RVA Bike Month 2026 Launches with ‘Happy Little Bikes’ Theme, Pedaling into a Record-Breaking Year of Art, Advocacy, and Community Momentum

RICHMOND, Va. – RVA Bike Month 2026 is officially underway, and this year’s celebration is already generating unprecedented momentum across the region. With over 80 events from rides, activations, art installations, parties, advocacy events and community gatherings planned throughout May and early June, Richmond continues to cement its reputation as one of the largest and most vibrant National Bike Month celebrations in the country. 

Now in its 13th year, RVA Bike Month is coordinated by Bike Walk RVA, a program of Sports Backers, alongside dozens of local volunteers, community organizations, artists, ride leaders, advocates and businesses who collectively help transform the region into a month-long celebration of biking, community, and public space. 

This year’s theme, “Happy Little Bikes,” blends cycling, public art and placemaking to reimagine how Richmond’s streets, trails and shared spaces can foster joy, creativity, and connection. 

“Something that makes RVA Bike Month really stand out is that it is almost entirely events that community members make specifically for National Bike Month. There simply would not be enough room on the calendar to include all the many regular weekly and monthly group rides that already contribute to our vibrant and bike-friendly region,” says Natalie Rainer, Sports Backers’ Bike Walk RVA Engagement Manager. “Advocates and enthusiasts see RVA Bike Month as an invitation to use bikes to celebrate our region’s history, culture, communities, and built environment, and they do so by leading tours, group rides, and social events that bring people together around two-wheeled fun. Increasingly, we are working with partner organizations and the community to use art to connect biking and walking infrastructure to the communities these projects serve.” 

Successful Kickoff Events Set the Tone

To mark the start of Bike Month 2026, Bike Walk RVA and the Little Giant Society hosted a celebratory demonstration of the proposed Manchester Art Park. Embodying the ‘Happy Little Bikes’ theme, the event brought live art and music to the Floodwall Walk under the 9th Street Bridge, successfully showcasing how trailside infrastructure can be reimagined through placemaking to foster community engagement and cultural connections with the hope for a permanent art park at the site. 

Mayor Danny Avula and First Gentleman Adam Spanberger headlined a May 1 celebration at Kanawha Plaza, kicking off Bike Month by showcasing the progress of the 43-mile Fall Line trail and Virginia’s new statewide multiuse trail initiatives. The event brought together officials and advocates committed to expanding safe, accessible, and connected active transportation options across the Commonwealth. 

Building on that momentum, community members participated in a 24-hour relay at Mayo Island from May 2 – May 3. This event served as a public display of affection of the community’s desire for protected bike lanes and sidewalks, framing the future Mayo Bridge reconstruction as a vital opportunity for safer active transportation. 

RVA Bike Month Calendar Features Over 80 Events 

Running from April 25 through June 4, the RVA Bike Month lineup returns with a robust mix of signature favorites and over 20 new activations. Highlights of the 2026 calendar include: 

• Genworth | CareScout Cap2Cap presented by Dominion Energy (May 9): One of the region’s premier rides, featuring distances for all skill levels along the Virginia Capital Trail. 

• Annual Bike to Work Day (May 15): A regional celebration encouraging commuters to swap four wheels for two. 

• Dominion Energy Riverrock (May 15–17): The nation’s premier outdoor sports and music festival on the Richmond riverfront. 

• The Cyclical Art of RVA (May 17): A beginner-friendly mural tour hosted by the River City Ramblers, departing from the VMFA. 

• 53^rd Annual Bryan Park Summer Race Series Opener (May 19): Richmond’s longstanding weekly race series, one of the most premier in the United States, hosts three categories of criterium racing every Tuesday. 

• Mayor Avula’s Bike to Work Day Ride (May 21): Ride to work with Mayor Danny Avula from Church Hill to City Hall. 

• 16th Annual Pizza Crawl (May 22): A fan-favorite community ride visiting some of the city’s best local pizzerias. This grassroots event is the inspiration for how RVA Bike Month is structured. 

For the full RVA Bike Month calendar, including an embedded schedule and links to individual events, visit rvabikemonth.com, where you can also find the 2026 Bike Month poster.