Participants from January’s BikeWalk BG Winter ride. (Submitted)

BikeWalk BG will join the Arbor Day festivities at Kereiakes Park on April 26 with a family-friendly event.

The annual Arbor Day Bike Rodeo will be from 9 to 11:30 a.m. with a bike ride afterward.

Natasha Smith of BikeWalk BG said that each year, the organization will set up at the park in conjunction with Bowling Green Parks and Recreation’s Arbor Day celebration, which includes free trees, tree care information and prizes.

Bikes and helmets will be provided at the rodeo, which will feature an obstacle course.

“We will teach kids hand signals and other bike safety information,” Smith said.

After the rodeo, individuals, including children, can participate in the bike ride, but will need to bring their own bicycles and helmets.

Participants must sign a waiver for the ride and check-in will be at 11:45 a.m. by the main pavilion at the park. The ride will begin at noon.

The ride, which will move at a slower pace than some of the other rides, will have a three-mile and a five-mile option and should last less than an hour, depending on the speed of the riders.

They can stop at three miles if they like or choose to go on for five miles, Smith said.

“The ride is not something we have done in the past with the rodeo,” Smith said. “It’s a great opportunity for BikeWalkBG. We try to take advantage of any public event where there is an audience on-hand already.”

She said that in the past, other cycling groups, including a group that does mountain biking with kids, have also taken part in the free event.

Riders can visit the BikeWalk BG Facebook page for more information and to view a map of greenway routes, which they can use to ride to the event.

BikeWalk BG is a community-wide effort to educate and encourage people to ride a bike, take a walk or go for a run to explore the community.