Yoga and cycling complement each other in this exciting workshop! Instructor Kathleen Ellis, RYT, will teach elements of both energetics and physical form that will inform your practice to help you prepare for the challenges of the road. We’ll start with some discussion of alignment and good riding technique, and then follow with a nice 85 minute practice to help open areas prone to tightness and tension through cycling in urban environments, and then follow up with breath work and meditation. There will be plenty of opportunity for questions and requests. Some prior experience with yoga is recommended as a prerequisite for this workshop, but please don’t be intimidated; all are welcome. We will be announcing a workshop for beginners and first-timers in the near future. Registration: $20.

The fun festive monthly bike rides Chicagoans have come to know and love on the last Friday of each month have grown to the point that smaller “mini-masses” have sprouted up and are growing in neighborhoods and suburbs. Four mini-masses happen every first Friday of the month, with others organizing periodically. If you live or work near Wicker Park (north side of Chicago), Pilsen (south side), Oak Park or Evanston, bring your self-powered transportation mode and hook up with your local mass for a smaller, more intimate experience with fellow velorutionaries! If you’re interested in starting a monthly ride in your town or neighborhood, post it to the Chicago Cyclists’ social networking site, The Chainlink. Free.

This year’s Veggiefest is more exciting than ever. Live music, activities for kids, health talks by professionals, an “Ask the Expert” booth, cooking demos with free samples, and thousands of like-minded vegetarians and veg-curious people in the community! One hundred vendors, restaurants and exhibitors will be present on site, including two of Chicago’s top veggie restaurants: The Chicago Diner and Karyn’s. Plus you can take the Metra and ride the $3 shuttle from the Lisle station. Admission is free.

Have you ever dreamed of starting your own farm? In this interactive workshop, we’ll learn about types of sustainable farming careers in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, take part in a series of self-assessments, and be better prepared to decide whether to pursue a farming business. We’ll hear about regional training opportunities through the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT), university extension, small business development centers, and others. Includes a presentation of farming enterprises, a tour of a growing site, and an opportunity to ask questions about the development of successful local farms.

If you ride a bike, you need this class! In this informative presentation, you’ll learn how to lube a chain, fix a flat tire in record time, and make other minor adjustments to your bike. No experience necessary!

Join up with thousands of radically individual cyclists in the heart of the loop for this experience. Part protest, part party, part spectacle, this joyous, non-competitive ride has been happening the last Friday of every month for over ten years. Festive attire recommended, but come as you are.