On September 20th, 2009 I will be staging the third annual Tour De Perogy !
We will set out from Edmonton (weather permitting) and ride to the Ukrainian Heritage Village which is 50 km east of Edmonton to partake in the annual Harvest Festival but since we take the long and much more scenic route the round trip will be approximately 150 km.
The Ukrainian Heritage Village:
Visit this multi award-winning provincial historic site showcasing Ukrainian settlement in East Central Alberta (1892 – 1930). Be a time traveler and interact with costumed role players portraying real-life Ukrainian pioneers. Explore more than 30 historic buildings including three churches of Eastern Byzantine Rite, a fully-functioning grain elevator, blacksmith shop and burdei (sod hut). Sample traditional food and visit our gift shop. Numerous special events.
http://www.culture.alberta.ca/museum...e/default.aspx
The Harvest Festival:
Harvest of the Past and Taste of Heritage Food Festival
Taste of Heritage Food FestSunday, September 20, 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Described as one of the best autumn events in Canada! This spectacular harvest and food extravaganza is a place where you can feel the spirit of the past and enjoy a taste of the present. Take in the nostalgic harvest activities and historic demonstrations. Purchase specialty food items and crafts, watch historic demonstrations and listen to all-day musical entertainment including Kalyna Idol contestants. Start your day with an early-bird pancake breakfast and feast on some of the finest Alberta-produced foods at the Taste of Heritage Food Festival.
The Ride:
We will meet at the Route 99 Diner at 8820 99 Street and will depart at 8:30 am... if you want enjoy one of the best breakfasts in the city and get charged up for the ride show up early.
We will ride out on Whyte Avenue and pass through Sherwood Park onto highway 630 until TWP 524 which will take us through some lovely countryside (on quiet roads) and then proceed north on Range Road 210 which borders the west side of Elk Island Park and takes us up to Highway 16. From there we will finish the first leg of the journey by heading 10 km east to the Heritage Village.
I expect that the ride out should take 3 - 3.5 hours as we will be proceeding at a moderate pace of 20-25 kmh so that we can arrive at the village around lunchtime .
After an afternoon of enjoying the food and sights we will return the way we came and should not depart any later than 4 pm so that we don't have to ride at night... this should get us back to Edmonton no later than 8 pm.
Highway 630 and Highway 16 have wide shoulders which make travelling by bicycle very pleasant and we will stop at the halfway point each way to refresh ourselves.
Riders will be expected to be self supported and ensure their rides are mechanically sound and suitable for nearly 100 miles of riding. I would suggest adequate water, spare tubes, food, and rain gear as you never know what weather we may see.
Last year we hit a rather severe storm cell on the return trip and although it went through rather quickly we did have to ride through 10 km of gale force winds and rain before the weather cleared which was fairly exhausting for some of the riders and increased our return time enough that we hit Edmonton just as darkness was falling.
I would pack adequate night lighting just in case.
I will be able to provide moderate mechanical support and am looking for another volunteer who can provide vehicular support / pickup in case of emergency or grievous bike failure... perhaps you have a spouse that does not ride that would like to meet us there ?
In past years we have had some very nice groups of people on the ride and because it is a group ride we can take turns pulling / drafting which makes the ride far easier.
If you require more information or plan on joining us send me a pm or e-mail me at
sixtyfiver@shaw.ca