First Ride for Patchogue Historical Bike Tour

The Department of Parks and Recreation held its first annual Bike Day Sunday morning at Shorefront Park.

Participants were led on a historical tour of the Village of Patchogue by Recreation Director Maria Hendrickson. With a police escort, residents rode slightly under three miles, peddling past the future home of the Department of Parks and Recreation on Bay Avenue, the Village Town Hall on Baker Street, Watch Hill Ferry Terminal on West Avenue, the Patchogue Beach Club, Lombardi's on the Bay, and Mascot Dock and Marina.

The inaugural tour had fewer than 10 participants.

"For the first event, we didn't really approach anyone for advertising," said William Hilton, the village trustee and commissioner of special events, adding that area music festivals and the Village Pool also started small followings before growing to what they are today.

Hendrickson, who organized the event, said she got the idea from a Parks and Recreation conference she attended in upstate Saratoga Springs.  

"At the conference, different ideas were thrown around and bike runs have been successful in other communities," Hendrickson said.  

One of the participants, resident Jerry Barracco, said he attended because he wanted to support the Village and enjoys biking. 

Hendrickson and Hilton mentioned that the route was loosely based off of the Patchogue Historical Bus Tour, which last ran in 1993. Hilton provided a copy of the program of that bus tour, which is in the pdf section.

The event was one of the initial events for the Department of Parks and Recreation's summer season, which began on Friday with the opening of the Village Pool at the Patchogue Beach Club, and will continue with several recreational programs that can be found on the Parks and Recreation website.