Not even the rain could stop Santa Claus from riding through Penticton’s bike lane on Saturday.
As the rain drizzled down on dozens of cyclists at Gyro Park at 1 p.m., the anticipation to see Mr. Claus in person continued to grow.
And finally, he arrived.
With holiday-themed tunes cranked on the speakers near Okanagan Lake and avid cyclists in attendance, Santa Claus was ready to take the bike ride of the season.
Mr. Claus was front and centre on Dec. 11, leading cyclists of all ages down the city’s bike lane on Martin Street.
Starting at Gyro Park, the crowd rode to the Penticton Public Library and made their way back to where it all started just 20 minutes later.
The event was organized by the Penticton and Area Cycling Association (PACA), a non-profit organization formed in 2008 with the goal of giving cyclists in the South Okanagan a voice.
Santa Claus and his fellow bicycle riders reconvened at the park after the main event concluded for pictures and more holiday-themed fun.
It was on Dec. 3 when PACA first announced that Santa Claus would be joining in on a bike ride through Penticton.
“We had been hearing rumours of someone in a large, red suit, with white highlights, using our new Lake-to-Lake Bike Route for some late night training”, said Debbie Ziegler, PACA’s Membership Director. “And then a few weeks ago we received a new membership application from a Saint Nicholas.”
Ziegler told the Western News at Gyro Park she plans on making the bike-riding occasion with Santa Claus an annual event.
With Mr. Claus and the rest of the city’s cyclists in the holiday spirit, the ride through the bike lane was one that couldn’t be missed by pedestrians and cars nearby.
To donate to or become a member of PACA, people are asked to visit bikepenticton.com.
READ MORE: Documentary about bike lanes to be filmed at Penticton Museum’s next Brown Bag Lecture
