Tour de Fat – Best Weekends to Visit Fort Collins

There are quite a few unique festivals that happen in Fort Collins, but there is nothing like Tour de Fat.

What started as a couple dozen New Belgium employees and their family and friends getting together for a 'parade' on bicycles has blossomed into a national tour. Tour de Fat will hit 10 cities this year, but the biggest and best one is always in Fort Collins.

The numbers over the past few years have ballooned to over 15,000 participants in Fort Collins. Pretty much everyone wears a crazy costume. Many are on double, even triple decker bikes. The parade winds through town and ends at the festival grounds, where more insanity awaits.

Each year, an individual is chosen to commit to not driving a car for a year, and promises to go everywhere (just about) on their bike. This is one of the peaks of the day, and is often brought to the audience with the feeling of a religious revival.

There are bands, a crazy bike rodeo (see the video), and crazy people in crazy costumes (again, see the video).

During one of the recent Tour de Fat rides I participated in, my two younger nephews came along. Talk about a role reversal. The adults were having all the fun, while my nephew asked "Why are the adults all acting so weird?" I don't know if he was at that age where he's too cool for everything, or if there are so many adults that still want to act like crazy kids that he was jealous of us taking over what used to be reserved for those who have yet to reach puberty.

So if you want to celebrate craziness with us, or as New Belgium would put it, 'follow your folly' with us, don't miss Tour de Fat.

Washington, District of Columbia Yards Park 5/31/2014