Bike rave brings thousands of riders together for neon-lit overnight party
Volunteer-run event not sanctioned by city of Vancouver
Thousands of riders zipped down the streets of downtown Vancouver for a neon-lit bike rave, Friday night.
"It's really cool," said Michael Ianni. "It's really about mobilizing people, reclaiming public space."
The Vancouver resident said he's been attending raves for nearly twenty years in several Canadian cities but this was his first bike rave.
"It's about strangers getting together and having a good time. There's something really powerful and liberating about people coming together and doing something like this," he added.
The event, which was estimated by volunteer organizers to have as many as 4,000 riders at one point, was not sanctioned by the city of Vancouver or Vancouver Police.
There were complaints Saturday on the group's Facebook page that an individual's parked car had been hit after the ride passed through and garbage was left behind in various locations including glass bottles in bike lanes.
"Leave no trace should be a key message of the ride," wrote LePoi Sson.
Ravers, adorned with glow sticks and neon lights, rolled through the downtown core starting at 8 p.m. PT from Woodland Park while mobile DJs and personal loud speakers blasted music for the event.
Riders stopped at Second Beach, underneath the Cambie Street bridge in Yaletown and the Plaza of Nations for impromptu dance parties.
With files from Gian-Paolo Mendoza