Paden Elementary School was the site of the 2025 Alameda Bike Festival, an annual event sponsored this year by the City of Alameda, Alameda Recreation & Parks Department (ARPD), Alameda Unified School District, Alameda County Transportation Commission, Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools, Alameda Elks, and the Kiwanis Club of Alameda.
Sunny weather prevailed on April 26, facilitating the activities. The Kiwanis Club gave away many bike helmets, fitting them to each child and explaining their safe usage to parents. Free classes (with pre-registration) taught safe family cycling, kids’ ride to school, and urban cycling for adults, teens, and kids 10 and older. Various groups offered free bike repairs, free bike bells, helmet decorations, face painting and a simulated traffic situation with signage and lanes for cyclists to practice in a safe environment.
Children lined up for helmet fitting and then proceeded to the helmet decoration tables, personalizing their head gear. Face painting was very popular for the youngest in attendance. Alameda and Encinal High schools’ Red Cross youth managed both helmet decoration and face painting.
Teen volunteers guided the families through the training courses offered by ARPD. Other teen volunteers from Alameda and Encinal High schools’ Key Clubs adjusted helmets and helped decorate them with the children. Alameda Kiwanis members supervised the helmet distribution.
Parents were surprised that there was no charge for any items at the Bike Festival. The objective of the sponsors is to assure safe cycling for everyone, along the many bike lanes in Alameda. And in the process, a fun morning and afternoon was enjoyed by all.
