This article was written by Sue Tincher
If you recently saw a mass of purple-shirted bikers jamming to music with happy smiles on their faces on a recent beautiful summer afternoon, you might just have been witnessing the third annual Northside Ramble on August 5.
The bike ride hit many of our favorite Northside breweries—including one of the largest patios in town at Pryes Brewing; new entry Sisyphus Brewing—gotta love that Banana Boss beer; and our home base since the start, La Doña Brewing. La Doña is one of the few BIPOC-owned breweries in the Twin Cities. As Minneapolis was just ranked the 10th-best beer town in the country (Bring Me the News, 8/9/23), the fact that barely any of our breweries are BIPOC-owned is a travesty, but that just means we need to get out and support La Doña all the more.
Delicious sandwiches were provided by Sammy’s Avenue Eatery (a Northside establishment at Broadway and Emerson).
On the tour, we learned about the history of many Northside parks—Harrison, Sumner Field, Bethune, Boom Island, Nicollet Island, and Parade Field to name a few. You may question if Boom Island and Nicollet Island are technically on the Northside, but we claim them. Leading the ride and filling us in on the park history was West Broadway Business and Area Coalition (WBC) Executive Director Kristel Porter.
The ride is the brainchild and special project of the Rotary Club of North Minneapolis. This year’s riders included those from the ranks of Rotary Clubs across the Twin Cities; Northsiders relishing a community event in our own backyard; and bike enthusiasts who heard about it through Facebook.
Proceeds from the ride tickets were split between the Rotary Club of North Minneapolis and the NorthPoint Health program, Gotcha Glasses, which provides eyewear to Northside youth. NorthPoint Chief Development Officer Christina Woodlee came to share info about the program and thank the bikers for their donations.
Bryn Mawr resident Kristin Markert said that the afternoon was a fun way to meet new people, exercise, and support a great cause. Northsider Bob Goonen remarked that the ride along the Mississippi on West River Road was beautiful. He was especially grateful for learning about the history of how when Olson Memorial Highway was built, it cut through the existing Black neighborhood, a disturbing pattern seen in so many urban areas. Many riders also learned the original location of the Phyllis Wheatley Settlement House, across from Sumner Field, at 809 Aldrich.
Northsider Becky Comeau said that Porter was an amazing guide, conveying important and deeply meaningful historical context. Comeau was amazed at how safe it felt biking in a big group, power in numbers allowing the bikers to stretch across those streets that are typically the domain of cars only. One huge safety plus was that Porter brought along her compatriots from Cycle Sisters to help marshal the ride. It was super to have Krystal, Anne, YaYa, Tavaris and Peony, among others, regulating traffic and marshaling the riders. Cycle Sisters is a group founded in 2018 by Porter and others at the Cleveland Neighborhood organization as a way for primarily BIPOC, primarily female, folks to get together to bike and connect.
In addition to learning about such meaningful history, connecting with the community and having fun, one of the most meaningful aspects of the ride was the money raised for NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center’s Gotcha Glasses program. As Goonen commented, “I lost my reading glasses recently, and I was a wreck. I can ‘see’ how valuable glasses are for the kids.”
The North Minneapolis Rotary Club meets online every Tuesday by Zoom from 7:35-8:35 a.m. and welcomes Northside community members and professionals to get involved. It is always looking for guest speakers who are making a difference in our community. Contact us at northmplsrotary@gmail.com to request the link.