Bikes are a common sight in Santa Monica — but hundreds of bikes moving en masse made for an attention-getting event on Sunday at the second annual Tour da Arts. Put on for the second year by the Santa Monica Museum of Art with the help of local pro-bike nonprofit C.I.C.L.E., Tour da Arts brought bicyclists together to ride about town taking in artsy events — while curious drivers slowed down to jealously ask where the cyclists were going.

A couple hundred experienced cyclists, novices who’d borrowed bikes for the day, and kids riding on the back of their parents’ tandem bikes all showed up at Santa Monica’s Bergamot Station, rolling slowly over to The Broad Stage to hear live music from Ben Sollee, a cellist touring on bike.

After a short, entertaining set, Ben bid us on our way by performing a cover of Cat Stevens’ Wild World while we got back our bikes. From there we headed to Virginia Avenue Park, where The Actor’s Gang performed a scene from Katie the Curst, adapted from Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.

For cyclists who got hungry, Clif had snacks at every stop — and during the ride too!

Then we all went back to SMMoA for the closing party. Food trucks lined the parking lot, but I filled up with free salad and sushi rolls while listening to music by Dublab. Cyclists stayed around to eat, get free T-shirts screenprinted by Hit + Run, and enjoy museum exhibitions.

Were you there? Or were you one of the many who didn’t sign up before the event filled up? Be the first to hear about next year’s Tour da Arts by signing up for SMMoA and C.I.C.L.E.’s email lists!

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