Raise Your Glass! To Tour de Fat

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Let me take you on a journey where costumed bicyclists parade, chainsaws fly alongside tossed bowling balls through the air, contortionists juggle half-eaten bananas, talented musicians get your feet stomping and delicious award-winning craft beers abound.  This journey is a feast of the senses known as the Tour de Fat.

Tour de FatTour de FatNew Belgium Brewing runs the Tour de Fat.  This unique creation is from the same people that brought us Fat Tire beer.  It is a festival tour through 11 western US cities that promotes positive societal messages and focuses on the power of the pedal. 

Tour de Fat wraps these positive messages into an event that is part non-profit fundraiser, costume party, part carnival, part rock concert, and all excellent craft beer. 

 

At this year's Tour de Fat in Austin, we witnessed chainsaw-juggling in the Squirm Burpee Circus, contortionist acrobats in the Honeymoon Cabaret, rocking concerts by Sean Hayes and the March Fourth Marching Band, and everyone joined in on a New Orleans-style funeral for the automobile as a primary means of transportation.  There were slow ride challenges and bicycles were given away as both raffle prizes and to people who pledged to give up their cars in favor of bicycle commuting.  The costumed bike parade is always a favorite event and Tour de Fat even brings a plethora of unique bicycles for anyone to try out and ride in the bike arena.

If you're a faithful reader of my blogs, you'll recognize myThe perfect ingredientThe perfect ingredient complaint with most festivals of late is their lack of quality brews.  You certainly won't hear any complaints about the beer selection at this event.  Tour de Fat is a festival that "gets it" and provides an excellent selection of varied types of brews for a reasonable price (a charitable donation to local worthy causes).

Many of New Belgium's brews were available to Tour de Fat festivalgoers, including:

Fat Tire Amber Ale
Sunshine Wheat
1554 Enlightened Black Ale
Mothership Wit Organic Wheat
2 Degrees Below Winter Ale
Skinny Dip Summer Brew

While they haven't yet released the dates or locations for the 2010 Tour de Fat, it will run through Western US cities again next summer through early fall.  I would highly recommend getting to this festival and becoming part of the Tour de Fat experience.

And since a picture tells a thousand words and the Tour de Fat is such a visual delight, I present the following...

Bike Parade: Costumes Strongly EncouragedBike Parade: Costumes Strongly Encouraged

 

Rallying the CrowdRallying the Crowd

 

Juggling Chainsaws and Bowling Balls?: AwesomeJuggling Chainsaws and Bowling Balls?: Awesome

 

Tour de Fat is Family-FriendlyTour de Fat is Family-Friendly

 

Tall BikeTall Bike

 

Dancing Lion: Filled with Liquid CourageDancing Lion: Filled with Liquid Courage

 

Honeymoon Caberet: Some folks will bend over backwards for a decent beerHoneymoon Caberet: Some folks will bend over backwards for a decent beer

 

Parking Lot: No worries about DUI's in this crowdParking Lot: No worries about DUI's in this crowd

 

Beer is Good For You: It makes this guy feel 12 feet tallBeer is Good For You: It makes this guy feel 12 feet tall

 

Main StageMain Stage

 

Main Stage Antics: Bringing it homeMain Stage Antics: Bringing it home

 

Raise Your Glass!  To Tour de Fat and the the brillant minds who continue to challenge our perspective, to entertain our senses and to reward us with delicious beer, and all for worthy causes.  And here's to a festival that understands the true desires of a Beer Connoisseur.

Cheers!
T

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