Bike and be friendly

Events this weekend and early next week celebrate the importance of being a bike-friendly community.

Downtown Baton Rouge celebrates Louisiana Earth Day with music, educational activities and much more Sunday. Ushering in the event is the Mayor’s Annual Family Bike Day, which starts at noon, circling downtown and ending at the festival in North Boulevard’s Town Square just in time for all the fun to begin.

The annual bike ride passed through the Better Block BR event on Government Street last year, and now we’re on the fast track to an improved Government Street. So maybe this year’s bike ride will bring more good luck and we’ll soon be on the fast track to a healthier environment in Baton Rouge?

Haha, no. Louisiana Earth Day is sponsored by ExxonMobil, Georgia-Pacific and the Louisiana Chemical Association, among others. That ain’t happening.

But let’s focus on the positives—it’s going to be a gorgeous weekend, there are always interesting exhibitions at Earth Day, there will be music and food, and you get to ride bikes with Mayor Kip Holden. Find out more about the bike ride here.

If you participate, you are bound to meet up with members of Bike Baton Rouge. That group is hosting the 2014 Bike Friendly Awards Banquet next Wednesday at the Capitol Park Welcome Center.

Among those being recognized are the group’s founder Mark Martin, Rachel DiResto of Center for Planning Excellence, Mayor Holden, and the owners of Chelsea’s for being the “Bike-Friendly Business of the Year.”

Find out more about the event here.

The Bike Friendly Awards got me wondering: What would be your picks for the most bike-friendly businesses in Baton Rouge? How about the least bike-friendly business? Let us know in the comments!