First-Ever Night Owl Bike Ride Held This Weekend

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — The Raue Center for the Arts will host its first-ever night owl bike ride in downtown Crystal Lake this weekend.

The ride will begin at 10 p.m. on Saturday in the city hall parking lot at 100 W. Woodstock Street, according to city officials. There is a 20-mile route and a shorter 9.5-mile route cyclists can sign up for.

The Land Conservancy of McHenry County previously hosted the ride but decided in 2022 to stop hosting the event. They reached out to the Raue Center, since the bike route went post the downtown Crystal Lake arts center, to see if they'd like to take the event on.

"The team discussed and decided it was a good fit for our fundraising efforts. There was no ride in 2023 and we relaunched this year. We loved the idea, loved the chance to connect with the community in a new way and offer an event the community enjoys," said Meredith Flowers, director of institutional advancement & marketing for the Race.

The majority of the bike ride will take place on designated bike routes, lanes and paths. Day-of registration is $35. Children ages 12 years old and younger are $15. The cost for early bird registration is $25.

"Night riding is special and not something you get to do very often so it just seemed like a really fun twist to a regular fundraiser ride," Flowers said.

More information on the race, including registration information, can be found on the Raue Center for Arts website.