Dec. 2, 2015 By Michael Florio
Jackson Heights residents will have the opportunity to take a bike ride with Santa Claus this weekend.
The Queens Bike Initiative will host a holiday bike ride on Sunday at 9 a.m. The group will meet in Travers Park, located on 34th Avenue between 77th and 78th Streets.
Riders are encouraged to dress up in Christmas-themed outfits, ride organizer and Queens Bike Initiative member Claudia Corcino said.
“Santa will be riding,” Corcino said. “It will be a lot of fun.”
The ride will go for three miles through Jackson Heights and Corona. The route will run along 34th Avenue, making a stop at Junction Playground, located on 34th Avenue between 96th Street and Junction Boulevard. At this spot, children on the ride will be allowed to play and burn off some energy.
A police escort will accompany the ride for safety.
The ride will then go to the Queens Museum, near Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Here there will be a grand finale, with Story Garden with Miss Alexia playing Christmas tunes and other songs for children in attendance. This will take place at roughly 11:15 a.m.
Corcino expects 20 people to participate.
This event is the latest in the Queens Bike Initiative’s monthly rides. The group hosts these rides to emphasize what they see as a need for more bike lanes in western Queens, while showcasing the neighborhood to attendees.
Corcino decided to organize this ride to help spread QBI’s cause.
“We want more people to know about the group and recognize the need for bike lanes,” she said. “We also wanted to bring residents together for the holiday season.”
This will be the group’s final organized ride of 2015.
Coinciding with Sunday’s ride, the Queens Museum invites children ages 5- to 12-years-old for a day of hands-on art fun, including paintings that focus on lines, shapes and colors. The event is free to attend and accommodations are available for children with special needs. It takes place from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
This event is not a part of the bike ride, but attendees are welcome to stay.
Photo: Queens Museum
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