5 Things: Crafts, tubas, pretzels, beer, glitter, sex, and bikes, always bikes

Oh it’s Big Bike Race™ time all right, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other things to do.

September 17, 2015; 11:51 AM • by Susan Howson

1. POP SECRET: Bizarre Market + BIG SECRET + UCI

Bizarre Market will be doing its crafty designy thing for the duration of the race, beginning a little early. Tonight’s opening party is going to feature 25 designers, and you’ll get a chance to snag your special handmade goods before the dang world gets here.

Opening party: Thursday, September 17th • 5:00 – 8:00 PM; Regular hours 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM through Sunday, September 27th
Big Secret, 120 W. Marshall Street
Free to attend, but bring that wallet

2. St. Benedict Oktoberfest

This is the Museum District’s own personal bike race. It’s the Big Beer Thing™ and it is very popular. I enjoy it for the pretzels and the shouting to my friends over the din of accordions. You might enjoy it for the lederhosen, the beer, and the kids’ activities. Or you might like the nightlife scene, which is perfectly timed each year for pleasant weather. NO BIKES ALLOWED! (JK I made that up, you can probably bring your bike?)

Friday, September 18th – Sunday, September 20th • see site for hours
St. Benedict “Festplatz” (aka parking lot) at the intersection of Hanover and Belmont Avenues
Free to attend, but you can purchase beer tickets at the door

3. Color Run

Cyclists shouldn’t get all the glory. After all, they’re just operating a machine. YOU, however, are your own machine–running blissfully through a storm of colored powder. We’ll go ahead and make a guess that there will be some glitter involved. I haven’t done a Color Run, as I am an indoors gal, but I did have a glam rock themed birthday party once, and let me tell you: there was glitter in my life for weeks afterwards, popping up everywhere. It wasn’t unpleasant at all.

Saturday, September 19th • 7:30 AM
Richmond International Raceway, 600 E. Laburnum Avenue
$39.50 per person for a four-person team, $45 for solo runners

4. Awkward Sex…And the City

Are you a Carrie, a Charlotte, a Samantha, or a Miranda? I, of course, am an off-putting mixture of Samantha, Miranda, and Carrie, but enough about me. The best thing about that show was that it made it clear that sex isn’t always rose petals and blushes for us ladies–sorry, dudes. And these comedians from New York are going to probe (sorry) even more into the realm of the most awkward sexual encounters they’ve had. If you recognize yourself as one of their hapless sexual partners during this show, a hole will open up in the floor and swallow you. Don’t worry.

Saturday, September 19th • 10:00 PM
Coalition Theater, 8 W. Broad Street
$10

5. Big Bike Race™ Stuff

Besides the superfun and maybe moving Opening Ceremony on Friday night, there are plenty of things to do this weekend regarding the bike race. And those things are: watching the bike race! Saturday starts and recommended viewing points are listed here and Sunday’s are right here. For the love of all things you hold holy, save “navigate.richmond2015.com” to your mobile device and look at it often. It’s got everything you need to know regarding road closures and bicycle hordes, who may or may not be coming for your souls!