BASKIL, First Bicycle Festival Opens April 23

W460

From the 23rd to the 27th of April 2014, Cycling Circle, Public Interest Design Levant (PID), MENA Design Research Center, the Danish Embassy in Beirut and El Khoder Neighborhood Development Association will be co-organizing the first BASKIL Bicycle Festival in Lebanon.

BASKIL is a celebration of cycling and an opportunity for the public to explore its great potential in Beirut and the rest of the country. The festival is a salute to the bicycle culture, organized by bike enthusiasts and promoters of sustainability and green cities.

Part of the El Khoder Neighborhood Initiative, led by PID Levant in collaboration with El Khoder Neighborhood Development Association, it will also serve as a pilot project to showcase the potential of Medawar in an attempt to re-think its future as the first sustainable neighborhood in Beirut.

The vision is to create awareness on the role of sustainable mobility and the negative effects of pollution and traffic, in the hopes of transforming Beirut into a greener environment with responsible citizenship. BASKIL promotes a platform for the exchange of ideas and perspectives on the potential and feasibility of a greater focus on cycling in Beirut, for the social, physical, and psychological benefits of the people.

Named to represent the call to action ‘to bicycle’ in vernacular Arabic, BASKIL represents the spirit of the community of bicycle enthusiasts who believe in a Lebanese society of equality, responsibility, openness, and fun.

For further information on program, participants, location, press presence contact:

Karim Attoui - Tel: 03 72 51 87 / karimattoui@gmail.com

Karim Sokhn - Tel: 03 12 66 75 / info@cycling-circle.com

For more information please visit the Baskil Bicycle Festival page on Facebook: BASKIL BICYCLE FESTIVAL

PROGRAM

BASKIL Bicycle Festival will consist of several activities centered on an exhibition entitled ‘The Good City’.

WEDNESDAY 23rd / Opening event

Time: 2 PM to 7 PM

Location: Karantina Public Garden

- Official opening of the festival and exhibition by Danish Ambassador to Lebanon Rolf M. Hay Pereira Holmboe.

- Press conference by representatives of the local community and festival organizers.

- Launch of Siwar Kraytem’s Beirut Bicycle guidebook.

- Ride your bicycle and explore the neighborhood.

- Music and socializing in the garden.

WEDNESDAY 23rd - SUN 27th / 'The Good City' Exhibition

Time: 8 AM to 7 PM

Location: Karantina Public Garden

- An exhibition presenting the Danish bike-centric model for sustainable urban transportation showcasing the success of bicycle-based city planning in Copenhagen, and serving as an inspiration for the future urban model of Beirut. The exhibition will focus on the challenges Copenhagen faces as a cycling city and explore the possibilities inherent in cycling as a platform for change towards better cities with less congestion and better living spaces.

THURSDAY 24th / BASKIL Biking School

Time: 4 PM to 7 PM

Location: Forum de Beyrouth

- Take your first steps into cycling or improve your skills and balance in a safe environment.

- Instructors will give workshops for absolute beginners and novices.

- Ride your bicycle and explore the neighborhood.

Parking and bike rental available at Forum de Beyrouth.

FRIDAY 25th / BASKIL Bike Talks

Time: 5 PM to 9 PM

Location: Karantina Public Garden

- Come hear professionals and activists from the fields of cycling, urban planning, and transportation present their vision for Lebanon's cities.

- Join the discussion, along with local and international companies and NGOs.

- Enjoy a picnic in the Public Garden.

- Ride your bicycle and explore the neighborhood.

Parking and bike rental available at Forum de Beyrouth.

SATURDAY 26th / Workshop Day and Street Festival

Time: 12 PM to 7 PM

Location: Forum De Beyrouth and Medawar area

- Ride your bicycle and explore the neighborhood.

- Bike fixing, painting, and beautification at the Karantina Public Garden; bring your old bike and give it new life.

- Performers, artists and musicians bring the streets of Medawar to life.

- BMXers, skaters and rollerbladers.

- Delicious food will be available from the local community of Medawar by the garden and from food stands at Forum de Beyrouth.

Parking and bike rental available at Forum de Beyrouth.

SUNDAY 27th / Riding Day and Street Festival

Time: 9 AM to 7 PM

Location: Forum De Beyrouth and Medawar area

9 AM to 12 PM: Guided bike ride around Beirut, starting at Forum de Beyrouth and finishing in Medawar. PLEASE BOOK YOUR BIKES IN ADVANCE BY EMAILING info@cycling- circle.com! (100 bikes available for rent)

- Performers, artists and musicians bring the streets of Medawar to life.

- Ride your bike and explore the Medawar neighborhood.

- BMXers, skaters and rollerbladers.

- Delicious food will be available from the local community of Medawar by the garden and from food stands at Forum de Beyrouth.

Parking and bike rental available at Forum de Beyrouth

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