Lights on Bikes: Talent-based holiday tradition enters decade of bright, merry recreation

Published 11:30 am Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Beginning as a tiny holiday celebration among close friends, the Talent Lights on Bikes event blends Christmas lights, bikes and community connection for participants and enthusiasts alike.

The event involves dozens of bike riders gathering in downtown Talent, adorned with Santa hats, green garlands and festive lights on their bodies and bicycles and riding through the city streets to admire some of the most avidly decorated homes during the holiday season.

This year, bike decorating will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, outside Talent Maker City at Wagner Plaza, located at 304 E. Main St., Talent. The bike parade is scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m.  

Details on event times, safety information, bike routes and other info can be found at talentmakercity.org/lob.

Attendees can purchase battery-powered lights to decorate their bicycles on Talent Maker City’s website as well.

The bike route starts at Wagner Plaza and winds its way through East Main Street, West Street, School House Road and other decoration-filled streets throughout Talent.

There will also be plenty to enjoy prior to the ride, with hot chocolate at The Grotto Pizzeria and wassailing by Rogue World Music.

The event is being organized by Talent Maker City and the nonprofit will host a bike decorating workshop, a bike safety check and other pre-ride fun. New this year is the bicycle decoration contest for participants to showcase their holiday-themed rides.

“This will be the first time and we’re going to have some contests for folks who are really into decking out their bikes,” said Alli French, cofounder of Lights on Bikes and cofounder of Talent Maker City.

Some of the contest’s categories include the Griswold award for family group entries, the North Star award for the boldest and brightest set up, the “Tech the Halls” award for most innovative use of technology and other age-based categories, French said.

While event organizers are still determining prizes for award winners, they will likely receive Talent Maker City merchandise such as beanies and shirts as well as Legos for the kids.

Entering its 10th anniversary this year, Lights on Bikes started as a small ride between founders French, Christie Lawson and Emily Minah before evolving into the large-scale event of 100-plus participants that it’s become.

“I don’t remember how we had the idea to put lights on our bikes, other than to to be visible and have holiday spirit,” Minah said. “It was sort of spontaneous. …We all felt like kids cruising around.”

Part of the fun for the trio was getting to knock on the doors of the most well-decorated homes in Talent and present the residents with improvised awards for their festive spirit.

“It’s been sort of a relatively informal piece of it but we would make up little awards, whether they were tree ornaments or a piece of paper glued onto an old fence board,” Minah said. “We would go to houses that had gotten them in past and they’d have previous (awards) displayed in their house or porch.”

The Lights on Bikes circle continued to grow over the years, growing from dozens to hundreds of participants in 2020 after the founders advertised the event on Facebook.

“We never thought it would become this big,” said cofounder Christie Lawson.

Talent Maker City took the organizing reins in 2021 to help manage the growing event.

“That’s where it was a good fit; I work here at Talent Maker City, and (Lights on Bikes is) a way for people to express creativity, sort of like Halloween,” French said. “It really adds extra flair and is something unique to do on the holidays with family.”

Regardless of the weather that night, the show must go on.

“We’ll do it rain or shine or snow; we’ve done it in all weather,” Lawson said.

An element of Lights on Bikes that the organizers appreciate is the wide age range of participants and their ability to participate in the event at whatever level they’d like. Some riders go all in on their method of transportation, which extends beyond just bicycles.

“One year, this friend had one of those projectors that dispels light and attached it to a pole on the back of their bike,” Minah said. “Last year, some other folks came in an electric bathtub.”

All in all, the organizers hope Lights on Bikes continues to be a staple of the holiday season for the Talent community.

“It’s so dark this time of the year, and something bringing light and community together is really special,” French said.