A POPULAR Peebles biking festival will come to the town early this year to make way for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships later in the summer.
The award-winning TweedLove Bike Festival has moved from September to the end of April – but it’s already gearing up to be one of the busiest yet.
Event director Neil Dalgleish said: “This year’s festival is going to get everyone in the mood for the World Champs.
“The YT Industries TweedLove International will be the biggest Enduro race in the UK this year, with some of the fastest riders from across the UK and Europe coming to ride the trails in our valley.
"We’ve got a prize fund of £2,000 for the winners so we can expect some seriously exciting action.”
Many of the world’s leading bike brands will be showcasing on Tweed Green across the weekend, alongside a busy bike demo, festival food village, the Tempest Festival Bar and more.
All local high street businesses have also been offered a free space at the festival village.
The free open-air cinema is back and even bigger with two film nights and more popcorn this year.
The Frog Bikes Outdoor Kids Cinema Night on Friday, April 28, will feature family favourite, Sing 2, with Top Gun: Maverick coming to the screen on Saturday evening for the slightly older crowd.
Away from the major races, the bike festival also hopes to inspire some of the area’s youngest riders.
The Power of the Bike Days programme includes a free kids zone with demo track on Tweed Green – and on Saturday afternoon, everyone is invited to join a car-free ride around Peebles with a special 'take back the streets' event.
The centrepiece to this year's packed children's schedule is the Frog Family Day on Sunday.
Little rippers of pre-school and primary age have the chance to ride with their pals in the biggest kids cycling event in the country.
Mr Dalgleish added: “TweedLove has a strong history of delivering world-class, international Enduro events, but we’re also passionate about our local community of riders, racers, families and business owners.
“This year's festival has it all –the best Enduro riders, the biggest kids’ event and a place for the community to come together and enjoy the bank holiday in the heart of Peebles.”
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