Battle of the Bands to Determine Durham’s Tour de Fat Headliner

Local musicians will have a new opportunity to play a 50-minute set in front of more than 6,500 people. 

Durham's ReverbNation has partnered with New Belgium Brewing  to host a Battle of the Bands, inviting local N.C. artists to compete at the Motorco Music Hall for the chance to headline Durham’s Tour de Fat this June.

New Belgium has invited four local bands, Dark Water Rising, Falling Through April, Spaceship Days and Nick Driver, to compete in the first round on April 30. Two bands will move to the second round and play the Durham Tour de Fat Pre-Party on June 18. New Belgium will choose one of the two bands to move on, based on audience cheering and participation. Online fan votes at www.newbelgium.com/rdu will select the second band to move on; voting will begin after the April 30 event and last for two weeks.

The grand winner from the Tour de Fat Pre-Party, again chosen by audience participation, will then perform at Tour de Fat on June 20 at Diamond View Park.

Tour de Fat Returns to Durham June 15

If dressing freaky, riding bikes, listening to bands and drinking beer are things you like, then don’t miss the most FUN fundraiser around…Tour de Fat is coming back to town!

New Belgium Brewing, maker of Fat Tire Amber Ale and other award-winning beers, is bringing the 14th annual Tour de Fat to Durham on Saturday, June 15 in Diamond View Park at the American Tobacco Campus.

Parade Registration begins at 10:00 a.m. with ride times from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Entertainment/Revivalation will take place from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. with performances by Those Darlins and He's My Brother She's My Sister. Proceeds will benefit                    
The North Carolina Active Transportation Alliance, Triangle Spokes Group and Durham Bike Co-op. Admission is free and the parade participation has a suggested donation of $5 or more. Beer is $5 for a 16 oz. pour. See Facebook for the Tour de Fat credo, schedules, videos and to submit an entry to swap your gas-guzzler for a fancy new bicycle.

Gather up your friends, family and neighbors and come enjoy eclectic entertainment and stellar beer, all while helping local bicycle nonprofits raise funds. The event is free, yet all proceeds from beer and merchandise sales and donations from parade participants will help make Durham a better place to ride a bike. Last year, approximately 2,200 people came to the festival and raised more than $16,000 for local nonprofits.

To properly kick-start the festival, Tour de Fat begins with a giant bicycle parade that weaves through city streets. Each parade route is designed for people of all skill levels; everyone is welcome and colorful costumes are encouraged. For the rest of the afternoon, the stages heat up with world-class acts like He's My Brother She's My Sister and Those Darlins and the park becomes a celebration unlike any other.

Kids of all ages can ride funky bikes, eat delicious fare, relax in the grass, and participate in games and activities such as a “Thousand Person Dance Contest”, which will determine the winner of a 2013 New Belgium Cruiser Bike. Everyone 21 and older can sample new and classic favorites from New Belgium, including the brewery’s flagship brew, Fat Tire, this summer’s seasonal, Rolle Bolle, and selections from the acclaimed Lips of Faith series.

“Tour De Fat is where everyone can enjoy the unexpected,” said Matt Kowal, New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fat Impresario. “It’s a festival for all ages and stages of life, from young bike lovers to seasoned beer lovers and everyone in between. We guarantee you’ll be inspired by interactive art, music and comedy performances for the year to come!”

In every Tour de Fat city, one brave role model will step on stage to trade in his or her car keys and pledge to live car-free for one year. Each swapper is awarded a $2,250 stipend to buy their own commuter bike and receives rock star status when the crowd goes wild in support of their commitment. We’re now on the hunt for a swapper in Durham! Car-for-Bike Swappers are chosen after submitting an application describing why they are ready to give up their vehicle for the gift of two wheels. To apply, click here.

Tour de Fat seeks to leave as small an environmental imprint as possible. New Belgium partners with recycOil to use biofuels from recycled cooking oil to power the festival’s transportation, stages, sound, food trucks and more. The stage is decked out in recycled materials; attendees are encouraged to ride bikes or carpool; and recycle and compost receptacles are available throughout to help divert waste from landfills.

About New Belgium Brewing Company 
New Belgium Brewing, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, is recognized as one of Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work and one of the Wall Street Journal’s Best Small Businesses. The 100 percent employee owned brewery is a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Business as designated by the League of American Bicyclists, and one of World Blu’s most democratic U.S. businesses. In addition to Fat Tire, New Belgium brews eight year round beers; Ranger IPA, Rampant Imperial IPA, Shift Pale Lager, Sunshine Wheat, 1554 Black Ale, Blue Paddle Pilsener, Abbey Belgian Ale and Trippel. Learn more online.

For more cool Durham events, visit the Durham Event Calendar.

New Belgium's Tour de Fat Returns to Durham

Already known globally as a center for health and weight management, as well as a very walkable city, Durham is also an increasingly bike friendly place, too.  Also, don't forget that Durham is a great place for beer lovers.  Once all those facts are thrown together in a glass and shaken, if the beverage analogy will be tolerated, the result is that the beer-loving, bike-riding, health-conscious people of Durham will again be host to the Tour de Fat.  What?  Read on.

New Belgium Brewing has announced the much-anticipated Tour de Fat 2012 schedule and the festival's return to Durham, NC. Now in its 13th season, Tour de Fat brings together passionate bike lovers for a day of two-wheeled revelry while raising money for local nonprofits. Tour de Fat is a thrilling rite of passage that includes an unparalleled costumed bicycle parade, New Belgium beer, dazzling entertainment, local food, unusual bike contests and much more.

In 2012, Tour de Fat, which is a free event, will exceed the $2 million mark for money raised for local nonprofits through beer and merchandise purchases. Funds generally go to organizations in the world of bike advocacy, with money spent in a wide variety of ways, including trail maintenance, safety education, lobbying for better bicycle communities and a wide variety of other impactful initiatives.

The pinnacle of Tour de Fat is the ceremonious car-for-bike trade. At each Tour de Fat, one person becomes the center of the show as he or she gets up on stage, hands over car keys, and pledges to live one year car-free. Tour de Fat is now seeking volunteers to accept the swapper challenge. Each car-for-bike swapper will choose a local bike shop to help them turn their $2,250.00 budget into their ultimate car-replacement commuter bike. The cars will be auctioned by Vehicles for Charity, with proceeds to benefit local cycling organizations.

Swappers are chosen after submitting an application that describes why they are willing to trade in their vehicle for a shiny new bicycle. To submit an entry, go to the New Belgium Tour de Fat Facebook page, click on events and your city of choice, and upload your application video. Applications may also be written and emailed.

In 2011, Tour de Fat traveled to 13 cities, attracting a total of 69,550 festival attendees and 41,150 parade cyclists.  In addition, the festival raised $331,428 and boasted an impressive 90 percent diversion of waste from landfills.

Visit the Facebook page for the Tour de Fat credo, schedules, videos and to submit your entry to swap your gas guzzler for a fancy new bike.  To see a video from last year's season click here.