. Event coordinators Demopoulos, Alan Alderfer and Robbie Gast wanted a way to bring the community together and showcase the health benefits of biking
"What we wanted to do was promote the health benefits of biking, and showcase our community to other areas," Demopoulos said. "We want to show people that biking is fun, and, most importantly, it's good for you."
Whether competing or not, the public is encouraged to attend the various events.
For more information, call the Trailhouse at 574-267-2223 or go to www.fatandskinnytirefest.com
