FORT COLLINS, CO—New Belgium Brewing today announced that Tour de Fat, the traveling tour of philanthropic bicycle advocacy, raised $535,924 for local nonprofits this season, totaling more than $3 million in its 14-year stretch. This year’s total is up almost $40,000 from last year. The event is free, yet all proceeds from beer and merchandise sales and donations from parade participants go to nonprofit organizations focused on making communities a better place to ride a bike.
Tour de Fat celebrates the fun side of bicycle culture, kicking off each festival with a costumed bike parade through city streets. Upon the parade’s completion, thousands of friends rock the park all day with eclectic entertainment, New Belgium beer, bike-themed activities, delicious local food and so much more. The events also encouraged people to think twice about recycling, with an impressive 85 percent of waste diverted from landfills.

Tour de Fat traveled to 12 cities between May and October, attracting a total of 97,500 beer and bike enthusiasts and 57,359 bike parade participants (up 23,100 attendees and 8,096 riders from 2012). New Belgium’s hometown of Fort Collins, Colo. raised the most money ($90,000), and had the most festival-goers and parade riders, both totaling 25,000 people. To see how each city performed, a breakdown is included below.

Tour de Fat also hosted the seventh annual car-for-bike swap, where one brave role model in each city stepped on stage to trade in car keys and pledge to live car-free for one year. Each swapper received a $2,250 stipend to buy their own commuter bike in exchange for their car. Vehicles for Charity auctioned the swapped cars, with proceeds benefitting Tour De Fat’s local nonprofit partners. Each of the swappers is encouraged to blog about their adventures as a two-wheeled local rock star. To read their tales from the road, visit the car-for-bike trade blog at http://trademycarforabike.tumblr.com/.

“Each year just gets better as Tour de Fat extends its reach into communities to share bike love in the most colorful way possible,” said Matt Kowal, Tour De Fat Impresario. “It’s where you can find flamboyant costumes and entire families dancing in the park; it’s the look of communities raising money together alongside funky musicians and mind-blowing magicians.”

“We thank everyone who takes the time to make this kind of magic happen,” added Kowal. “It just feels good!”

To see photos, videos, and other highlights from some of the 2013 tour stops, visit https://www.facebook.com/TourDeFat. For more on New Belgium Brewing, go to http://www.newbelgium.com.

Tour de Fat Breakdown City-by-City

Grand Totals

• Total Funds Raised: $535,925 (not including auctioned car proceeds)
• Attendees: 97,500
• Parade Attendance: 57,359
• Average Waste Diversion Rate: 85%

Atlanta, GA – May 11

• Total Funds Raised: $15,415 (up $9,185 from 2012)
• Attendees: 2,500 (up 1,500 from 2012)
• Parade Attendance: 300 (up 100 from 2012)
• Waste Diversion Rate: 85%

Washington DC – June 1

• Total Funds Raised: $35,583 (up $14,673 from 2012)
• Attendees: 4,500 (up 2,000 from 2012)
• Parade Attendance: 500 (up 187 from 2012)
• Waste Diversion Rate: 85%

Durham, NC – June 15

• Total Funds Raised: $20,009 (up $3,966 from 2012)
• Attendees: 3,000 (up 800 from 2012)
• Parade Attendance: 1,000 (up 250 from 2012)
• Waste Diversion Rate: 87%

Nashville, TN – June 22

• Total Funds Raised: $34,687 (up $16,008 from 2012)
• Attendees: 5,000 (up 2,750 from 2012)
• Parade Attendance: 1,500 (up 750 from 2012)
• Waste Diversion Rate: 85%

Chicago, IL – July 13

• Total Funds Raised: $40,476 (up $13,940 from 2012)
• Attendees: 8,000 (up 3,500 from 2012)
• Parade Attendance: 1,100 (up 350 from 2012)
• Waste Diversion Rate: 84%

Minneapolis, MN – July 27

• Total Funds Raised: $23,658 (up $3,905 from 2012)
• Attendees: 3,000
• Parade Attendance: 800
• Waste Diversion Rate: 92%

Boise, ID – August 17

• Total Funds Raised: $55,019 (up $5,344 from 2012)
• Attendees: 7,500 (up 1,000 from 2012)
• Parade Attendance: 6,000 (up 1,000 from 2012)
• Waste Diversion Rate: 75%

Ft. Collins, CO – August 31 – Most Money Raised and Largest Attendance

• Total Funds Raised: $90,000 (up $10,943 from 2012)
• Attendees: 25,000 (up 4,000 from 2012)
• Parade Attendance: 25,000 (up 4,000 from 2012)
• Waste Diversion Rate: 80%

Denver, CO – September 7

• Total Funds Raised: $77,017 (up $5,563 from 2012)
• Attendees: 15,000 (up 4,000 from 2012)
• Parade Attendance: 11,000 (up 1,000 from 2012)
• Waste Diversion Rate: 86%

San Francisco, CA – September 21

• Total Funds Raised: $16,574
• Attendees: 3,000
• Parade Attendance: 159
• Waste Diversion Rate: 85%

San Diego, CA – September 28

• Total Funds Raised: $41,486 (up $11,152 from 2012)
• Attendees: 6,000 (up 2,500 from 2012)
• Parade Attendance: 2,000 (up 900 from 2012)
• Waste Diversion Rate: 87%

Tempe, AZ – October 5

• Total Funds Raised: $86,000
• Attendees: 15,000 (up 5,000 from 2012)
• Parade Attendance: 8,000 (up 3,000 from 2012)
• Waste Diversion Rate: 87%

About New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, is recognized as one of Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work and one of the Wall Street Journal’s Best Small Businesses. The 100% employee-owned brewery is a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Business as designated by the League of American Bicyclists, and one of World Blu’s most democratic U.S. businesses, and a Certified B Corp. In addition to Fat Tire, New Belgium brews eight year-round beers; Ranger IPA, Rampant Imperial IPA, Shift Pale Lager, Sunshine Wheat, 1554 Black Ale, Blue Paddle Pilsener, Abbey Belgian Ale and Trippel. Learn more at www.newbelgium.com.

Of course, you’d have to set aside almost six months, since Tour de Fat 2002 has expanded to include 12 stops and runs from April into October. It’s 12 separate local festivals rather than a single ongoing event. Each one is a little different, but all include the riding of bicycles and the drinking of beer.

Not surprisingly, all the beer at the afternoon parties is from New Belgium Brewing. The good news is that New Belgium makes pretty good beer, and each “ballyhoo of bikes and beer” is held in cities where flavorful beer is easy to find.

The Stats for Fat

Tour de Fat began in 2000 with six stops, and visited seven cities in 2001. New Belgium served 52 barrels (more than 1,600 gallons) of beer to about 10,000 people along the way last year, raising nearly $40,000 for nonprofit organizations in the host cities.

“We wanted to work with established groups within the community who will put the money to good use,” said Bryan Simpson of New Belgium, who attended every Tour de Fat in 2002 and 2001 and now shares organizing duties with David Kemp.

“We figured you could spend the same amount of money on advertising and not have the same impact or do as much good for the community,” Simpson said.

At this year’s first stop, in Lawrence in April, the benefiting nonprofits were Lawrence Mountain Bike Club and ESSA (Environmental Studies Student Association). That’s pretty typical.

“It’s a good way of unifying the bike communities. We get road bikes, mountain bikes, vintage cruisers,” he said. “A lot of times, it’s bike people who otherwise don’t get together.”

Each event begins with a variety of noncompetitive rides–longer road rides, events for mountain bikers, chances for cruisers to show off, and opportunities for families with younger children to bike together. Kegs are generally tapped at 11 a.m., with festivities following in a local park. Only last year’s gathering in Albuquerque, NM, was on downtown streets.

No Bicycle Needed

This year’s bicycle Olympics feature races on clown bikes, barrel races, a slow ride and a paperboy challenge that includes tossing newspapers at targets. In other words, don’t go looking for a beer festival. Activities generally end by 6 p.m. (except for the Texas gathering in May, which spanned two days and included camping).

Any get-together where so many people arrive by bicycle is going to be locally oriented. However, if you find yourself on the Tour de Fat route without a bicycle, they’ll let you in anyway. And if you are thirsty later in the evening, the tour conveniently stops in places with several quality watering holes.

Here are a few quick suggestions in cities along the remainder of Tour de Fat 2002. We’ve picked one beer and one establishment in each town, which clearly isn’t fair–but we could choose 10 and 10 (or 100 and 100 in Seattle) and it still wouldn’t be fair. Don’t feel compelled to limit your choices to our suggestions.

To signup to participate in Tour de Fat, visit the New Belgium web site at http://www.newbelgium.com.

Fort Collins, CO (July 20)

This is the home of New Belgium Brewing, but you’ll get to see the brewery during Tour de Fat. Coopersmith’s Pub & Brewery (No. 5 Old Town Square) is right downtown and was one of the first brewpubs to open in Colorado. Beer choice: Sigda’s Green Chile Beer.

Eugene, OR (Aug. 10)

This is a chance to visit the original Steelhead Brewery & CafŽ (199 E. Fifth Ave.), which has grown into a chain. We’re suckers for places with easy chairs, particularly when you can settle into one with a beer such as Steelhead’s Wee Heavy Scotch Ale in hand.

Boise, ID (Aug. 17)

At Ed’s Abbey (650 Vista Ave.) it’s hard to resist the fact that owner Ed Carfora tries to keep several lambics on tap. However, the attraction here is horseshoes or darts, and we recommend whatever is on hand pump or Deschutes Mirror Pond Ale, a perfect match.

Seattle, WA (Aug. 24)

Latona Pub (6423 Latona Ave. NE), preferably when there is live music. When in Seattle you want to drink Northwest craft beer, and that’s all they serve here. Plenty of hoppy choices, beers that take no prisoners, and we’re going with Diamond Knot IPA.

Missoula, MT (Sept. 21)

Be forewarned and pick the time you go carefully, because The Rhinoceros (158 Ryman St.) is a college hangout where they’ve screwed the barstools to the floor for good reason. Can’t resist those 50 taps, though, and a chance to drink Moose Drool Brown Ale from the local Big Sky Brewing Co.

Boulder, CO (Sept. 28)

The counter-culture paintings on the wall at Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery (1535 Pearl St.) are a trip back in time. Hope that the Hog Back Doppel Bock is available, but be aware it is a dangerous beer at a mile high. Otherwise, consider the Chocolate Stout.

Durango, CO (Oct. 5)

With the selection available at Lady Falconburgh’s Barley Exchange (640 Main St., downstairs), you’re going to have more than one beer, but start with a local, Ska Brewing’s Ten Pin Porter.

Flagstaff, AZ (Oct. 12)

The smoke-free Uptown Billiards (114 N. Leroux St.) is well known in pool-playing circles, and the 38 beers on tap are as meticulously kept as the full-size tables. Lots of imports and national brands, but ask for something regional (such as Oak Creak from Sedona or Rio Salado from Tempe).