There’s really only one way to describe the Tour de Fat: It's a circus that wears its weird on its sleeve. But that sleeve covers itself in layers of music, bikes, beer and people that want nothing more than to dress up in costumes and have fun with friends. It's one big sideshow-style house party, with the benefit of serving local charities.
Housed at the Tempe Beach Park, the New Belgium Brewing event Tour de Fat ended its nationwide travels Saturday, bringing along a host of bike-themed activities and shows to pair with their trademark beer (hence why it was hard to see someone without a beverage in hand). Though admission was free, donations and all proceeds benefited local bike groups, such as the Tempe Bicycle Action Group.
Aside from vendors and volunteer booths, the main stage hosted the biggest shows. It was here that the term “the best kind of weird” was made succinct. When I arrived at the festival, the stage was alight with an emcee who was egging on contestants in a “slow ride” bike race.
The gist of this was that the winner would be given a hilariously garish belt adorned with a talking fish if they came in last place after a few heats. Sporting a schoolboy uniform that channeled AC/DC’s Angus Young, the emcee was backed by New York soul band Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds and a man called Steven, who was probably the hardest working deaf interpreter I’ve ever seen.
Around the park center was the Bike Pit, featuring an array of Frankenstein-esque bikes to ride – from a three-person tricycle to an opposite-facing tandem bike. I was coerced to try a three-wheeled unicycle that went in a circle. After 15 turns, I had to dash to the local fence and back before losing myself to dizziness. Did I crash? Nope — my inner ear actually worked out in my favor this time around.
Flowing into the festivities were costumes of just about anything you could imagine. There were the conservative (“Legends of the Hidden Temple” teams from the '90s Nickelodeon show) to the more liberal (a very on-point "Thundercats" cosplayer named Dominic Hargendagy).
Dressed as leader Lion-O from "Thundercats," Hargendagy said he was loving the people and the “crazy activities” present at the park.
“It’s a place for everybody to be free from everything outside this place, dress up in a costume, and just let their hair down for the day and have a really good time,” he said.
Couple Aaron and Kim Faldon were attending their first Tour de Fat Saturday, and they were nothing but smiles in elaborate pirate ship costumes, complete with sabers, hats and cup holders.
“It’s the Tour de Fat — you get to come out, be a little ridiculous, and that’s what we’re doing,” he said.
I mentioned that the festival had its own type of “weird” going on, but a good kind of weird. Aaron kindly switched up that opinion.
“It’s a good kind of circus,” he said.
The Tour de Fat was, to put it simply, fun. An entertaining cycle (no pun intended) of bikes, great music, amazing people and awesome beer. To go to something like this means that you’d need an open mind and to not worry too much about the strange and the weird. Grab a beer and watch a bunch of aliens judge Earth on their dance moves. No big deal.
Aaron put it in even simpler terms: “Everybody’s out here to have a good time, love each other and have some good beer.”
Related Links:
Tempe named a top Bicycle-Friendly Community
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